In 2018, the Department of Arts and Culture implemented a new eligibility requirement as part of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. Applicants to the Organizational Grant Program must submit a statement, policy, or plan outlining their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEI). This analysis of the statements, policies, and plans submitted for the 2019-21 grant cycle finds that while nearly all applicants used the term diversity, they defined it and used it in different ways. Some applicants described their commitment to DEI by indicating how many of various race and ethnicity or gender categories they had on their board, in their staff, or among their artists. Other applicants addressed questions of diversity as they related to the organization’s historical work around equity and inclusion. In some cases, applicant organizations demonstrated a long-standing commitment to addressing these issues in specific communities.

This report concludes with a series of recommendations to arts nonprofits in LA County who are seeking to deepen their work in this area. It also makes recommendations for how Arts and Culture can continue to improve implementation of this requirement.