Search Through Grants for 501(c)(3) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S.

History

The Charlotte Cushman Foundation was created in 1999 by the Board of Managers of the Charlotte Cushman Club of Philadelphia.

The Club had been organized in 1907 by Lydia Elliot Morris in response to a need for safe, respectable lodgings for actresses appearing at local theaters. Inspired by the great American actress Charlotte Cushman (1816-1876), who often lamented the hardships of touring, funds were raised to set up a comfortable boarding house.

Many famous performers visited the Club, attending post curtain parties with members and offering their support. In different buildings over the years, the Club eventually became not only a residence but also a social center for the theater community, with a large collection of plays, books and memorabilia.

In 1957 the Board initiated a Lifetime Achievement award presented in person at the Club to such stars as Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Richard Burton, Katharine Hepburn and Zoe Caldwell. Between 1972 and 2002 special event funding allowed the Club to offer scholarships to promising young performers.

Beginning in 1995 the Club sponsored the Charlotte Cushman Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play, presented at Philadelphia’s annual Barrymore Awards.

In 1999 the Board of Managers determined that the Club had “outlived its original residential and educational purposes” and chose to redefine its mission. The Club records were given to the library of the University of Pennsylvania and the clubhouse and its contents were sold. Proceeds from the sale were added to the existing endowment to fund the Foundation.

That year the Charlotte Cushman Board Room and exhibit were established at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. Since 2001 the Charlotte Cushman Foundation has provided grants to over sixty local theater companies in support of actors’ salaries.

Nurturing the next generation of nurses.

Nurses are critical to the healthcare system — and the shortage of nurses and lack of diverse representation in the field threatens accessibility of quality, affordable care.

The Foundation is committed to advancing the next generation of practitioners, educators, and leaders in nursing.

Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $19 million in grants to prepare future nurses to deliver quality care, increase opportunities for receiving nursing education, and increase representation and diversity in the largest workforce in healthcare.

Nurses for Tomorrow

Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $15 million to provide more than 6,000 scholarships to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing students. Through its signature Nurses for Tomorrow program, the Foundation supports 22 nursing schools to expand educational opportunities and create a more inclusive, culturally sensitive healthcare workforce.

​Our Mission

The Horner Foundation supports not for profit organizations in our four regions to foster positive youth development through out of school time (OST) and experiential learning opportunities. We typically support organizations working with middle and high school youth.  

Our Vision

• All youth will be empowered to realize their full potential and become active participants in their communities.
• All youth will have ample opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to experience a diversity of quality learning styles and frameworks.
• All youth will be healthy, strong and well-prepared for the 21st Century.

Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia, PA: 2019-2021 Funding Stream 

Out of School Time: Mid to Large Size Organizations

• Total Expenditure: $600,000 USD over two year grant cycle
• Target Grant: $100,000 USD over two years

Strategy: In Philadelphia, The Horner Foundation has committed to supporting Out of School Time programs in the City of Philadelphia working directly with underserved youth aged 10-19.

For our 2019 funding cycle, we will continue our focus on OST, with an increased emphasis on larger multifaceted OST organizations. If you match the criteria listed below, we encourage you to complete our short 2-page Letter of Intent.

Out of School Time (OST): STEM & Arts/Culture

• Total Expenditure: $300,000 USD over 2 year grant cycle
• Targeted Grant: $30,000 to $40,000 USD over 2 years

Strategy: Since 2013, The Horner Foundation has committed to supporting Out of School Time programs in the City of Philadelphia working directly with underserved youth aged 10-19. For our 2019 funding cycle, we will continue our focus on OST, with an increased emphasis on STEM and arts/cultural programs. If you match the criteria listed below, we encourage you to complete our short 2-page Letter of Intent.

Two Funding Streams:

• 1. Arts/Culture
• The program’s focus is on hands-on skill development in music, arts or drama
• Incorporates positive relationship building between youth and adult mentors or peers to develop a sense of confidence and courage
• The program should culminate with a “5 Star” public event presented to an audience
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
• The program may include coding, robotics and other STEM-related OST programming aimed at equipping youth with the tools necessary to thrive in a tech-driven society.
• This stream also includes programs that encourage leadership training and career preparation for young tech leaders, especially in underrepresented groups including women, people of color and/or LGBT
• The intention of this stream is to inspire all members of the next generation to pursue careers in the tech sector in inclusive learning environments

Mission

The mission of the Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, legal aid, and the arts. The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve and enrich the life experiences of residents of the Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded. Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.

