Pittsburgh Selected for Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Action Fund to Engage Young People in Driving Local Climate Solutions
Pittsburgh, PA – Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced that the City of Pittsburgh has been selected to join the Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide $50,000 in funding and capacity to support the City in engaging with young residents between the ages of 15-24 in designing and delivering solutions aligned with citywide climate action priorities.
Since its launch in 2024, the Youth Climate Action Fund has delivered tangible results in 98 municipalities across 34 countries and helped a new generation develop trust and believe in government. The program’s scale-up is tripling its reach and Pittsburgh joins 300 new cities around the world.
As part of this program, the City of Pittsburgh will receive financial and technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies to provide microgrants for between 8-20 youth-led projects across the city. The City will partner with local non-profits, schools and community organizations to engage young residents in developing innovative projects that focus on impact and community-driven solutions. Projects could include neighborhood-level efforts such as urban gardening, stormwater management, community gardens and other climate resilience initiatives aligned with Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan.
The application for proposals is expected to open in late summer of 2026 with projects running from the fall into the spring of 2027. Staff from the Department of Innovation & Performance and City Planning’s Division of Sustainability & Resilience will manage the program and support the implementation of projects, helping young residents lead in carrying their plans through to completion – creating public space, strengthening infrastructure, mitigating disasters and building resilience.
"Through this program, we're building a Pittsburgh for the next generation with the next generation,” said Mayor Corey O’Connor. “Thanks to this investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies, our local young people will have the opportunity to be leaders in our communities and partner with the City in designing, planning and shaping the future of Pittsburgh.”
“The Youth Climate Action Fund is helping city halls around the world work alongside hundreds of thousands of young people to take action on city climate challenges and improve their communities,” said Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “They are showing how local government can be a partner on issues youth and residents care deeply about – and they are building trust along the way. We look forward to expanding on these efforts and inspiring a new generation of civic leaders.”
At a time when participation in public life has thinned, the results from the first wave of Youth Climate Action Fund cities point to a new approach. Survey research of the program’s youth participants showed that their trust in local government leadership rose from 61% to 83%—a 22 percentage point increase—while confidence in their own ability to address environmental challenges increased from 65% to 90%. Nearly three in four youth said their city hall values their input on climate policy—one of the issues they care most about.
Participating local governments also changed how they work. More than half established new, formal structures—such as youth councils, advisory boards and participatory budgeting processes—to sustain young people’s engagement. 43% embedded youth input into long-term strategies and policies, while roughly 40% created dedicated staff roles. Nearly all report plans to expand the effort.
To date, more than 300,000 young people across five continents have taken part in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund—working with their city halls to create over 1,600 green spaces, plant over 1.8 million plants and 235,000 trees, develop nearly 5,000 gardens, launch 268 composting stations, and collect more than 405,000 pounds of trash and recyclables—producing visible improvements in their communities and bettering quality of life for residents worldwide. As part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ longstanding work to strengthen local state capacity through its Government Innovation program, the Fund also provides municipalities and their mayors with a model that extends beyond climate—galvanizing partnership with stakeholders citywide to advance progress on pressing problems—and opportunities—for the people they serve.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies: Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.
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