D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 1410
1410.1 Cultural organizations of all sizes help increase creative opportunities and produce diverse, culturally relevant expressions. These organizations affirm individual identities and create opportunities for residents with different backgrounds to build meaningful connections. Washington, DC had more than 600 cultural organizations and more than 4,000 self-employed artists and cultural creators in 2016. An analysis of 2014 information from SMU DataArts indicates that small and medium-sized nonprofits in the District spend a higher portion of their budgets on space and a smaller portion on employee compensation compared to larger cultural nonprofits. Further analysis determined that there are limited opportunities for increasing grant funding from the District government and local foundations to a level that is high enough to systemically reduce the financial burden of space costs.
1410.2 While Washington, DC’s economic and population growth drive higher costs for many commercial spaces, the growth also increases the base of potential cultural supporters and patrons. To address the challenge of scalable and sustainable cultural organization funding, the DC Cultural Plan introduced models for leveraged funding sources. The approach builds on existing programs to foster stronger networks of cultural organizations that have high-quality business plans, financial plans, and management practices that enable organizational innovation through leveraged funding approaches.
1410.3 Building capacity for organizational innovation and leveraged funding is designed to increase cultural equity by enabling grants from the District and other funders to achieve greater impact. Importantly, this approach empowers creators from historically underrepresented communities to present cultural works in enduring and public formats. This approach also highlights opportunities for programming partnerships, corporate partnerships, and mentoring that can provide supplemental support to the District government’s base of technical assistance programming.
1410.4 Policy AC-3.2.1: Small Business Development Encourage individuals and organizations seeking to establish, strengthen, or expand cultural organizations to use the District's small business development resources. These programs help creators build high-impact organizations and increase access to technical assistance and funding.
1410.5 Policy AC-3.2.2: Providing Goods and Services to the District Encourage arts and culture organizations to become Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs), which provides preferred status in the District's competitive contracting process for goods and services.
1410.6 Action AC-3.2.A: Directory of District-Based Arts and Cultural Businesses
Explore the feasibility of creating a directory of District-based arts and cultural businesses drawn from the District’s list of CBEs to inform organizations such as EventsDC, BIDs, DC Main Streets, and other businesses that seek products from local arts and cultural organizations.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).