Strengthening Cultural Institutions and Local Economies in Upper Manhattan

Our team partnered with the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) to advance the $27 million Cultural Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) — a major public–private initiative designed to strengthen nonprofit arts organizations while driving economic development across Upper Manhattan.

Year
2023

Client
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ)

UMEZ sought a partner capable of identifying and vetting nonprofit arts organizations that could advance the goals of the Cultural Industry Investment Fund—and, by extension, the broader mandates of UMEZ. Our client managed a large and diverse grants portfolio, ensuring that investments in cultural institutions translated into measurable community and economic impact.

This work required the ability to strategically select organizations with the capacity and readiness to grow, ensuring that grant investments would drive meaningful, measurable change on the ground and help catalyze the community’s economic revitalization and development.

The Challenge

Across the fund, we managed 13 organizations representing theater, visual arts, music, dance, and community culture, with grants ranging from $25,000 to $2.6 million and project budgets up to $26 million.

Our Role

Serving as end-to-end grants management consultants, we helped operationalize CIIF’s strategy from intake to closeout.

A diagram with blue circles containing white text, illustrating various steps or components in a process, including organizational assessments, case development, reporting, application review, budget development, coordination, grant closeout, and contractual oversight.

Together, we oversaw:

By reframing cultural institutions as economic anchors, we helped UMEZ position arts investment as a powerful tool for neighborhood revitalization.

A Strategic, System-Level Approach

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Six people sit on chairs inside a church, with a white altar and religious decorations behind them, during a panel discussion or interview.
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Key Cultural Anchors

The Classical Theatre of Harlem

An art gallery with wooden floors and white walls displaying various artworks including paintings and sculptures. In the foreground, there is a wooden sculpture of a person holding a child. Several paintings are visible on the walls, and a staircase leads to an upper level.

The Studio Museum

Exterior view of the Apollo Theatre with neon signs and marquee advertising a night event, with people walking outside.

The Apollo Theater Foundation

Historic stone building with clock towers at night, trees on either side, and a car parked in front.

Harlem Stage

Our Impact

Over 85% of grantees achieved organizational stabilization and increased visibility.

The Studio Museum in Harlem leveraged early CIIF support to advance its capital expansion, culminating in its new museum opening in 2025.

Cultural anchors, including the Apollo Theater Foundation, Harlem Stage, and the Classical Theatre of Harlem, strengthened their capacity and expanded community engagement to reach over 50,000 upper Manhattan residents annually.

GSDC Projects