Dear New Yorker:

We are writing with enthusiasm to report on New York City's allocations to cultural affairs and arts education in the FY 2015 Adopted Budget.

The FY 2015 Adopted Budget allocates a total of $157.2 million to the Department of Cultural Affairs. This reflects an increase from the FY15 Executive Budget allocation of $148 million, which is due to one-time allocations from the City Council and other adjustments. The $60M restoration to the agency baseline remains in the FY 2015 Adopted Budget. The allocation to each funding area is as follows: Cultural Institutions Group, $109.4 million (includes $819,000 in Member Items); Programs, $32.1 million (includes $3.7 million in Member Items); CASA, $7.1 million (additional $2 million added at adoption); Coalition of Theaters of Color, $1.7 million (additional $1M added at adoption); Council Initiatives, $1.6 million; Agency Personnel Services and Administrative Budget, $5.3 million.

There is also big news for arts education funding: $23 million in new funding has been allocated to the Department of Education to expand arts instruction.

Thank you for joining Dance/NYC in advocating for dance and culture. The budget results, in part, from your collective voice and testimony on the contributions of dance and culture to all New Yorkers. Watch the video below and visit DanceNYC.org and Dance/NYC's YouTube.com channel to experience the 51 new NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE videos, one from every City Council district, that we released to coincide with budget hearings.

The budget is a powerful sign of support from our new Mayoral Administration and City Council. Please join Dance/NYC in thanking New York City Council Speaker Melissa-Mark Viverito, Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer, Finance Chair Julissa Ferreras, and your City Council member for the Council's work on this budget. And thank you to Mayor Bill De Blasio and Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl for all they are doing for dance and culture.

Visit the all-new DanceNYC.org for regular advocacy updates.

Onward,

The team at Dance/NYC