Our Bond Markets and Racial Equity project aims to support bond issuers and market stakeholders who want to leverage municipal bond markets as a catalyst for changing racially inequitable conditions. Learn more
In 2022, we launched the Bond Markets & Racial Equity project, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the guidance of a national experts advisory committee, and the collaboration of The National League of Cities, The Government Alliance on Race & Equity, the Equity and Excellence in Public Finance Program at The Milken Institute, Urban American City, Ideas and Action, The Urban Institute, and The Initiative for Responsible Investment at the Harvard Kennedy School. Learn More
We began this project with national focus groups led by our partners to understand how race and equity are being considered by governments and other market stakeholders in the issuance of municipal bonds. Our co-authored report with the National League of Cities, summarizes what we learned from governments, this report authored by our collaborators at the Initiative for Responsible Investment at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership found that racial equity is a particular topic of concern for responsible investors.
Our framework on bond markets and racial equity makes clear how practicing and realizing racial equity can be achieved in different ways across the different phases of the bond issuance process, and supports issuers in articulating, benchmarking, and strengthening their practices, and optimizing key outcomes and intents. The framework will be released sat the end of March in a session at Congressional City Summit, and you can request the framework using this contact form.
We launched a new technical assistance and grant program to support issuers who want to strengthen, test, or pilot a novel racial equity strategy in a municipal bond issuance in partnership with the PFM Group Consulting LLC’s Center for Budget Equity & Innovation, PFM Financial Advisors LLC, and the Government Alliance on Race & Equity. Learn more at this link, and download the program application.
Issuer can now apply to join our Technical Assistance and Grant program focused on Bond Markets & Racial Equity led by PFM Group Consulting LLC’s Center for Budget Equity & Innovation, PFM Financial Advisors LLC, and the Government Alliance on Race & Equity. Learn more at this link, and download the program application.
