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Q&A
DCLA's plans to improve CDF application and award process timeline
2:53:33
ยท
9 min
Council Member Rivera presses for more details on DCLA's plans to improve the CDF application and award process timeline. Commissioner Cumbo and her team explain their goals and the steps they're taking to address the delays.
- DCLA aims to have award letters out by July 1 for organizations to plan their fiscal year
- The agency is working towards aligning their process with the city's budget adoption timeline
- DCLA plans to launch the FY26 application in the next 2-3 weeks, earlier than the previous year
Carlina Rivera
2:53:33
But Commissioner the budget is adopted in June, so will you again miss the deadline?
Laurie Cumbo
2:53:39
No, we're not.
2:53:39
As I just stated that the award letters for fiscal year twenty five went out last month.
2:53:45
We've made calls for our panelists already.
2:53:48
We are expecting panels to begin in the summer and to complete in the fall.
2:53:53
So that is putting us closer to where we have traditionally always been.
2:53:58
And we are working to, for the next fiscal year, to even have those panels for organizations to have a firmer understanding.
2:54:08
My goal is for when the budget is adopted for us to have a greater understanding of how funding will be allocated.
2:54:16
So we're getting closer to that every year.
2:54:19
But you can rest assure that award letters have gone out.
2:54:23
And in the next two or three weeks, so that everybody that's watching at home, everyone that's in the audience, prepare to look on our website.
2:54:31
In the next two to three weeks, The application will be up, and we are excited to review your applications this year.
Carlina Rivera
2:54:39
Alright.
2:54:40
So let me just make sure that I that I understand I'm asking the right question.
2:54:44
So the panels ideally used to be in the spring and then the funds would be announced at adoption and I think that is what people are looking for that that planning opportunity.
2:54:56
So the panels will be after budget that's after the budget adoption.
2:55:03
That's that's the issue.
2:55:04
I know maybe you're saying we're getting closer to to tradition.
2:55:08
I think the tradition as of the last couple years has not been good enough.
2:55:12
The timeline is not good enough.
2:55:13
So we want to move away and move back to like the spring panels, having the announcements ready for budget adoption and then people know exactly what they're doing in July and August.
2:55:25
That might sound ideal, I think it's just pragmatic.
Laurie Cumbo
2:55:28
Okay so let me tell you what my dream is.
Carlina Rivera
2:55:30
Okay, all right.
Laurie Cumbo
2:55:31
And not just dream, goal that we're working towards.
Carlina Rivera
2:55:34
Okay.
2:55:35
Okay.
Laurie Cumbo
2:55:35
My goal would be that July 1 essentially that we would know which organizations have met the threshold and the criteria and that we're able to get those award letters out so that organizations know from July 1 to June 30 what they have to be able to plan and to program for.
2:55:59
In collaboration with the city council who would, on July 1, make their recommendations and priorities known for Cultural Immigration Fund, CASA, SU CASA, theaters of color, that all of those programs and initiatives would be awarded July 1.
2:56:21
And that's something I've been working for for the last four years.
2:56:24
So the challenge is our process was delayed.
2:56:28
The city council also continues to award organizations funding in October, November, up until March for initiative funding that they are aware of the amount of funding they have, but are not submitting the organizations that they would like to fund right after budget adoption.
2:56:50
So we want to get into a place with the council and the administration where we are collaboratively in lockstep getting those award letters and grants and allocations for initiatives as well as CDF funding out at the same time so that our agency can start to work like clockwork, that this is how we do it.
2:57:12
So I look forward to working with you, Councilmember Rivera, and our administration to get into that lockstep so that organizations can understand their CDF award, as well as their council initiative simultaneously at the same time.
2:57:31
I'm not gonna rest till we get it done.
Carlina Rivera
2:57:35
I just, I don't want it to be that the city council's initiative process it shouldn't hinder the DCLA process.
2:57:44
Right?
2:57:44
They're different.
2:57:45
I agree that we work together to fund these groups, and there are certainly transparency resolutions that we pass, and there are initiatives that maybe the money will get decided post adoption.
2:57:55
Is nobody's perfect.
2:57:57
And sometimes it's just the reality of the initiative and funding.
2:58:02
I I think that if we want to send letters in July, the panels can't start in the summer.
Laurie Cumbo
2:58:08
Now I agree with you.
2:58:10
We have to do it this year in that way, but the year after that certainly is not going to be that.