Independence Foundation primarily provides unrestricted funding to nonprofits to best help them achieve their missions. Our general operating support offers flexibility to our grantees by allowing funds to be used when and where they’re most needed. 

Funding Initiatives

Arts And Culture

Independence Foundation believes in bolstering the well-being of the region by supporting a variety of opportunities for involvement and participation in the arts. The arts can bind people through shared experience and understanding. Art plays a transformative role in society, one that enriches community and connects people. The Foundation supports programs in the arts that enhance the common artistic spirit through creation or performance. 

Programs which connect the arts with non-traditional participants and increase both access to and awareness of the arts, are of special interest. The Foundation awards general operating grants aimed at strengthening organizations by supporting creative work and administrative capacity, based on community involvement, artistic merit, and leadership in the field. With the exception of organizations currently funded, we do not give grants to dance, music, media arts or broadcasting, museums or historical societies, though we do continue to fund individual artists in some of these disciplines through our Fellowships in the Arts.

Health Care

Independence Foundation believes that high quality, comprehensive primary care and related services result in better health, improved quality of life, reduction in health disparities, and lower costs to the health care system. 

Funding within the health care initiative focuses on the following: 

• Existing nurse-managed health care centers undertaking capacity building projects to expand and/or improve the provision of primary care and related services
• Programs that support health policies and/or infrastructure for nurse-managed and other safety net providers
• Projects designed to inform health care-related planning
• Clinical, community, and/or educational programs designed to improve the health of older adults 

Human Services

Independence Foundation believes that the health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Our region faces many challenges and continually changing demographics have contributed to increased demand for services, while local and federal funding for these services has declined. Community-based organizations fill in the gaps by providing much needed outreach and support.

The Foundation supports organizations that provide direct services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them for the most basic of needs. The current Human Services funding agenda focuses primarily on programs that address the following areas:

• adequate food and food distribution
• affordable housing and access to shelter by homeless persons
• services which support independence for people living with disabilities

Legal Aid

The Independence Foundation is committed to the support of free legal services for the underserved of the Philadelphia region. Grants provide core operating support to strengthen the administrative capacity and the direct service programs of those agencies that deliver critical legal services.

Agencies funded under the Public Interest Legal Aid Initiative address civil legal issues confronting individuals from diverse populations who do not traditionally have adequate access to legal representation, including the indigent, the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless.

Reentry, Recidivism & Restorative Justice 

The Foundation funds community-based organizations doing the following - either by directly assisting individuals, or working to change systems that cause or contribute to the harm addressed:  

• Providing supports to families and individuals involved with and affected by the criminal justice system
• Working to reduce the number of people who imminently face incarceration or a return to prison
• Providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals that help them become integrated and contributing members once they are released back into society
• Working to reduce harm to families and neighborhoods caused by incarceration

About the Foundation

The Louis N. Cassett Foundation is a private foundation, organized and operated exclusively for tax exempt purposes as set forth in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Foundation does not require that any recipient of a grant have any particular religious or other affiliation, or financially support the Foundation in any way. The Foundation does ask, and sometimes requires, that the recipient use funds granted by the Foundation in the manner set forth in its request, or as directed by the Foundation.

The Foundation is empowered to make grants to any organization qualified as tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code. Over the years, the Foundation has supported various charitable, cultural, educational, religious, scientific, literary, poverty and disaster relief endeavors, all as allowed by, and subject to, the requirements of IRC §501(c)(3), and the IRS regulations. 

Capacity Building Grants

The Center offers two types of Capacity Building grants to assist its Creative Project and Evolving Futures applicants:

• Research and Travel grants ranging from $2,500–$7,500 to help organizations develop and deepen their professional and programmatic capacities in contemporary art and public history. Grants will be made to support exploratory phases of curatorial work that may lead to future Center funding, as well as travel to consult with potential collaborators

Capacity Building funds are available in 2025 for applicants. These funds are intended to help with travel, research, or technical assistance related to preparing your grant proposal. 

