An additional $1 million in William Penn money will help fund initiatives expected to emerge from the strategic-planning exercise.
That process will examine every aspect of the orchestra's business and artistic life, and recommend a new institutional direction.
Orchestra president Allison B. Vulgamore said the William Penn grant grew out of "many discussions" between orchestra and foundation officials regarding the path back to institutional health, and was not the result of a formal request made by the orchestra.
"The foundation has been a counselor to me since I think practically my first week [in January], and I've learned a lot from them about their hopes for the recovery of the Philadelphia Orchestra and their commitment to all the resident companies [of the Kimmel Center]," said Vulgamore. "I think in those conversations, it certainly was their initiative to contact us and discuss what would be the benefit of such an extraordinary gift at this time."
William Penn president Feather O. Houstoun listed a number of reasons for the foundation's decision.
"They put an excellent leadership team in place; they are looking hard at what all the major orchestras around the country are doing and being very flexible about what the choices and alternatives might be," she said. "It is the . . . kind of attitude and energy and forward thinking that deserves support."
The hope, Vulgamore said, is that William Penn's signal will encourage others to give. The orchestra is just now taking its campaign beyond its own board and traditional donors to the community at large.
