NYC Council Discretionary Funding: What is it and how to apply

Co-Sponsored by
Councilmember Susan Zhuang District 43

In this workshop, learn about NYC Council Discretionary Expense Funding: the application process, the timeline to receive funding if you are selected, and the organizational capacity necessary to apply and manage a reimbursement grant. The webinar will also walk you through the step by step process of how to apply in the portal, and provide insights on which initiatives may be a good fit for your organization.

About the facilitator

Tamara Keshecki, MPP, MM is the founding principal of AINOK Consulting, LLC which has secured over $27M for clients since its inception in 2020. An ardent advocate and accomplished professional musician, she is an Adjunct Faculty Member and Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s School of Public Policy and also the Director of Grants and Government Relations for the St. George Theatre Restoration, Inc.

As the Vice-President of the New York Independent Venue Association (NYIVA), she was invited to testify at the 2024 NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, Parks and Sports Development on Live Entertainment Event Ticketing Practices and Enforcement, and also the New York State Joint Legislative Hearing on the 2022-2023 Executive Budget Proposal on Economic Development.

She is the co-lead of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) Development Affinity Group, and a NYC Mayoral Appointee to both the Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC) and the Nightlife Advisory Board. She has been an invited to present her team’s research at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA 2022, 23, 24), International Society for Third Sector Research 2024 (ISTR, Belgium), and Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts 2024 (STP&A, Spain), and was invited to speak at SXSW 2023 and the Live Music Society (2024). In 2014, she received a New York City Council Citation for her contribution to New York City’s cultural community.