Our Mission

Quest for the Best® strives for a better tomorrow by providing funds and/or services to those who are committed to strengthening the common good of mankind.

The legal professionals of Quest for the Best® provide business and transactional legal services to organizations recognized as tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code serving the disadvantaged and enhancing the quality of life in Pennsylvania.

We do not undertake litigation, criminal or intellectual property matters. Each request is reviewed individually, and Quest for the Best® reserves the right to determine if we will accept a matter after review of all facts provided.

Grantmaking Criteria

We consider requests for funding that meet the overall mission and goals of Quest for the Best.

These include initiatives that:

• Include plans for long-term sustainability
• Have secured co-funding
• Support specific programs, projects and equipment

Focus

We focus on the following areas: police and nurse training, education for underserved communities, funding for wildlife and environmental conservation, and humanitarianism, specifically clean water, homelessness, hunger, and support for those suffering through the opioid epidemic.

About

The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the Deeds of Trust and Will of the late Theodore Presser. It is one of the few private foundations in the United States dedicated solely to music education and music philanthropy. It is our hope that every institution, organization and individual funded by The Presser Foundation will read about the inspiring biography of Theodore Presser and the rich history of The Foundation.

Advancement of Music Program

Introduction & Purpose

The Committee for the Advancement of Music considers requests for grants typically between $2,500 and $50,000 annually for general operating support of music organizations working in a broad range of traditions, genres, and styles. The Trustees of The Presser Foundation established the Advancement of Music grantmaking area to provide flexible funding to music-focused organizations. The Presser Foundation does not support theater, commercial music theater, dance, or other non-music productions.

Proposals will be judged on:

• the strengths and accomplishments of the applicant organization;
• the value of the organization’s program to the community;
• the history and stability of the organization; and
• the contribution of the organization to the overall music community. 

About Our Grants

Impact100 Philadelphia provides high-impact grants that support a nonprofit organization’s core mission. Our goal is to address unmet needs in the Philadelphia region and raise the profile of smaller nonprofit organizations. Impact100 grant funds may be spent on necessary infrastructure, staff salaries, primary programs or services, or other expenses that strengthen an organization and enhance its ability to do its core work. 

A central question in our application is Why now? We ask applicants why this juncture in particular is the time that a $100,000 grant will have a large impact on the organization.

Our Focus Areas are Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Family, and Health & Wellness.

Arts and Culture:

Promote, develop, and enhance artistic expression and creative thinking through culturally diverse art or art education, utilizing varied media and art forms such as exhibitions, performances, or some other method.

Education:

Teach, inform and educate individuals or specific groups, addressing equitable access to create or advance future opportunities for children and/or adults on a wide range of issues and causes.

Environment:

Improve, preserve, and protect community public spaces or natural resources providing equitable access while promoting a just, safe, healthy and sustainable world.

Family:

Strengthen and enhance the lives of children, older adults, and all families to achieve a better life and a healthy, secure future.

Health & Wellness:

Empower wellness as a way to strengthen and improve the mental and physical well-being of communities and people of all ages.

History

Do no harm. Those were the words Leo Pierce used to describe the overarching theme of his life. Those words are echoed in the spirit of the Leo & Peggy Pierce Family Foundation.

Leo and Peggy Pierce married on May 2, 1941, and were long-time residents of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania where they raised their family: four sons and four daughters. That same year, Leo entered military service, and was honorably discharged in 1945 having earned the rank of major in the army.

Leo served in various roles prior to founding his company, Pierce Leahy Archives, in 1969. A milestone was reached on July 1, 1997 when the company was taken public on the New York Stock Exchange. Leo retired as Chairman of the Board in February of 2000 at the age of 82.

Leo and Peggy were active with many civic and social groups, however, charitable values and a desire to give back led them to start the Leo & Peggy Pierce Family Foundation in 1997. The foundation serves organizations that strive to end hunger and food insecurity in the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County in Florida.

