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Q&A
Discussion on CDF disbursement timeline issues
2:50:23
ยท
3 min
Council Member Rivera and Commissioner Cumbo discuss the delays in Cultural Development Fund (CDF) award announcements and the steps DCLA is taking to address these issues. Commissioner Cumbo explains the reforms implemented and the plan to get back on track with timely award notifications.
- DCLA aims to send out FY26 applications by the end of the month
- FY25 CDF award letters were sent to grantees last month
- DCLA implemented reforms to make funding more equitable, which contributed to delays
Carlina Rivera
2:50:23
Thank you, council member Brewer.
2:50:25
We agree that we can start, $45,000,000 1 shot baseline, $30,000,000 more.
2:50:36
But let's get to the CDF thing because I know that you want very desperately to fund these amazing institutions, But we have to talk about the CDF funds specifically.
2:50:50
We have the numbers where we have $60,000,000, a ten seventy eight recipients, 73% funded who applied, but the timeline of the CDF disbursement.
2:51:03
Last year, CDF awards were announced very late because of the impending peg cuts.
2:51:09
This year organizations again received very late notice about their CDF and council awards even though there were no cuts in the budget.
2:51:17
And these delays as you know they prevent organizations from effectively planning their program calendars and preparing for the next fiscal year.
2:51:26
Can you explain why the CDF announcements were so late last year, and are you taking any steps this year to better align the city's overall budget timeline?
Laurie Cumbo
2:51:38
Thank you for that question.
2:51:39
I'm excited about that question.
2:51:41
We've got good news to share.
2:51:44
Fiscal year twenty six applications will go out very soon, possibly at the end of this month to hit those early targets.
2:51:52
Also, we sent fiscal year twenty five CDF award letters to grantees last month.
2:51:58
So we are getting back on track.
2:52:00
We've made our call for panelists ongoing to allow more New Yorkers as possible to apply to serve on our city panel on our city's panel ists.
2:52:09
We are expecting panels to begin in the summer and to complete in the fall.
2:52:15
And as again, as I've said, we are thrilled to welcome Audrey St.
2:52:18
Clair as our assistant commissioner of program services this month to oversee the Cultural Development Fund.
2:52:24
Under her leadership, we are confident that we will launch the fiscal year twenty six application so that awards will go out in a timely manner.
2:52:32
But I just wanna add all of the reforms that we listed, everything from safety net for organizations that were zeroed out, incorporating the city council members onto the panels, making sure that we brought back language language access and disability, creating the cultural equity reform.
2:52:51
All of these things, providing support for organizations that have recently completed a capital project.
2:52:58
These are monumental changes that may seem like things that are tinkering on the sidelines, but this is revamping the process and the policies in terms of how we make funding more equitable, and it did take time.
2:53:14
But now that we've implemented, we are moving full speed ahead in order to make sure that we are getting grants into the organizations that serve our city.
2:53:27
We are confident that with our recent hire we are going to be moving full speed ahead.