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.
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
| Program | Application Deadline | Notification |
Grant Range
$3,000
Review Cycle
| Notification |
How to Apply
**
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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
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 |
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
250 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 include Academy of Vocal Arts ($40,000), Allentown Symphony Association ($35,000), Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $40,000 |
| ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION ALLENTOWN, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $35,000 |
| AMBLER STATION SINGERS AMBLER, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $1,500 |
| ANNA CRUSIS FEMINIST CHOIR INC PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $5,000 |
| ARCANA NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $1,500 |
| ARS NOVA WORKSHOP PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $12,500 |
| ARTISTAS Y MUSICOS LATINO AMERICANOS (AMLA) PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $7,500 |
| ARTSMART PHILADELPHIA, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $5,000 |
| BAY ATLANTIC SYMPHONY INC ATLANTIC CITY, NJ | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $7,500 |
| BERKS OPERA COMPANY READING, PA | ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC | $2,500 |
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
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 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?
**Grant Activity (Fiscal Year Ending June 2025):** • Total charitable disbursements: $4,292,722 • Number of grants: 452 grantees • Median grant size: $3,000 • Grant range: $150 to $186,000 **Recent Notable Grants (FY 2025):** • Ida J Miller Various Charities: $185,720 (Assistance to Music Teachers) • Mann Center for the Performing Arts: $150,000 (Capital Support) • Temple University: $100,000 (Capital Support) **Application Process:** | Program | Application Deadline | Notification | |---------…
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.
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