The Pierce’s “do no harm” legacy will live on through the foundation they started, and the second and third generation family members who seek to do the same.

Mission

The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation seeks to prevent and end hunger and food insecurity in the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, FL through grants and investments.

Guidelines

The Foundation makes grants to support activities that address hunger and food insecurity through direct service programs and/or advocacy efforts.

Types of support:

• Program/Project, and
• General Operating.

About the Presser Foundation

The Presser Foundation was formally established in 1939 under various deeds of trust of the late Theodore Presser. In the charter of incorporation, The Foundation’s purposes are set forth to promote primarily the cause of musical education and musical philanthropy as follows: to provide scholarships for promising students; to increase the value of music education by erecting suitable buildings; and to administer aid to worthy teachers of music in distress.

While The Foundation’s priorities have evolved over time, it has provided much needed funding to further the cause of music for over 75 years. It has been said that Theodore Presser wanted to give back to music what he had made from it. When he died in 1925, he left no children. He had been widowed twice, and the bulk of his fortune was left to The Foundation.

The small staff and Board of Trustees continue to oversee the work of The Foundation. The Foundation is fortunate to have had a founder who clearly stated the purpose which he desired to achieve. The Board of Trustees includes prominent local and national leaders in music. All Trustees share a passion for music and all are committed to carrying out the intentions of the benefactor.

Capital Support 

Introduction & Purpose

The Trustees of The Presser Foundation created the Capital Support Committee to consider requests for grants, typically between $5,000 and $100,000 annually to support capital projects of music organizations working in a broad range of traditions, genres, and styles. The Presser Foundation does not support theater, commercial music theater, dance, or other non-music-focused venues.

Capital projects include the construction of new facilities and renovation, repair, or expansion of existing facilities. The Committee also considers proposals for capital needs, including (but not limited to) hardware, software, and equipment.

Examples of projects that have received funding:

• Construction of a new music building
• Renovation of a room to be used to house music scores
• Upgrades to audio, video, and lighting equipment
• Purchase of an outdoor screen
• Purchase of the software GarageBand for after-school students
• Purchase of recording studio equipment

In 1968, Caroline Sanders of Philadelphia County, PA established a trust that would ultimately exist in perpetuity to support charitable causes. Today, the Caroline J. S. Sanders Trust 1 makes grants in support of educational programs; social programs serving the elderly, youth, indigent, and homeless; and organizations demonstrating a proven record of service to the handicapped.

The Trust supports requests with programs in the following areas:

• Education – Paramount consideration is given to educational organizations and institutions, including broad scholarship programs and libraries.
• Social Welfare – Broad-based agencies which provide assistance to the elderly, youth, indigent, and homeless.
• Training and Education of the Handicapped – Organizations which demonstrate a proven record of service to the handicapped.
• Educational programs conducted by religious organizations.

There are no geographic limitations, however, the trust has a practice of primarily supporting organizations located in the state of Pennsylvania. Administered by the Wells Fargo Bank as trustees, the Trust awards about 6 grants per year, with grant amount $2,000 to $15,000.

About the Foundation

Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith was a prominent member of Philadelphia society. Her father, Walter Clark, held a seat on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Her mother, Elizabeth Sergeant Clark, was a member of the Society of Colonial Dames of America. Ethel was born in 1885, graduated from the Agnes Irwin School in 1902, and was formally presented to society in 1903. She later married H. Harrison Smith, a Philadelphia attorney. While maintaining a city residence, they spent most of their time at the Smith family estate, “Timberline,” near Radnor, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

Because of her husband’s military associations, Ethel became active in the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the American Legion and held local, state, and national posts in that organization. Her love of tennis led to her establishing the United States Lawn Tennis Association Girls’ Sportsmanship Trophy and the Middle States Lawn Tennis Association Tournament. She provided for both awards in perpetuity. She also left small bequests to the 42 prior winners of these two awards at the time of her death.

