May Newsletter — COVID-19 Response Edition

 
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Friends,

Last week, we held our second "virtual" Advisory Council meeting comprising more than 80 CEOs, union and non-profit leaders and nearly 20 Mayors and local government officials from around the country.

We have shifted rapidly, along with each of you and the rest of our country, to create models that address the immediate and envision and model a future that shifts rapidly before our eyes. Our job remains more important than ever: to assist those most in need now as we build for the years ahead to include those always left behind.

Following on our meeting, I wanted to share an update on the Accelerator's work to identify and develop solutions that can be widely applied to help America's cities and create a national impact, from the ground up:

  1. The Angeleno Campaign — Together with Mastercard's City Possible network, we created a model for cities to provide direct financial assistance to families that resolves challenges related to the physical distribution of funds as well as serving the unbanked, immigrants and others ineligible for federal assistance. After distributing $1.2 million in grocery cards in just three days, we have to date distributed $9 million in no-fee debit cards (Angeleno Cards). We have raised and will distribute $20 million to help 60,000 Angelenos by the end of the month. The program was originally designed to raise $10 million to assist 30,000 Angelenos. It's expansion is facilitated by technology improvements to streamline the applicant notification, document review, and appointment scheduling process (read more here) as well as the generosity of donors who see success not just in raising money, but in moving money.

    Local and regional governments and organizations from across the country have contacted us to learn how to replicate or adapt the Angeleno Campaign model. That’s why the Accelerator exists. We’re here to help.

  2. Small Business Relief — On May 15, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mayor David Holt joined Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Senator Booker for a video press conference to discuss their endorsement of a plan that, if enacted by Congress, would provide $50 billion to local governments for small businesses, including very small, minority-owned, and rural businesses. Accelerator for America partner Bruce Katz has been working closely with U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representatives Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on the bipartisan RELIEF for Main Street Act. A letter of support was signed by over 100 mayors, including Accelerator Co-Founder Mayor Eric Garcetti and Advisory Council members Mayors David Holt, Steve Benjamin, Nan Whaley and Andy Schor.

  3. New Partnership on Infrastructure — America’s infrastructure deficit, famously at over $2 trillion prior to the crisis, is now even larger as local and state governments lose sales, property and other local revenue streams to pay for needs that the feds have ignored for years. We have to tell the stories that will move D.C. to move money into those needs. Along with that, our New Partnership on Infrastructure — launched together with our partners at WSP USA, HNTB, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Meridiam NA, City Possible, and ACEC Research Institute — aims to maximize the return on investment for American workers and underserved communities through federal stimulus legislation. After weeks of interviews with mayors and many others across the country, we released the first in our series of briefs to inform specific and actionable recommendations for federal legislation: Maximize Investment for Job & Small Business Growth. Stay tuned next week for Brief #2: "Empower Localities with Effective Tools and Processes", which will be posted on our New Partnership on Infrastructure webpage.

We will keep you updated on our progress as these initiatives continue to evolve. We're all in this together.

Thanks for all that you do.

Rick Jacobs
CEO, Accelerator for America

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