NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's New 'Cultural Plan' to Reward Diverse Arts Organizations with More Funding

Arts organizations who show an increase in the diversity among their staff and board members will see more city funding, if NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's new "cultural plan" for the five boroughs delivers on its goals.

The New York Times writes that arts groups would have to submit "meaningful goals" for improving their diversity as "a factor in the city's funding decisions going forward."

"We do this because we believe in fairness," de Blasio said during a press conference announcing the plan. "There is still the assumption among New Yorkers about where they belong and where they don't belong," he added, commenting on certain "elitist" cultural institutions.

The plan will keep funding New York City's big museums and venues, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall and more, while also increasing money for smaller organizations in neighborhoods outside Manhattan.

The plan was formed after input from around 200,000 residents from across the city, many of whom said they would attend more cultural events and activities if they were closer to where they live.

"I would consider it a failure if we don't have a measurable increase in cultural resources in those parts of the city that aren't being reached right now in five years," Tom Finkelpearl, commissioner of cultural affairs, told the Times.

Arts funding increased by $18.5 million in the city's budget for fiscal year 2018, and some of those extra dollars will go toward implementing these goals. Aside from diversity, the plan also focuses on arts organizations reducing greenhouse gas emissions.