Mrs. Smith died without lineal heirs. Her foundation, formed in 1977 from her estate, benefits organizations located in southeastern Pennsylvania, with a primary emphasis on serving community needs in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial Fund Grant

Mission

Grants are awarded in the areas of medical, educational, cultural, arts, health and human services, and in such other areas as the trustee shall identify and determine from time to time, to be responsive to changes in the needs of Delaware County.

Program Areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Health
• Human Services

Types of Support

Grants are awarded for capital projects, operating expenses, and special programs in amounts that are meaningful to the success of the individual endeavors of the organizations. However, operating expense grants are typically awarded for charities without capital requirements, and under circumstances where continuing funding is not expected.

Funding

Average grant size: $5,000 to $25,000

About the Foundation

The Sara Long Trust was created under the Last Will and Testament of Ms. Long. Her desire was to assist people who have become, through accident, disease, or old age, incapable of supporting themselves and have no other means of support. Ms. Long, who never married, was a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when she passed away in 1902.

Mission

To support qualified organizations that assist people incapable of supporting themselves due to accident, disease, or old age.

BACKGROUND

The GSK IMPACT Awards program honors up to ten local nonprofit organizations in recognition of their exceptional achievements, overall excellence, and best practices in contributing to a healthier Greater Philadelphia Region. Individual Awards are $50,000 in urestricted funding. To be eligible, the minimum annual gross revenue for 501(c)(3) nonprofits is $100,000, the maximum is $5,000,000.

GSK is proud to continue its partnership with the Philadelphia Foundation to administer this awards program. The GSK IMPACT Awards is one of several charitable programs GSK offers in the United States as part of its commitment to building healthier communities and a healthy America.

CHALLENGE

Much of what influences our health happens outside the doctor's office – in our communities. Factors such as access to healthy foods and recreational spaces undeniably contribute to our health. Where we are born, raised, live and work matters to our health; yet too many individuals are living in communities that are hazardous to our health.

SOLUTION

The more we understand the connection between our health and our community, the more we can improve it. GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. GSK goes beyond discovering, developing and delivering new medicines and vaccines and addresses health challenges where they often start – in our communities.

PROCESS

GSK and the Philadelphia Foundation staff review nonprofit registrations and invite eligible organizations to complete the application process. We work together to select 15 finalists. Virtual site visits are managed and conducted by Philadelphia Foundation staff. A panel comprised of local community health experts and GSK representatives evaluate the finalist applications and site visit reports to select up to ten winners.

About the Foundation

Joseph Kennard Skilling was a kind and generous person who cared greatly about his fellow man. In 1963 while still living, Mr. Skilling made the decision to share his wealth by leaving a memorial through the creation of this trust. Although he passed away in 1974, Mr. Skilling’s generosity continues to touch the lives of those in the Philadelphia community, and will continue to do so in perpetuity.

Mission

To provide support to social welfare agencies for programs benefiting the citizens of the community of Philadelphia.

Criteria

• The overall effectiveness of the proposed program. 
• The professionalism and the ability of the organization to deliver the program with a measurable outcome.
• The ability of the organization’s management to manage the program effectively, including proper financial controls.
• The necessity rating of the program in the community.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities 
• Education
• Environment/animals
• Health
• Human services
• International/foreign affairs
• Public/society benefit
• Religion

About the Foundation

The Percival Roberts, Jr. Trust was created in 1914 under the Last Will and Testament of Mr. Roberts. His purpose in creating the trust was to help maintain a children’s hospital and/or children’s wards in hospitals located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Percival Roberts, Jr. Trust provides grants for maintenance of hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that serve children exclusively or have wards exclusively for children.

Average giving

• Average grant size: $80,000 to $500,000
• Average number of grants per year: 3-5

The Elmer Roe Deaver Foundation was established by Elmer Roe Deaver in 1947. Mr. Deaver served for many years as President of the Quaker City Life Insurance Company in Pennsylvania. He died on July 7, 1953. The Elmer Roe Deaver Foundation through its trustees, Wells Fargo Bank, awards grants to organizations annually whose programs help relieve poverty to Philadelphia area residents. 

Foundation Information

The Mary Gourlay Charitable Trust was established in Mary Gourlay's memory in 2017 under the Last Will and Testament of Charles F. Gourlay, who was Mary's son.

