Overview
The Presser Foundation created the Special Projects Committee to consider grants that fall outside the Foundation’s core grantmaking areas. In recent years, these grants have largely been made in two areas.
- First, Special Projects general operating support grants were awarded to new organizations. In 2026-27, this area of grantmaking was combined with Advancement of Music general operating support grants, and all organizations regardless of age, will apply together.
- Second, the Special Projects Committee sometimes responds to current events or opportunities that impact the music community or meet other strategic objectives of the Foundation. In 2024-25, for example, Special Projects offered Resilience Grants to help cover costs associated with adapting to federal funding cuts or policy changes.
In 2025-26, 7% of The Presser Foundation’s distributed funds ($279,235/$3.83 million) went to Special Project grants.
There are no open grant opportunities in Special Projects at this time. If you are a music educating, performing, or presenting organization based in the Greater Philadelphia region seeking general operating support funding, please visit the Advancement of Music grant page.