FAQ

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is an exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free, live music to small to mid-sized towns and cities. The Levitt Foundation awards three-year matching grants of $30K per year, for a total grant award of $90K, to U.S.-based nonprofits serving small to mid-sized towns and cities to present the Levitt AMP Music Series, 10 free concerts that inject new life into public spaces and create vibrant community destinations. Reflecting our commitment that all Levitt projects be community-driven, the Top 20 Levitt finalists are selected through online public voting. From there, the Levitt Foundation reviews the finalist proposals and selects the grantees for the 2023–2025 grant cycle.

While Levitt’s program of outdoor music venues, each presenting 40–50 free concerts annually, is tailored to large metro areas with populations of over 400,000 (due to financial sustainability and audience development considerations), the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards are specifically designed to meet the needs and capacity of smaller towns and cities. Levitt AMP grantees present 10 free concerts in underused public spaces. Another difference is that the Levitt AMP program is open to a variety of nonprofits across sectors, (grantees have included nonprofits from the arts, Main Street, downtown development, affordable housing, universities, etc.) while the Levitt venue program has a dedicated nonprofit, a Friends of Levitt partner, that manages, programs and supports the venue year-round.

The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards offers a $90K matching grant total to U.S.-based nonprofits over three years ($30K/year).

The next Levitt AMP grant application will open in April and close in June. Following the close of the application period, all submissions will be screened and select applications will move on to the online public voting stage, which will take place in September. Members of the general public will vote for their favorite proposals to determine the Top 20 finalists. In November, the Levitt Foundation will review the Top 20 finalists and determine which nonprofits will receive a Levitt AMP grant. Levitt AMP grant recipients will be announced in November, with Levitt AMP Music Series taking place the following year between April 1 and October 31. Specific dates for the grant timeline will be announced each year.

During the Levitt AMP webinar, the Levitt Foundation will present the goals of the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards, eligibility criteria, online application process and key instructions, matching funds requirement, online public voting process, and benefits of the Levitt AMP Toolkit. At the end of the presentation, webinar participants will be able to ask questions through an online chat feature.

In the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards, “[Your City]” is part of the formal name. In the Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series, “[Your City]” is a placeholder that will be replaced by the name of each town and city where a Levitt AMP Music Series will take place. For example, if an organization located in Ann Arbor, Michigan were to receive a Levitt AMP Grant Award, the concert series they present would be formally referred to as the Levitt AMP Ann Arbor Music Series.

Any nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, as recognized by the IRS, can apply.

If you cannot find an answer to your question in the Levitt AMP FAQs, webinars or website, you may email your question(s) to amp@levitt.org.

The Levitt AMP Toolkit contains valuable resources for Levitt AMP grant recipients, such as: a sample entertainment contract; a sample press release; a hosted page on the Levitt AMP website; eblast and social media templates; Levitt AMP graphics; a list of talent managers and music agents from across the country; sample sponsorship packet; and consultation with national program staff at the Levitt Foundation.

All applicants will be notified via email in September regarding whether they are a Top 20 finalist, as determined by the online public voting process. All Top 20 finalists will be notified via email in November regarding whether they are a Levitt AMP grant recipient.

No. A town is not required to be part of a MSA in order to be eligible for the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. If you are unsure if your town or city meets the Levitt AMP population eligibility criteria, you may email your town/city name, county and state to amp@levitt.org and the Levitt Foundation will respond letting you know whether your town or city is eligible.

Absolutely not! Towns and cities of all population sizes up to 250,000 are encouraged to apply for a Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award. All applicants will need to encourage their communities and networks—including family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors—to vote online for their proposed Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series. The Top 20 finalists will be weighed equally, regardless of population size, based on the quality of their application. Please refer to the About page of the Levitt AMP website to review the factors which will guide the Levitt Foundation in determining the Levitt AMP grant recipients. Competitive applications will reflect the core values of the Levitt Foundation and our mission of building community through music.

The Top 20 finalists will be determined by an online public voting process taking place in September. The 20 applicants that receive the most votes during the online public voting period will be announced as the Top 20 finalists following the end of the voting period. The Levitt Foundation will provide applicants with sample social media posts, a customized image and a press release that can be sent to your contacts asking them to vote for your proposal. Be sure to rally your community and networks—including family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors—to vote online for your proposed Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series!

An online public voting process taking place in September will determine the Top 20 finalists. The Levitt Foundation will then review the Top 20 applications and the selected Levitt AMP grant recipients will be announced in November. All applicants that advance to the voting phase will receive a grant of $1,500 to support their efforts participating in the phase. Please refer to the About page of the Levitt AMP website to review the factors which will guide the Levitt Foundation in determining the Levitt AMP grant recipients. Competitive applications will reflect the core values of the Levitt Foundation and our mission of building community through music.

