Below are some highlights of the Foundation’s work over the past 12 months.
Grantmaking
Each of the Foundation’s grantmaking areas reached new levels.
- Advancement of Music – The Foundation’s largest grantmaking area gave to a record number of Greater Philadelphia music organizations in 2023 – 109 music organizations in total. The focus and size of the organizations vary a great deal, including in budget size and type of music.
- Capital Support – For the third year in a row, the Foundation extended its guidelines to consider proposals for building projects and other capital needs including (but are not limited to) hardware, software, and equipment. Fifteen organizations, out of a total of 20 that received funding, were provided with grants for these expanded capital needs beyond large construction or renovation projects.
- Special Projects – This grantmaking area saw the largest number of newer organizations receive general operating support funding. Newer organizations, in existence for less than five years, demonstrate the vitality and creativity of music organizations amidst the long impact of COVID and other challenges facing the nonprofit sector.
- Assistance to Music Teachers – This unique grant program added another recipient – a local musician and music educator. While the program has changed over time in terms of how and the number of teachers it serves, it maintains Theodore Presser’s commitment to supporting those who dedicate their careers to music education.
- Scholar Award
- Graduate Music Award – The Graduate Music Award is administered at 15 graduate schools of music. The Foundation was pleased to receive proposals from nominated students that center both equity and inclusion in the projects undertaken.
- Undergraduate Scholar Award – The Undergraduate Scholar Award has undergone substantial changes, including expanding the schools included, a shifted focus to the student rather than the institution, and a focus on inclusivity. Read this blog post to learn more about the changes to this Award. Staff have begun reviewing the 2023-24 Student Nominations and are pleased to see how students are exemplifying academic excellence, leadership, and inclusive behaviors.
The Foundation continues to find ways to operate in a trust-based model, including offering an open-door policy and offering oral reporting.
Fellow Performances
During the past year, the Foundation hosted two Graduate Music Fellows. Inaugural Fellow Baker Purdon served during the 2022-23 fiscal year, ending his term in May 2023. Fellow Sepehr Pirasteh started in September 2023, and will conclude in May 2024.
Since January, the Fellows attended numerous performances, wrote a combined nine blog posts on a wide range of music-related topics, shared dozens of social media posts, and contributed their thoughts and expertise to the Foundation’s grantmaking processes and operations. The Foundation is grateful to learn from them and are eager to see the next steps in their journeys!
Communications & Convening
The Presser Foundation continues to find ways through its communications to be more transparent and share learnings with the music and philanthropic communities, as well as promote and support its grantees’ efforts.
From 48 blog posts to an updated grant map courtesy of Candid, from charts depicting grantmaking over the past five years to four quarterly newsletters, from a Gold Seal of Transparency to hundreds of social media posts, the Foundation is seeking to embed transparency into all aspects of its work. Two summer interns also conducted an equity analysis of the Foundation’s communications efforts, of which several ideas are being implemented
The Foundation hosted three virtual Next Movement Idea Forums – one on centering youth voice that featured four grantees (which featured an article in local news source Generocity), one on centering community voice that featured a different set of four grantees, and one that featured Candid on what completing a Candid profile means for data and fundraising purposes. Next Movement forums offer an opportunity for music organizations to learn from each other and from other experts in the field.
The Foundation looks forward to hosting more Next Movements in the future!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Woven into the Foundation’s efforts, including the ones discussed above, is a focus on centering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Within philanthropic organizations, centering DEI manifests in a variety of ways. The Presser Foundation has worked to embed DEI into its governance practices. It engaged with the DiverseForce On Boards program that prepares high-performing mid-to-senior level professionals of color to become powerful leaders and change agents, and onboarded a new Committee Member from that program. The Foundation also added its DEI Committee Chair to the Executive Committee and updated its Trustee Handbook to include recent articles on philanthropy & DEI and music & DEI.
Board, Committee, and Staff Updates
The Foundation welcomed a new Executive Committee, with Ellen Rosen succeeding Jeffrey Cornelius as President. The Foundation honored Dr. Cornelius for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his work to center equity in all areas of the Foundation’s activities.
The Foundation was also pleased to welcome three new Board Members who previously served on Committees – Lei X. Ouyang, Marietta Simpson, and Terell Stafford. Two new Committee Members have also been engaged to support the Foundation’s efforts –Eve Hyppolite and Georges Buzaglo.
New staff members joined harp-weaver LLC, which manages the operations of The Presser Foundation. Financial Manager Jill Feldman started in the beginning of the year, while Administrative & Grants Associate Rachael Gartner began in November. Both immediately contributed to strengthening the Foundation.
Strategic Planning
As the Foundation considers next steps in its work to serve the music community, its Board and staff believe that a thorough external review of its work will provide guidance and strengthen its mission. In 2024, the Foundation will embark on a strategic planning process that will look at all aspects of its programming and operations. We hope that this effort will lead to new discoveries and a further commitment to providing philanthropic support in ways that meet the needs of music organizations.