Mission

To provide grants to institutions that provide assistance to the blind in Pennsylvania, particularly in Philadelphia.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Health
• Human services

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) makes panel-adjudicated grants in support of the Philadelphia region’s cultural organizations and artists. At the Center, we envision Greater Philadelphia as a widely recognized hub for dynamic, distinctive, and inclusive cultural experiences.  The Center is dedicated to fostering a thriving cultural ecology. We invest in substantive work that showcases our region’s artistic vitality and enhances public life.

The projects we support grow directly out of mission and demonstrate excellence, care, and conceptual rigor. Funded projects reflect our grantees’ commitment to multiple perspectives, inclusive practices, and meaningful engagement with multicultural audiences. We also engage in a robust exchange of ideas on evolving artistic and interpretive practices with a local, national, and international network of creators and cultural leaders. These exchanges provide inspiration for cultural practice in our region and beyond and help the Center and its constituents to build new relationships and audiences.

Creative Project Grants

Creative Project Grants support artistically and programmatically excellent, distinctive, and substantive performances, exhibitions, and interpretation projects designed for diverse publics. The Center has two creative project funding areas: Performance and Exhibitions & Public Interpretation. These two areas support projects that are multi- or interdisciplinary, as well as those based in a specific discipline.

Evolving Futures Grants

The Center will again offer Evolving Futures grants to eligible organizations in an effort to acknowledge the challenges facing the cultural sector and the critical need to evolve traditional business models. These grants provide risk-capital to assist you in making major shifts to the way your organization will operate in future.

The Center's goal with Evolving Futures grants is to help you envision, re-think, research, adapt, and transform your business model for future sustainability.

Organizations applying for Evolving Futures grants will be asked to describe the "what/why/how and with whom" of the work proposed; the projected outcomes; their institutional commitment to business model change; and their own contributions of finances and staff time toward achieving stated goals.

This year, Evolving Futures grants are offered in two categories: Planning and Implementation.

• PLANNING GRANTS
  • Evolving Futures Planning grants support increasing organizational readiness to make a change to the core operational/business model through research, design, and preparatory work to identify and clarify the needed model change.
  • Such explorations include -
    • Work with qualified consultants to shape your vision for business model change.
    • Research and strategic planning focused on identifying key strategies for business model change as a path towards greater organizational viability.
    • Feasibility studies.
    • Other related steps to ready your organization for an Evolving Futures Implementation grant in a future grant cycle.

About the Foundation

The Lydia Fisher Warner Memorial Trust was established under the Last Will and Testament of Ms. Warner. Her desire was to support hospitals located in the city of Philadelphia and its vicinity in memory of her mother, Annie L. Warner, her father, John Warner, her aunt, Sarah W. Lewis, and her uncle’s Miers Fisher Warner and Redwood F. Warner. As a perpetual trust, the income from Ms. Warner’s trust will benefit the Philadelphia community for many years to come.

Mission

To support hospitals located in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its vicinity.

Average giving

• Average grant size: $2,500 to $15,000
• Average number of grants per year: 6

Art Works

Founded in 2021 by Forman Arts Initiative and Philadelphia Foundation, Art Works is a joint $3 million grant program designed to support Philadelphia arts and cultural organizations and artists working in partnership with BIPOC and other underserved communities.

Art Works accepts applications from local cultural nonprofit (or fiscally sponsored) organizations with annual operating budgets between $250,000 and $5 million as well as individual artists with a commitment to incorporating community perspectives into their work.

• Four Philadelphia-based artists will be selected annually to receive two-year grants of $25,000 per year. Grants can be used freely by artists. Some artists may wish to use the grant to support the development of new work while others may use it to pay for living or studio expenses. Artists will be chosen based on how closely their work aligns with Art Works’ programmatic goals.
• Four community-based organizations will be selected annually to receive two-year, unrestricted grants ranging from $75,000-$150,000.  Organizations will be chosen based on how closely their work aligns with Art Works‘ programmatic goals.

In addition to the awarded funds, all grantees will have access to experiential professional development workshops and pro bono professional consulting services designed to provide strategic and tactical support on a range of topics including legal, marketing, communications, budgeting and finance, among others.

