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SPRINGFIELD PROSPERITY PRIZE
(“P-PRIZE”) IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
April 20, 2011
Dear Springfield Community Leader:
Thank you for participating in the Springfield Prosperity Prize planning effort.
As you know, the Prosperity Foundation recently selected the City of Springfield to receive its
first-of-a-kind Prosperity Prize (P-Prize) - an cash award of $100M to remake the way the city
invests in its own prosperity. The Prosperity Foundation is known for its “surprise”
philanthropy, but has never made an award so large, and about which the winner had no
knowledge.
Foundation trustees developed readiness criteria over two years ago, and began rating cities
on that criteria. Springfield, having faced massive economic change over the past two
decades, has consistently advanced a regional, strengths-based approach to development,
showing itself capable of innovation, and resilient in the face of many obstacles - including a
20% unemployment rate. Trustees indicated these factors led to its selection as the winner of
the inaugural prize.
The size of the prize ($100M) relative to other public (and even existing private) investments is
substantial. The annual budgets for the City of Springfield (population 200K) and its home
county (Lincoln County, population 500K) follow:
 City of Springfield’s operating budget: $1.4B
 City of Springfield’s discretionary budget: $180.4M
 Lincoln County’s operating budget: $560M
 Lincoln County’s discretionary budget: $394M
The Prize comes with three conditions:
 City leaders must develop a five year strategy for the $100M;
 That strategy must address workforce development (jobs & talent) in a serious
way; and
 Progress and achievement must be measured and displayed in public.
The Implementation Team needs your help in planning for this unprecedented opportunity to
build a brighter future for Springfield and surrounding area residents. We need your input to
determine the goals, strategies, and engagement initiatives most critical to the success of
this initiative.
The whole world is watching and seeking to learn from our efforts.
We will not disappoint.
Sincerely,
Mary Simpson, Mayor
Vinz Koller, Prosperity Foundation Program Director