Bloomberg Philanthropies, an extension of the Bloomberg empire that includes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s multi-billion dollar family foundation, announced in the Wall Street Journal on February 15 that it would be donating $32 million in unrestricted grants to NYC arts and cultural organizations over the next two years.   Applicants to the newly minted Arts Advancement Initiative will be required to maintain accounts with the New York State Cultural Data Project as a part of their application process.  A letter sent to the 250 organizations invited to apply stated “At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we see the arts as fundamental to New York City’s cultural and economic wellbeing.”   By requiring the use of the CDP Data Profile, Bloomberg has also demonstrated that the Cultural Data Project is fundamental to its mission of identifying deserving organizations for its philanthropic efforts.