Art Works also provides grantees the opportunity to host co-operative education students from Drexel University to support programs and operations.

These placements, administered by Drexel’s Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships, are designed to provide students with meaningful work experience in the arts and culture sector. 

About the Presser Foundation

The Presser Foundation was formally established in 1939 under various deeds of trust of the late Theodore Presser. In the charter of incorporation, The Foundation’s purposes are set forth to promote primarily the cause of musical education and musical philanthropy as follows: to provide scholarships for promising students; to increase the value of music education by erecting suitable buildings; and to administer aid to worthy teachers of music in distress.

While The Foundation’s priorities have evolved over time, it has provided much needed funding to further the cause of music for over 75 years. It has been said that Theodore Presser wanted to give back to music what he had made from it. When he died in 1925, he left no children. He had been widowed twice, and the bulk of his fortune was left to The Foundation.

The small staff and Board of Trustees continue to oversee the work of The Foundation. The Foundation is fortunate to have had a founder who clearly stated the purpose which he desired to achieve. The Board of Trustees includes prominent local and national leaders in music. All Trustees share a passion for music and all are committed to carrying out the intentions of the benefactor.

Special Projects Grants

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.

Independence Public Media Foundation

The Independence Public Media Foundation connects creators, industry experts, community organizations, and philanthropists to support community-driven media-making and storytelling. We’re committed to transforming the Greater Philadelphia region into a hub for community-owned media, redefining the role of community in philanthropy, and evolving to best meet the needs of the people we serve.

Community Voices Fund

About the Fund

Independence Public Media Foundation's (IPMF) Community Voices Fund supports creative, community-centered media and media-making across Greater Philadelphia..

Grant Awards

The Community Voices Fund will award one-year, non-renewable project grants at three different amounts:

• Level 1: $10,000
  • Typically geared toward new or smaller-scale projects, community engagement, or experimentation.
• Level 2: $20,000
  • Generally seeks to support larger-scale projects or collaborations that result in innovative media that builds stronger networks and collective power.
• Level 3: $30,000
  • Will support existing programs to expand, evolve, or deepen their work focused on movement building or new, larger-scale projects that result in innovative media that builds stronger networks and collective power.

Please consider what level of funding works best for your proposed project and the scale of the work. Proposals will only be considered for the level of funding you request, so be sure to make a strong case for that tier and your project's budget. Historically, the average Community Voices grant has been $20,000. 

Community Fund

The Community Fund is an annual grant opportunity hosted by the Philadelphia City Fund in which community organizations are invited to submit proposals for charitable projects that address Philadelphia’s greatest areas of need and align with the City of Philadelphia’s goals to improve the quality of life for all residents.

The Community Fund is made possible through the Philadelphia City Fund’s partnership with the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend, which allocates a portion of its annual revenues toward this grant opportunity. The average funding allocated each year is $250,000.

Overview

Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 112 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary and 77 miles of coastline along Lake Erie:

• Delaware Estuary – Lies within Bucks, Philadelphia and Delaware counties. The coastal zone also contains islands, marshes and shorelands of tributary streams that are tidally influenced. The combined facilities of the Delaware Estuary comprise the largest freshwater port in the world. 
• Lake Erie – Located within Erie County and includes the shorelines of major tributaries. The coastal zone also extends to the middle of the lake, to the boundary with Canada and inland an average of 1.4 miles. The Lake also contains Presque Isle Bay and is one of the state ports for international shipping. 

In order to safeguard these resources from future adverse impacts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), developed a unified approach to act as trustee to conserve and maintain the natural resources of Pennsylvania’s coastal regions known as the Pennsylvania Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). The CZMP was finalized and approved in September 1980, under the authority of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. DEP’s Compacts and Commissions Office manages the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) Program in the two defined coastal areas within Pennsylvania.

As a result of the adopted CZMP, annual grants are provided to DEP by the Office for Coastal Management (OCM), NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Grant awards are used to implement the CRM Program and provide a grant-in-aid program if sufficient funds permit. Monies are dispersed to fund projects within the coastal zone and coastal non-point pollution boundaries, such as planning, design, engineering, education, outreach, construction, acquisition and research as authorized by Section 306A of the CZMA, as amended. 

