Our Approach

Across the country, the Levitt Foundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in communities of all sizes to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a more equitable, healthy and thriving future for all.

As a funder, we embrace a collaborative, cross-sector approach to grantmaking, recognizing the power of partnerships to deepen impact and leverage community support, resources and assets. All Levitt programs are locally-driven and are a holistic reflection of their town or city, from the design of the space to artistic programming and site activation, and engage a range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors including community members, city leadership, nonprofits and businesses to bring a music series to life.

Across the country, the Levitt Foundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in communities of all sizes to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a more equitable, healthy and thriving future for all.

As a funder, we embrace a collaborative, cross-sector approach to grantmaking, recognizing the power of partnerships to deepen impact and leverage community support, resources and assets. All Levitt programs are locally-driven and are a holistic reflection of their town or city, from the design of the space to artistic programming and site activation, and engage a range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors including community members, city leadership, nonprofits and businesses to bring a music series to life.

Levitt grantees and venue partners reimagine public spaces—underused parks, vacant downtown lots, former brownfields and other neglected sites—by presenting free outdoor concerts in open lawn settings where communities can come together through two program areas: Levitt Venues and the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. Both reflect the Foundation’s core values to support programs that are inclusive, catalytic, and dynamic and create connectedness and joy. The Levitt Foundation provides our grantees and partners with financial support as well as meaningful resources including best practices, program frameworks, toolkits and trainings to deepen impact in their communities.

Central to our work is a commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all that we do, to strengthen the social fabric of America, one city, and one concert, at a time. We know there is much to be done to combat injustice, structural racism and oppression, and we believe the arts, especially the power of free, live music in public spaces, can help bridge divides, address inequities and strengthen communities.

We believe there is power in collective purpose, and support a robust, peer-to-peer national network of Levitt grantees and venue partners. We host annual convenings and network events, grantee town halls, EDI trainings, and group site visits to foster community within the Levitt network, exchange knowledge, share ideas and experiences, and reflect upon learnings.

Committed to listening and learning in community, our approach to grantmaking is nimble and responsive to shifting landscapes and the needs of communities to inform Levitt programs, positioning Levitt grantees and venue partners for greater impact. Guiding our strategy and grantmaking is ongoing dialogue, feedback and reflection with our grantees and partners. In partnership, we collect, synthesize, and assess quantitative and qualitative data that is shared across the Levitt network, including annual surveys, audience data, site visits, multi-year research and evaluation as Levitt programs continue to evolve. We also prioritize sharing our findings with the field and across sectors to advance placemaking and arts investments in towns and cities across the country. On November 30, 2023, the Levitt Foundation announced we will spend down $150 million in assets by 2041—significantly increasing our ability to support thousands of free outdoor concerts in communities across America.

LEVITT EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES THROUGH MUSIC.

Supporting 41 Communities In 2023–2025

Our Approach

Across the country, the Levitt Foundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in communities of all sizes to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a more equitable, healthy and thriving future for all.

Across the country, the Levitt Foundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in communities of all sizes to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a more equitable, healthy and thriving future for all.

Our Core Values

Our Commitment To EDI

What We Fund