The Presser Foundation
The Presser Foundation is a private nonoperating foundation established in 1938 and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The foundation was created from the estate of Theodore Presser, a music education and publishing professional who died in 1925. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic support of music and music education.
Key facts about The Presser Foundation
- EIN
- 23-2164013
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,755,790
- Grants made (2025)
- 486
- Average grant
- $7,728
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $89,282,273
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- | Program | Application Deadline | Notification |. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Presser Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Presser Foundation's 486 itemized 2025 grants were Pennsylvania (66%) and New Jersey (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (102 grants), Wilmington, DE (13 grants), Bethlehem, PA (8 grants) and Reading, PA (7 grants). None of its 486 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Undergraduate Scholar Awards" (262 grants), "Advancement of Music" (148 grants) and "Special Projects" (37 grants).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$89.3M
+7.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.8M
+9.7% YoY
Grant Count
486
+12.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
-2.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Presser Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Presser Foundation provides philanthropic support for music and music education, in keeping with the Will of its founder, Theodore Presser. The foundation works to fund the musical arts in their many dimensions and manifestations, while striving to serve a broad and diverse community of musicians, educators, and music lovers.
Vision: Equitable access to all musical experiences transforms communities and fosters connection, well-being, and joy.
Core Values:
- Passion for Music
- Integrity in Every Endeavor
- Respect
Primary Program Areas:
- Advancement of Music — Provides general operating support to music organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Area
- Capital Support — Grants for construction of new facilities, renovation, repair, or expansion of existing facilities, and capital needs including hardware, software, and equipment
- Special Projects — General operating support for newer organizations and grants for small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes
- Undergraduate Scholar Award — Financial awards to promising undergraduate students at participating higher education institutions
- Graduate Music Award — Project-based awards to promising graduate students at invited higher education institutions
- Assistance to Music Teachers — Support to retired music teachers with financial need
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$3,000
Review Cycle
| Notification |
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with The Presser Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has a primary focus on the Greater Philadelphia Area for its Advancement of Music program. However, the Undergraduate Scholar Award and Graduate Music Award programs operate at invited higher education institutions nationwide.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 486 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year Ending June 2025:
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $89,282,273 |
| Total Liabilities | $854,014 |
| Net Assets | $88,428,259 |
| Total Revenue | $8,298,526 |
| Total Expenses | $4,615,873 |
| Net Income | $3,682,653 |
Revenue Breakdown (FY 2025):
- Interest Revenue: $73,784
- Dividends: $2,156,744
- Sales of Assets: $6,062,123
- Other Income: $5,875
- Contributions Received: $0
Expense Breakdown (FY 2025):
- Charitable Disbursements: $4,292,722 (93.0% of total expenses)
- Officer Compensation: $0
Historical Giving: From 1995 to June 2021, The Presser Foundation distributed more than $80 million to music organizations, undergraduate and graduate music students, and retired music teachers.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $89,282,273 | $82,869,734 | $76,682,009 |
| Revenue | $8,298,526 | $3,698,768 | $4,260,735 |
| Expenses | $4,615,873 | $3,347,350 | $4,076,466 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,292,722 | $3,882,644 | $3,991,403 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,196,460 | $3,610,050 | $4,209,938 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,153,186 | $3,840,262 | $3,603,730 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
2,150 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The Presser Foundation
Advancement of Music Grants
THE PRESSER FOUNDATION
Amount
US $2,500 - US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Presser Foundation- Special Projects Grant
THE PRESSER FOUNDATION
Amount
US $5,000 - US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Presser Foundation: Capital Support Grants
THE PRESSER FOUNDATION
Amount
US $5,000 - US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include The Mann Center for the Performing Arts ($190,000 across 2 grants), Various ($185,720), The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc (ensemble Arts) ($175,000 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VARIOUS PHILADELPHIA, PA | ASSISTANCE TO MUSIC TEACHERS | $185,720 |
| THE MANN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $150,000 |
| WRTI901FM PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $125,000 |
| TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AND KIMMEL CENTER INC (ENSEMBLE ARTS) PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AND KIMMEL CENTER INC (ENSEMBLE ARTS) PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $75,000 |
| WEST PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL ALLIANCE PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $75,000 |
| CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| PHILADELPHIA YOUTH ORCHESTRA MUSIC INSTITUTE PHILADELPHIA, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| ARTPHILLY PHILADELPHIA, PA | SPECIAL PROJECTS | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Officers:
- Ellen Rosen — President
- William B. McLaughlin III — First Vice President
- Stanford Thompson — Second Vice President
- Sharon Sorokin James — Secretary
- Christopher Rinaldi — Treasurer
Trustees:
- Mary Jane Bobyock
- Peter Burwasser
- Rollo Dilworth
- Eve Hyppolite
- Denise Iemolo
- David Kring
- Susan Lewis
- Lei X Ouyang
- Mary Ellen Poole
- Marietta Simpson
- Terell Stafford
Staff:
- Teresa Rodgers — Executive Director
- Jill Greenfield Feldman — Financial Manager
All board members serve 2 hours per week with no compensation.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Rosen | President | 2 | — |
| William B Mclaughlin III | First Vice President | 2 | — |
| Stanford Thompson | Second Vice President | 2 | — |
| Sharon Sorokin James | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Christopher Rinaldi | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Mary Jane Bobyock | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Peter Burwasser | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Rollo Dilworth | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Eve Hyppolite | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Denise Iemolo | Trustee | 2 | — |
| David Kring | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Susan Lewis | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Lei X Ouyang | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Mary Ellen Poole | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Marietta Simpson | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Terell Stafford | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Radclyffe F Thompson | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Melinda Whiting | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Vera Wilson | Trustee | 2 | — |
| John B Wright II | Trustee | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced active grantmaking cycles for multiple programs:
**Special Projects 2025-2026** — Accepting applications for general operating support for newer organizations and small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes
**Graduate Music Award 2025-2026** — Providing project-based awards to promising graduate students at invited institutions
Graduate Music Award: 2025-26 - The Presser Foundation**Undergraduate Scholar Awards** — The foundation awarded 265 outstanding music scholars nationwide in recent cycles
Graduate Music Award: 2025-26 - The Presser FoundationThe foundation continues to evolve its grantmaking to support a broad array of music genres while maintaining the original intent and wishes of Theodore Presser.
Capital Support: 2024-2025 - The Presser FoundationFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Presser Foundation fund?
**Mission:** The Presser Foundation provides philanthropic support for music and music education, in keeping with the Will of its founder, Theodore Presser. The foundation works to fund the musical arts in their many dimensions and manifestations, while striving to serve a broad and diverse community of musicians, educators, and music lovers. **Vision:** Equitable access to all musical experiences transforms communities and fosters connection, well-being, and joy. **Core Values:** • Passion for…
How do I apply for a grant from The Presser Foundation?
| Program | Application Deadline | Notification |. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Presser Foundation make grants?
The foundation has a primary focus on the Greater Philadelphia Area for its Advancement of Music program. However, the Undergraduate Scholar Award and Graduate Music Award programs operate at invited higher education institutions nationwide.
What size grants does The Presser Foundation award?
In 2025, The Presser Foundation awarded 486 grants totaling $3.8M — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Presser Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Presser Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Presser Foundation's EIN?
The Presser Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2164013. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Presser Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated June 2026.