Introduction & Purpose
The Trustees of The Presser Foundation created the Special Projects Committee to consider grant requests that fall outside the Foundation’s core grantmaking programs. Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to $25,000 annually for music organizations operating in a broad range of music traditions, genres, and styles.
In 2024-25, 9% of The Presser Foundation’s distributed funds ($320,230/$3.73 million) went to Special Project grants.
This fiscal year (2025-26), the Special Projects Committee will consider applications for:
- General Operating Support for newly established music organizations (up to 5 years in existence).
- Resilience Grants for small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes. These grant requests of up to $7,500 are for organizations with operating budgets under $150,000. Organizations seeking support for the following are encouraged to apply:
- Artistic and/or organizational development (e.g. workforce programming) projects that have been impacted by government funding cuts;
- Organizations seeking legal, financial, fundraising, or communications guidance to navigate government funding or policy changes;
- Efforts to share costs and collaborate* with another nonprofit organization to maintain financial stability for the organization; and
- Other efforts to maintain your organization’s core mission and/or financial viability in response to the changing arts funding landscape will be considered.
*Not intended for one-time creative collaborations.
The Why
Are you a newly established organization and seeking general operating support? Have you been impacted by government funding or policy changes? The Special Projects grantmaking area is an avenue for The Presser Foundation to support these types of initiatives.
Important Dates
Application Deadline: September 15, 2025
Decision Notification: November 1, 2025
Eligibility
- Non-profit, 501(c)(3) music organizations include: music performance, music presenting or music education organizations (pre-collegiate). Pre-collegiate music education organizations include after school music programs, community music schools, music preparatory divisions, and youth instrumental and vocal programs. The Foundation does not directly support K-12 schools, but funds nonprofit music organizations that provide music education and music programming.
- Organizations that are in Greater Philadelphia including Pennsylvania (including Harrisburg), New Jersey, Delaware or Maryland and are within a 75-mile radius of Philadelphia are eligible to apply. Organizations in the New York and Baltimore metropolitan areas will not be considered for funding.
- Substantive changes from the accepted application require the approval of The Presser Foundation. Failure to adhere could result in the revocation of grant funds and/or a suspension of granting privileges for a period of time as determined by the Foundation’s Board.
Criteria
- The Foundation provides support for newer organizations and organizations that have been impacted by federal funding policy changes.
- Size, scope, and impact of the organization are considered when applications are reviewed.
Considering the Foundation’s Equity Commitment and Values, applications will be judged on all of the following:
- The strengths and accomplishments of the applicant organization
- The relationship between the music programming of the applicant organization and the needs of the community(ies) served
- The applicant organization’s history and stability, as well as its long-term impact on the community
- How a commitment to equitable access to music is reflected in the applicant organization
- The use and feasibility of the applicant organization’s programs
- The contribution of the applicant organization to the overall music community