How to Complete the NYC DCLA Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

The NYC DCLA Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form is a one-page document that every organization applying for or renewing a Cultural Development Fund (CDF) grant must sign and submit, even when there is nothing to report. You download it from DCLA’s Applying page, fill in your organization’s details, check whether a conflict exists, sign it, and upload it through the CDF web portal at dclagms.nyc.gov/grants with the rest of your application.1New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Applying – DCLA

What the Form Is Asking

The form has one real question: does your organization have a conflict of interest with DCLA? Under the City’s Conflicts of Interest Laws, a conflict exists if any DCLA employee, or any person associated with a DCLA employee, falls into one of three categories relative to your organization:2New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Cultural Development Fund Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form

  • Serves as an employee, director, trustee, officer, or consultant of your organization.
  • Holds any direct or indirect financial interest in your organization.
  • Has received or will receive any direct or indirect financial benefit from your organization or from the CDF funding.

An “associated person” means a DCLA employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, or sibling, as well as anyone with whom the employee has a business or financial relationship and any firm in which the employee holds a present or potential interest.2New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Cultural Development Fund Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form

This is not a general audit of your board’s personal finances or outside business dealings. It is narrowly about links between your organization and DCLA’s own staff.

How to Fill It Out

If you’ve already checked for conflicts, the form itself takes only a few minutes. You will complete:

  • Your organization’s full legal name and Federal Employee Identification Number (EIN).
  • One of two checkboxes: no conflicts to report, or conflicts to report.
  • If you check the second box, a table listing each conflict. For each one, give the name, title, and position of the DCLA official or associated person; the nature of the conflict; and the name, title, position, and relationship of the person within your organization.
  • A signature block for an authorized representative of your organization, with their printed name, title, and the date.

Sign and submit the form even if you have nothing to disclose.2New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Cultural Development Fund Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form Leaving it off your package because you believe no conflict exists will make your application incomplete.

Checking Whether a Conflict Actually Exists

The paperwork is the easy part. The real work is figuring out whether any of the triggering relationships are hiding in your organization. Ask your board members, officers, and senior staff whether they or their family members are DCLA employees, or whether they have a business or financial relationship with one.

A board member whose spouse works at DCLA creates a conflict. So does a situation where a DCLA employee’s sibling serves as your organization’s paid consultant. If a DCLA employee has invested in your organization or receives any payment from it, that is a financial interest or benefit that must be disclosed. The standard catches indirect connections too: a firm in which a DCLA employee holds an interest, doing business with your organization, counts.

If you aren’t sure whether a particular relationship qualifies, the form directs you to contact your DCLA Program Officer or DCLA’s General Counsel for guidance before you file.2New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Cultural Development Fund Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form

Where and When to Submit It

Download the blank form from DCLA’s Applying page, complete and sign it, and upload the signed version through the CDF web portal at dclagms.nyc.gov/grants.1New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Applying – DCLA New applicants include it in the initial CDF application package. Organizations renewing a multi-year CDF award submit it as part of the renewal application through the same portal.3NYC Cultural Affairs. Renewing – DCLA

Renewal grantees who received a three-year CDF award in FY25 or FY26 must submit their FY27 renewal application, with an updated Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form, by June 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern.3NYC Cultural Affairs. Renewing – DCLA File a fresh form each cycle; don’t assume last year’s version is still on file.

What Happens If You Report a Conflict

Checking the “conflicts to report” box does not disqualify your organization from CDF funding. The form itself states that if a true conflict exists, DCLA will work with your organization to find a solution that lets it still receive the grant while complying with the City’s Conflicts of Interest Laws.2New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Cultural Development Fund Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Form

This is the most misunderstood part of the process. Organizations sometimes avoid disclosing a potential issue out of fear they’ll lose funding, when the actual consequence is a collaborative resolution. Typical fixes might involve the conflicted DCLA employee recusing themselves from decisions about your grant, or your organization restructuring a particular role. The specifics depend on the nature and severity of the conflict. Hiding a conflict and having it surface later creates a far worse outcome than disclosing it upfront.