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Sorenson Impact Center Launches Putting Public Assets to Work Incubator
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Sorenson Impact Center Senior Fellow, Ben McAdams

The Center is seeking applications from local governments for the new program

through May 27th

SALT LAKE CITY – The Sorenson Impact Center, in partnership with the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and Urban3, is launching, ‘Putting Assets to Work’, an incubator  program designed to help cities and counties leverage existing government assets to generate new revenue for impact-oriented programs without raising taxes on citizens. 

Governments interested in the program can apply here. Applications are due by May 27.

Under the leadership of former Salt Lake County Mayor and Congressman Ben McAdams, the Sorenson Impact Center and GFOA will host up to five local governments in the U.S. to participate in the nonpartisan, one-year program. McAdams serves as a senior fellow at the Center. 

The Center has developed an informative fact sheet and a short one-minute video , and the GFOA is hosting a webinar at 12 pm EDT on May 2 and May 5 for more information about the program. Register for the webinar here.

The program will help local governments leverage underutilized assets, work alongside private and philanthropic partners to make those assets generate revenue, and provide community benefits including new neighborhood playgrounds, homelessness initiatives, and other needs. Selected programs will work with Sorenson Impact Center and GFOA to:

  • Identify the budgetary goal or other need it wants to fund with additional revenue
  • Inventory all publicly owned assets in a jurisdiction
  • Identify one or more of those assets that are underutilized
  • Prepare to manage and maintain the asset, generate additional value/revenue that can be transferred to public programs/initiatives, and provide oversight throughout the process

“Local governments are sitting on a gold mine of public assets and they don’t realize it,” said McAdams. “Just as private individuals and corporations use assets like machines or buildings to generate income, governments can do the same with their assets. I hope this program provides a template for cities and counties across the country to put their public assets to work.”

Leveraging public assets for public good has been piloted in several cities across the world already – notably in Hong Kong; Singapore; Hamburg, Germany; and Copenhagen, Denmark, with great success.

 
 
 
 

 

 

Media contact:

Robert Munson

Managing Director, Sorenson Impact Center

225-247-5371

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