A swath of Brooklyn nonprofits will benefit from the nearly $60 million Cultural Development Fund announced by Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).
The record-breaking fund will support more than 1,000 cultural organizations across the five boroughs, bolstering visual arts, theater, film, dance and other artistic initiatives.
“Simply put, there is no New York City without the cultural sector that strengthens our communities, drives our economy, and makes us the creative capital of the world,” said DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “The work that goes into making our cultural sector thrive starts with the 1,000+ nonprofits that we’re proud to support through the Cultural Development Fund.”
The annually awarded fund has expanded its efforts to support individual artists, smaller nonprofits, people with disabilities, and English language learners. Organizations receiving additional funding include the Language Access Fund, the Disability Forward Fund and the CDF Equity Fund.
“It brings confidence that New York is reinvesting into the arts when the arts are nationally at risk,” Rasu Jilani, executive director of Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC), told Brooklyn Paper. “So for me, it is a mark of value that our Mayor is investing into the arts.”
Last year, BAC awarded $602,490 to Brooklyn cultural organizations, supporting 177 grantees. Jilani expects the Council to assist even more artists with funding from the Cultural Development Fund.
“ That’s really helpful for us because it fortifies New York City as the central creative ecosystem of America, quite frankly, the world,“ Jilani said.
This year’s Cultural Development Fund exceeds the city’s previous record of $58 million awarded to grantees in 2023.
“To make New York City the best place to raise a family, we need good-paying jobs and vibrant cultural organizations; these grants will help us support both by bolstering our museums, music venues, and much more,“ Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
Some of the awarded Brooklyn Nonprofits include Brooklyn Music School, Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium, Art of Brooklyn Festival, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Brooklyn Steppers, Brooklyn Youth Music Project, Brooklyn Art Song Society and Brooklyn Book Bodega, among others.
The complete list of funding awarded organizations can be found on the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Fiscal 2025 Cultural Development Fund Awardees page.
