Philly Wins $1 Million Grant from Michael Bloomberg

Philly was one of five cities out of 305 applicants to win a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge. (Helps to have an ally in the War on Soda.) Nutter’s proposal is called the “Philadelphia Social Enterprise Partnership” and it will use the grant money to hire entrepreneurs to help the city think more creatively. Here’s Nutter’s description of the program, from a recent piece in the Huffington Post:

Historically the tendency of government was to think it had all the answers. We defined problems and we prescribed solutions. You sent us taxes; we delivered services. But current economic and political realities require government to be more focused and strategic in our investments and actions…That’s why we’re creating the Philadelphia Social Enterprise Partnership – a new approach to government problem solving that allows innovators and entrepreneurs inside and outside of government to work together to develop creative, sustainable solutions to urban challenges.

Here’s a video explaining the deal, starring cartoon Mike Nutter and narrated by the voice of Mike Nutter:

The idea is two identify two-to-three problems a year, and then contract some smarty-pantses to work with the city to implement the solutions. Sounds promising, but Nutter may be asking for trouble. Remember the last time the city used philanthropic money to bring in outside experts to help fix a major city problem? (Hint: William Penn>Boston Consulting Group>School Closures>Mass Outrage.) The $5 grand prize went to Providence, R.I., while Houston, Chicago, and Santa Monica also received $1 million grants.