By Abby Rolland On May 25, 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While this was not the first (nor unfortunately, the last) brutal murder of an unarmed BIPOC man or woman, it began a national reckoning with systemic racial injustices that have…
By Abby Rolland The Presser Foundation is pleased to welcome two interns this summer – Julia Gregory and Joseph Richards. Julia and Joseph are both local undergraduate students who will be assisting the Foundation as we begin to prepare for the 100th anniversary of founder Theodore Presser’s passing (1925). Julia Gregory Julia is a rising…
By Abby Rolland Two plus years later, and the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be ebbing into an endemic. No doubt has the pandemic been devastating to nonprofits in many ways; yet there are many lessons that funders can learn. The Presser Foundation adapted its own practices and requirements during the pandemic and continues to assess…
By Abby Rolland Always learning. Open to change. Adapting to current realities. The three phrases above illustrate The Presser Foundation’s commitment to what I call “being a good partner.” We know that private foundations yield power over traditional nonprofits simply because of the reality of their perpetual endowments. With that idea in mind, how can…
This blog post was originally posted on Exponent Philanthropy’s blog. By Abby Rolland The Presser Foundation is the only foundation dedicated solely to funding music organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. Its holistic approach to grantmaking also makes it unique among funders. The foundation gives to music organizations through special projects, general operating support, and…
By Abby Rolland, Grants & Communications Manager It comes as no surprise that arts and cultural institutions have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these organizations rely heavily on ticket purchases and other earned income revenue streams to fund their programs and operations. With the total loss of all in-person audiences at the…