Partnerships & Field-Building Events

The Levitt Foundation partners with field-building organizations and conferences to advance the reach and impact of creative placemaking and vibrant music ecosystems across the country.

We support events, programs, and initiatives that foster cross-sector collaborations, advance shared learning, and broaden opportunities for participation at the intersection of music, public space, and community building.

Current Partners

Creative Placemaking Communities

Creative Placemaking Communities (CPC) is a national organization that helps places become more sustainable, prosperous, equitable, healthy, and resilient by supporting people who believe in the power of local arts and culture to shape communities. CPC’s Leadership Summits, held online and in-person around the U.S.—and attracting Levitt grantees from around the country—share best practices and strategies to advance the field of creative placemaking and spark collaborations, projects, programs, and policies for practitioners and leaders in the arts, community economic development, urban planning, cultural heritage, land use, and philanthropy.

Folk Alliance International

Folk Alliance International presents the largest annual gathering of folk artist communities from around the world, spanning a wide range of genres from Appalachian, Americana, blues and Celtic to global roots, hip-hop, spoken word, zydeco, and more. Levitt Foundation grantees and partners regularly attend the conference to discover talent and book artists for their upcoming concert series. The Levitt Foundation is also a sponsor of the Folk Alliance Rising Tide Award, which recognizes an artist under 30 who inspires others by embodying the values and ideals of the folk community through their creative work, community role, and public voice.

Main Street America

Main Street America is a national network committed to revitalizing older and historic commercial districts through place-based economic development and community preservation, collaborating with local partners and grassroots leaders to advance shared prosperity, create resilient economies, and enhance the quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts across the country. Main Street nonprofits include Levitt Foundation grantees, many of whom have presented alongside Foundation staff at the annual Main Street Now Conference, which gathers local leaders from across the United States. The Levitt Foundation has also underwritten Main Stage artist performances at the Conference.

Make Music Day

Make Music Day, which is celebrated on June 21 each year to honor the Summer Solstice, unites professional and amateur musicians alike in a joyous expression of music, transforming public spaces—ranging from neighborhood stoops to city streets, parks, and plazas—into vibrant stages for free performances. Expanding the global tradition that was initiated in France over 40 years ago, Make Music Day is coordinated by Make Music Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 2014 to enhance the annual Make Music Day in North America. Every year, Make Music Day features nearly 5,000 free music performances in over 100 U.S. cities, including at several Levitt locations and venues, bringing communities together through the universal language of music.

Music Cities Annual Convention

Music Cities Events organizes the biggest international conferences on the topics of music ecosystems, music policy, and music tourism. The advocacy group aims to educate on the value and impact of music to elevate communities. Showcasing the best uses of music by individuals, organizations, and cities all over the world, this annual convention provides a stage for thought leaders spanning city planning, music, economic development, tourism, academia, events, real estate, and nonprofits.

Music Forward

Music Forward is a national nonprofit that exists to transform young lives, inspire careers, and champion a more inclusive music industry. Through its national Youth Advisory Council, UpNext—which is made up of a cohort of 18-24 year olds, hailing from economically and geographically diverse backgrounds—Music Forward is nurturing the next generation of live music industry leaders through facilitated virtual conversations, cross-sector collaborations with mentors, and the opportunity to design and execute local community activations including open mics, venue tours, and panels.

Music to Life

Founded by Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) and his daughter, Liz Sunde, Music to Life connects musicians with the training, resources, and mentorship to realize their own bold visions for community change. Its Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) is a creative business/social change incubator that includes training in concept, program, resource/partnership development, and individual mentorship to equip a national network of musicians with the skills and connections to sustainably implement their concepts for music-based social impact programming.

National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) / National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF)

NIVA is the national trade association representing thousands of independent live entertainment venues, nonprofit presenters, festivals, promoters, and more. NIVF’s mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live performance venues, promoters, and presenters throughout our country. Through the Foundation’s partnership with NIVA/NIVF, Levitt network grantees have the opportunity to access NIVA membership benefits including webinars, trainings, group purchasing benefits, conference discounts, advocacy and policy support, and more.

Past Partners

Imagining America

Imagining America brings together scholars, artists, designers, humanists, and organizers to imagine, study, and enact a more just and liberatory America and world. Working across institutional, disciplinary, and community divides, IA strengthens and promotes public scholarship, cultural organizing, and systems change that inspires collective imagination, knowledge-making, and civic action on pressing public issues. The Levitt Foundation supported IA’s 2023 National Gathering, “Radical Reckoning: Invoking the Elements for Collective Change,” a three-day immersive experience that took place in Providence, Rhode Island.

LEVITT EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES THROUGH MUSIC.

Supporting 41 Communities In 2023–2025