2:58:16
But this year, in an effort to bring us closer to getting to that goal, the only way we can do that is to release the application in the next two to three weeks, and it takes the amount of time that it takes to review the amount of applications, and to award the organizations, and to vet them as it does.
2:58:36
It just takes the time that it takes.
2:58:38
And then afterwards, the following year, we would be able to implement exactly what we're discussing here.
2:58:45
Now I would say the challenges, of course CDF is not necessarily dependent on City Council initiative funding.
2:58:53
But what happens is if we can get our agency and staff working on the same type of work at the same type of time, it speeds the process because if we're getting Council initiatives in November, January, March, they have to work to do that type of work when they could be working on all of these sorts of things together.
2:59:19
It just creates a more streamline and that's where we want to get to.
2:59:24
And I believe we can get to that.
2:59:25
We just have to prioritize it and make it so.
Carlina Rivera
2:59:29
I think the feedback from the groups are like, if we have to dramatically shift the timeline then then we should because we can't speed up a process that like starts late, know.
2:59:42
We want to do what there are so many people in this room that are willing to go.
2:59:47
Spring, like let's get these panels done because I'll have an organization like Theatre for the New City on First Avenue, a beloved community theater getting their letter in February.
2:59:59
She just she's okay.
3:00:01
Getting their letter in February that they actually had tens of thousands of dollars cut.
3:00:05
Right.
3:00:06
And while, you know, everyone should be informed, correspondence is key too.
3:00:11
Was was there any correspondence sent to the organizations informing them there that there would even be that much of a delay that had transpired?
Laurie Cumbo
3:00:22
We informed them not that there was going to be a delay.
3:00:24
We informed them of what the timeline was going to be.
3:00:27
So we also informed organizations what it was going to mean for our agency.
3:00:32
If we raised the floor from 5 to $10,000, how that was going to impact the total funding level for the organizations.
3:00:44
Many of the organizations that were part of the the cultural plan, that were part of the town halls were asked what were the implementations or things that they wanted to see.
3:00:58
There was an outpouring of support from raising the floor from 5 to $10,000, and that has implications.
3:01:04
And these sorts of dynamics change the total amount of funding that we have to allocate.
3:01:09
So these are part of the reforms that the field was aware of, but yes, it impacted their bottom lines in that process.
3:01:17
Lance is gonna add to that.
Lance Polivy
3:01:19
Yes Councilmember Rivera.
3:01:20
We communicated with the field and we sent an email with an expectation of what the timeline would be and when they could anticipate that award letters would be coming out.
Carlina Rivera
3:01:29
But, you know, just try to I I know you all do this, but these are groups that are trying to plan their year.
3:01:37
Mhmm.
3:01:37
Their fiscal year is starting the same time our fiscal year is starting, and they get a letter in February.
3:01:43
You know?
3:01:44
It's just it's it's it's unfair.
3:01:48
It's not it's certainly I I just feel like it's a real disservice to the organizations.
3:01:53
If we have to move up the process so that way July 1 is the goal, and I get it, you know?
3:01:58
Mhmm.
3:01:59
July 1 is the dream.
3:02:02
It's the goal, but we cannot have the panel start at the same time we hope to get the letters out.
3:02:07
Right?
3:02:07
It just doesn't make sense.
3:02:08
So how we get there, the people in this room and across the city, they're willing to put in the effort.
3:02:15
We'll get we'll get we have 37 council members and their staff being represented at these panels.
3:02:20
We'll work to make sure these people continue to show up.
Christopher Leon Johnson
3:02:23
Mhmm.
Carlina Rivera
3:02:23
So we just need the admins commitment because this is a lot of money over a thousand organizations and $10,000 makes a big difference.
3:02:32
$20.30, 9,500,000.
3:02:34
So we just want the administration to commit to actually to really implementing a process that makes sense.
3:02:43
And I know you wanted to so like let's make it happen.
3:02:48
I just want to just put that out there because we have the city council's initiative process that should not hinder the DCLA process and we really want to make sure that we're adopting a budget, making those announcements, the letters are going out, we're working on reforming procurement because we also know that back pay and reimbursement is significantly delayed.
3:03:12
So there's a ton of things that we have to do as a team, so I just want to extend my appreciation that you recognize that the system as it stands is really fundamentally flawed.
3:03:26
Okay.
3:03:27
I appreciate that.
3:03:28
All
Laurie Cumbo
3:03:28
right.
3:03:29
So let me I do want to say this though.
Carlina Rivera
3:03:31
Yeah, please, please.