No. Only organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are eligible to apply for a Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award. If your organization is a not-for-profit entity, you may qualify to be a partner organization as part of an application submitted by an organization that is already recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Yes. Current Levitt AMP grantees may reapply.

Yes. Funders and sponsors which are providing contributions, both cash and in-kind, to help make your Levitt AMP Music Series possible should absolutely be recognized for their meaningful support. Their logos can appear on your concert series marketing materials, including brochures, banners, flyers, t-shirts, etc., as well as online, including the Levitt AMP website which hosts a web page for each Levitt AMP Music Series. Series supporters can also be recognized during pre- and post-concert stage announcements and through visibility created through customized on-site recognition opportunities.

Yes. Your Levitt AMP Music Series may have alcohol sponsors, however presenting or title sponsors of your concert series may not be an alcohol company or brand, including beer, wine, and liquor as well as any alcohol-focused stores or brands of any kind.

No. Every Levitt AMP grant recipient must name their concert series “Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series.” No other organization or company name may appear in the series name. Presenting organizations and title sponsors can be recognized as follows: “Downtown Partnership presents the Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series” or “Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series presented by XYZ Company.” Presenting organizations and title sponsors may not be an alcohol company or brand, including beer, wine, and liquor as well as any alcohol-focused stores or brands of any kind. Note: your Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series may only have one presenting sponsor, organization, or previous series name associated with the name of the concert series. For example, “XYZ Company presents the Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series supported by ABC, Inc.” and “Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series presents Music on Main presented by ABC, Inc.” are not acceptable.

Yes. Every Levitt AMP grant recipient must name their entire concert series “Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series.” However, the name of your current series may be combined with “Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series” upon approval from the Levitt Foundation. For example, “Levitt AMP Denison Music Series presents Music on Main.” Note: there may only be one sponsor, organization, previous series name, etc. associated with “presenting” recognition.

Yes. You may apply for a Levitt AMP Grant Award to expand or enhance an already existing concert series such as increasing the number of concerts in the series, expanding the diversity of the music lineup, elevating the caliber of artists presented, and/or activating community engagement strategies. However, the entire concert series must be called the Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series, it must meet all of the Levitt AMP Eligibility Criteria and it must comply with the Levitt AMP Official Rules.

The proposed Levitt AMP public space cannot be located in a town or city where a Levitt AMP Music Series is already taking place. If a Levitt AMP Music Series is located in an applicant’s state or region, the proposed public space must be located a minimum of 50 miles from the existing Levitt AMP Music Series. Additionally, all Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series must take place in a public space that is at least 75 miles away from an existing Levitt venue or developing Levitt venue. This expands the reach of free Levitt concerts by providing people who live beyond the areas already served by Levitt AMP Music Series and Levitt venues with access to high quality, free outdoor concerts.

You can choose whether you would like to apply separately or together, however it is important to note that an entity can only be affiliated with one Levitt AMP application either as a primary organization or as a partner. For example, if your local chamber of commerce has agreed to partner with another organization in your community that is also applying, it cannot partner with your organization as well. Also, an organization cannot apply as a primary applicant on one application and as a partner on another application.

No. An organization can only be affiliated with one Levitt AMP application either as the primary organization or a partner. For example, if your local chamber of commerce has agreed to partner with another organization in your community that is also applying, it cannot partner with your organization as well. Also, an organization cannot apply as a primary applicant on one application and as a partner on another application.

Yes. All application submissions will be reviewed by mid-August.

Factors such as application completion, eligibility, and alignment with the Levitt AMP goals will determine which applicants will advance to the online voting phase taking place in September. If multiple applications from the same city are selected to advance to the voting phase, the Levitt Foundation will notify each applicant accordingly.

Applicants from the same city will then have the option to either advance to the voting phase separately, or collaborate and submit one revised application with one primary applicant and the other applicants as partners; this revised application would then be displayed on the Levitt AMP website as a single proposal during the online public voting period.

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 communities across America, fueling the movement for free live music in public spaces as a key driver for equitable, healthy, and thriving communities.

As a spend down, the Levitt Foundation is increasing the number of communities receiving grants for free concerts in public spaces. In the coming years, the Levitt AMP program will further expand across the country, and the Levitt Foundation will continue to provide grantees with robust resources to ensure their music series continue beyond our sunset.

As a matching grant, at least half of the funding for each Levitt AMP Music Series is generated by the local community—from donations, sponsorships, and other grants. As coveted community gathering spaces where everyone is welcome, Levitt AMP sites 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 activating public spaces through free, live music.

On that note, donating to your local Levitt AMP Music Series is a great way to support your community! There are also great recognition and sponsorship opportunities, both on the lawn during the concerts and throughout the year. To learn how to support your community’s music series, please visit our Support Local page.