FAQ

The Levitt Foundation exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. We partner with communities to activate underused outdoor spaces, creating welcoming, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together of all ages and backgrounds and invigorates community life.

To learn more about Mortimer and Mimi Levitt, please visit our History page.

The Levitt Foundation’s grant programs reflect our mission of building community through music, with our primary funding areas being Levitt venues and the Levitt Music Series Grants, in addition to small grants to support free outdoor festivals that provide access to live music. During the past two decades, the Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in creative placemaking grants to support the activation of underused public spaces—such as neglected parks, vacant downtown lots, and former brownfields—into welcoming, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together to create more healthy, equitable, and thriving communities.

The Levitt venue program is a long-term public/private partnership between the Levitt Foundation, the City, and a local dedicated Friends of Levitt nonprofit that manages, programs, and fundraises for the outdoor venue, named either Levitt Pavilion or Levitt Shell, year-round. Each Levitt venue presents 40–50 free concerts annually, as well as hosts a range of other community events, and is designed for large metro areas with populations of over 400,000 (due to financial sustainability and audience development considerations). The Levitt Music Series Grants are designed to meet the needs and capacity of towns and cities of all sizes, presenting 7-10 free concerts in underused public spaces. The Levitt Music Series Grants are open to nonprofits across sectors, including the arts, Main Street organizations, community development, affordable housing, colleges and universities, amongst others.

Music transcends boundaries, bringing people together for an experience that builds community and celebrates our shared humanity. And yet access to high-quality music performances is simply out of reach for many Americans. The Levitt Foundation believes everyone—regardless of one’s socioeconomic circumstance—should have access to this powerful human experience, which is why we are committed supporters of free concerts in public spaces. Throughout his involvement with the original Levitt Pavilion in Westport, Connecticut, which opened in 1974, Mortimer Levitt was passionately adamant that concerts at the pavilion be presented at no charge. More than five decades later, the Levitt program nationwide provides access to high-caliber performances to nearly one million families and individuals each year, many of whom could not typically afford arts and cultural experiences.

Yes! All musicians who appear on Levitt stages are professional performers paid a competitive fee. They enjoy state-of-the-art sound and lighting and first-rate production crews, as well as access to green rooms and warm hospitality.

At their best, public spaces are places where everyone feels like they belong, regardless of their background or circumstance, and where communities can come together. The Levitt Foundation believes public spaces are key to healthy, equitable, and thriving communities, which is why we support projects that activate underused public spaces to create inclusive and vibrant music-filled community hubs that foster social connections and a sense of belonging.

The Levitt Foundation’s core values are:

Joy: We believe joy is a universal human right, and that free, live music in outdoor settings has the power to create joyful experiences and connections that celebrate our shared humanity.

Catalytic: We partner with changemakers and nonprofits across sectors to activate underused public spaces, creating vibrant destinations that spark positive impact and advance shared prosperity.

Connectedness: Levitt connects people to each other and to where they live, fostering a sense of belonging and community attachment—creating places people love.

Inclusivity: We support and nurture inclusive gathering spaces and music ecosystems, so all those participating in Levitt music experiences are a full reflection of our communities.

Dynamic: Our approach to philanthropy is nimble, informed by the evolving needs of our grantees and the communities they serve—creating a dynamic ripple effect of economic opportunity and social impact through music.

The Levitt Foundation provides grants to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in communities of all sizes to support free, live music in public spaces for dynamic social and economic impact. To learn more about our funding priorities and grant programs, including eligibility criteria and application timelines, please visit our What We Fund page. For additional questions regarding our grant opportunities, please email grants@levitt.org for more information.

Yes. Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s commitment to ongoing self-reflection, as well as contributing to the field of creative placemaking, we commission third-party, multi-year research to evaluate the social impact of Levitt programs in communities across the country, collaborating with grantees for collective learning. We have published two white papers based on study findings: Listening to the Music of Community Change: Findings from a Pre/Post Research Study at Levitt Pavilion Denver (2021) and Setting the Stage for Community Change: Reflecting on Creative Placemaking Outcomes (2016). Learn more on our Research page.

Creative placemaking integrates the arts, culture, and design into efforts that strengthen and elevate the overall well-being of communities. By situating arts and culture within broader community vitality strategies, creative placemaking is a community-driven process that builds upon a community’s existing assets. At the core of creative placemaking are partnerships across sectors, deeply engaging community members, alongside artists, designers, and culture bearers—through community-engaged design and activation, creative placemaking can help shape, preserve, or transform the physical, social, and economic qualities of a neighborhood. It’s a collaborative process that connects people with each other, as well as connects people to place, and it’s a collective reimagination of the way people experience a place, ultimately laying the groundwork for more healthy, equitable, and thriving communities.

With creative placemaking, arts and culture can serve a dual role, both as an activity for participation and also as a conduit or catalyst for other desired outcomes: increase economic vitality of a community; foster greater livability and vibrancy in a community; and build a community’s social capital and civic connection.

Thank you for your interest in booking a performance with Levitt. Each Levitt venue and Levitt concert site is programmed by a local, independent nonprofit. For more information, please visit our Artist Booking page.

On November 30, 2023, we announced that the Levitt Foundation will spend down $150 million in assets over the next two decades and will close in 2041. By spending down, we are accelerating the Foundation’s ability to support thousands of free outdoor concerts in towns and cities of all sizes across America, fueling the movement for free, live music in public spaces as a key driver for healthy, equitable, and thriving communities.

As a spend down, the Levitt Foundation is increasing the number of communities receiving grants for free concerts in public spaces and will continue to nurture the Levitt network of nonprofit venues and music series grantees with additional support—including capacity building and robust resources to ensure their free concert series continue beyond our sunset. More than half of the communities no longer receiving Levitt funding continue to present free outdoor concerts; strong evidence that the Levitt Foundation’s funding is leveraged for sustained community support. To learn more, please visit our Spend Down page.

The Levitt Foundation is a long-term partner of the Friends of Levitt nonprofits operating Levitt venues across the country. Each Levitt venue is an independent nonprofit that relies on major support and donations from their community, including individuals, local businesses, and other foundations. The Levitt Foundation’s partnership and financial support, while significant, is only part of each Levitt venue’s annual operating budget; the majority of each venue’s funding comes from the local community.

By announcing our decision nearly two decades prior to our sunset, we have sought to give our Friends of Levitt nonprofit partners ample time to build up additional sources of support to continue free concerts at their locations for decades to come. As coveted community anchors, Levitt venues have inspired support from audiences, community members, local businesses, and other funders who care about access to the arts and understand the dynamic social and economic impact of community gathering spaces where everyone is welcome.

On that note, donating to or sponsoring your local Levitt venue is a great way to support your community! Each venue offers great recognition and sponsorship opportunities, both on the lawn during the concert season and throughout the year at off-season events and programming. To learn how to support your local Levitt venue, visit our Support Local page.

The Levitt Foundation will close its doors in 2041. Beyond the Foundation’s sunset, free Levitt concerts will continue as Levitt venues and concert sites are integral parts of community life, locally realized by dedicated individuals and organizations committed to their series flourishing for decades to come.