Coastal Zone Focus Areas 

Program policies were developed to further the goals and objectives of the CRM Program: 

Primary Focus Areas 

• Coastal Hazard Areas: Includes Lake Erie bluff recession, shoreline erosion, wave action and coastal flooding, including flooding from projected sea level rise and storm surge.
• Fisheries Management: Involves activities supporting ecologically and economically important fisheries and their habitats.
• Wetlands: Involves the protection, enhancement, and creation of coastal wetlands to maintain benefits for wildlife habitat, flood control, water quality, water flow stabilization and environmental diversity (biodiversity).
• Public access for recreation: : Includes efforts to meet the public need for boating, fishing, birding, walking, picnicking, sightseeing and other recreational pursuits associated with waterfronts.
• Historic sites and structures: Preservation, restoration and enhancement of coastally significant historic sites and structures within the coastal zones.
• Port activities: Development and enhancement of coastal port infrastructure.
• Energy facilities siting: Proper siting of energy-producing facilities to protect fragile coastal ecosystems.
• Intergovernmental coordination: Includes intergovernmental efforts to protect Pennsylvania’s coastal resources, especially the quality of air and water.
• Public involvement: Increase awareness, provide information and create opportunities for public participation in a variety of coastal issues.
• Ocean resources/biodiversity:  Includes efforts directed toward the research, study, and/or management of non-native (invasive) aquatic or terrestrial plant and/or animal species.

Activities that protect coastal waters from nonpoint source pollution resulting from marinas and recreational boating, urban activities, hydro-modifications, agriculture and other nonpoint sources are eligible for funding.

Project Eligibility

CZ grants may be applied to a wide variety of studies, plans, designs, research, acquisition and construction projects pertaining to one or more of the established program policies, which guide the competitive selection process.

Examples of some typical project proposals are as follows: 

• Efforts to educate the public regarding issues of environmental protection, non-point source water pollution, protection of coastal resources or efforts to promote such action to the public. 
• Preparation or revision of local comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, sub-division regulations and special ordinances containing provisions in support of CRM Program policies. 
• Plans, studies or other projects to improve port facilities and infrastructure, future use of coastal ports or providing public access for recreational use of docks, piers and wharves. 
• Improving resource management and environmental protection programs at the state or local level, including disseminating information or providing technical assistance to coastal communities and the public. 
• Plans, studies or projects that enhance economic development within the coastal zone, including activities to help economically revitalize under-used coastal and/or port facilities.
• Studies for interpretation and enhancement of coastal features and habitats and restoration and preservation of historic coastal sites and structures. 
• Land acquisition of coastal properties, including real estate appraisals, to improve or provide for public recreational access or open-space preservation.
• Preparation of designs, engineering plans and specifications for coastal recreational sites owned or legally controlled by a ‘government’ applicant. 
• Low-cost (defined by NOAA as no more than a total project cost of $400,000) construction projects for recreational access facilities or for rehabilitating significant historic buildings and structures located within the designated coastal zones. *Note: rehabilitation work on buildings and structures should be supported by a structural feasibility study, architectural assessment, engineering plans or similar planning products included as part of the application. If awarded, grantee must wait for NEPA approval from NOAA and notification from DEP. 

A $75,000 grant limit is generally imposed on any single project. Applicants with proposals requesting more than $75,000 in grant funding should discuss funding alternatives with CRMP staff before submitting an application.

Project Requirements

• Be environmentally sound and consistent with current state, regional, county and local ordinances and plans. 
• Obtain applicable federal, state and local permits and/or approvals for all construction projects before any construction may commence.
• Obtain concurrence of any municipal government whose approval is required for project implementation, via letter of support or resolution, if the applicant is a non-governmental agency.
• Benefit the public at large and may not be for the purpose of private gain, benefit or profits.
• Be made available and useful to all members of the general public; therefore cannot be for exclusive use of any particular group of persons.
• Be accessible to persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Be constructed on public property and open to the public.