About CDF / Registration

The Fiscal year 2026 (FY26) application is open. The submission deadline is 5PM ET, Thursday, May 8, 2025.

CDF Panelists

DCLA is currently seeking panelists to serve for the FY26 CDF review period. To learn more about the panelist application process as well as how to serve, please click here.

About CDF

The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is a mayoral agency charged with the administration of city funds in support of arts and culture throughout New York City’s five boroughs. The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) is DCLA’s competitive, peer-evaluated grant process that supports a broad, multidisciplinary group of diverse nonprofit organizations for their cultural services to city residents. It is managed by the agency’s Program Services Unit. Annually, the CDF supports over 1,000 grantees for programmatic funding. On average, over 75% of applicants receive funding, which is provided by the Mayor and City Council. This process allows public funds to be widely distributed through every council district and in every cultural discipline.

The FY26 application is now available, and the deadline is May 8, 2025 for activities taking place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Visit the Applying page on our website for more information.

Any arts or cultural organization interested in applying for a Fiscal Year 2026 grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs must:

An eligible organization must: 

• Be either (a) a nonprofit arts or cultural organization, or (b) a nonprofit organization that has an arts or culture component in its broader mission.
• Demonstrate successful delivery of arts and cultural services in New York City for the last two consecutive years.
• Be based in New York City and able to demonstrate administrative and programmatic operations within any of the five boroughs of New York City. Your administrative address is primarily determined by the address listed on your IRS 990 for the fiscal year ending in 2023, with the organization’s 501(c)(3) letter, and other publicly available information also taken into consideration
• Possess a unique Federal Employee Identification Number (EIN).
• Be certified as tax exempt under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c)(3); or be an incorporated nonprofit that uses a DCLA- approved, New York State incorporated tax-exempt fiscal sponsor. Only nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply, regardless of whether they use a fiscal sponsor. Limited Liability Companies, Benefit corporations, Limited Partnerships, Unincorporated organizations, S corporations, individual artists, and unincorporated artist collectives are not eligible to apply. 
• Be incorporated in New York State as a not-for-profit organization no later than the organization’s fiscal year 2023.

Registration

If you are an eligible arts or cultural organization and have not already registered for a Cultural Affairs Account, please complete the registration process. Please review the Registration Help Guide before beginning the registration process. Registering will also enable you to receive updates about our next CDF application.

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