Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities Expands Support to Thirteen New Cities

TWENTY-ONE AMERICAN CITIES NOW PARTICIPATING IN THE NATION’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE INITIATIVE TO HELP CITY HALLS USE DATA AND EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE RESIDENTS’ LIVES; INTERESTED CITIES ARE INVITED TO APPLY BEFORE FEBRUARY 1, 2016

Bloomberg Philanthropies and Results for America announced today that 13 more American cities have been selected to join the What Works Cities initiative.  In joining What Works Cities, these cities and their mayors have publicly committed to enhance their use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making and engage residents.  The new cities include:  Anchorage, Alaska; Bellevue, Washington; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Denton, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Independence, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada; Lexington, Kentucky; Saint Paul, Minnesota; San Jose, California; San Francisco, California; Tacoma, Washington and Waco, Texas.

“Cities around the country are looking to use data more effectively, and the new What Works cities range from Alaska to the East Coast,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and three-term Mayor of New York City. “They understand that data is a tool that every city can use to improve public services, and our What Works Cities initiative will help them do just that.”

“These 13 cities and their mayors, along with the initial eight, are on the leading edge of what it means to invest in what works and get better results for their residents,” said Michele Jolin, CEO & Co-Founder of Results for America, which coordinates What Works Cities.  “Today’s announcement represents a huge step forward in the broader movement toward using data and evidence to drive government decision making and, ultimately, improve lives.  We are excited by the progress being made and look forward to more cities joining the initiative in the coming months.”

What Work Cities is a national initiative to help mid-sized American cities enhance their use of data and evidence to improve the lives of residents. The initiative, which was launched in April of this year, represents the largest-ever philanthropic effort focused on the use of data and evidence in the public sector.  In August, the first eight cities to participate were announced.  With the addition of these new cities to the program, What Works Cities is now working in 21 cities in 15 states. A total of 100 cities will be selected on a rolling basis through 2017.

Participating cities receive expert support from the world-class What Works Cities’ partner organizations, including Results for America; the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University; the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School; Sunlight Foundation; and The Behavioral Insights Team.  The initiative is also building a growing peer-to-peer learning network, sharing best practices with cities around the country.

Cities that have not yet applied have another opportunity:  the next What Works Cities will be selected based on applications received by February 1, 2016.  To learn more, cities should visit www.WhatWorksCities.org.

About Results for America
Results for America is improving outcomes for young people, their families and communities by shifting public resources toward practices, policies, and programs that use evidence and data to improve quality and get better results. In a climate of constrained resources and mounting demands, we know that public funds must increasingly be invested in “what works.”

In November 2014, Results for America published Moneyball for Government, the national bestselling book that brings together a group of bipartisan leaders and makes the case for government at all levels to inform public policy and funding decisions by using the best possible data, evidence and evaluation about what works. In January, 2016, RFA published the second edition of Moneyball for Government featuring a new bipartisan chapter about the importance of using data and evidence to drive U.S. foreign assistance. Go to www.results4america.org for more information about Results for America.