Open Call: Levitt Foundation Offers Matching Grants for Free Outdoor Concert Series Nationwide

Scott

McDowell

June 5, 2025

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‍Applications are open through June 30, 2025

Every year, in towns and cities across America, you can hear live music in public spaces transforming neighborhoods, drawing diverse crowds, and creating a sense of shared community. This doesn’t happen by accident; it’s often made possible by grassroots organizers passionate about sharing music and building community. The Levitt Foundation’s Music Series Grants are an opportunity for nonprofits ready to bring free outdoor concerts to their local communities.

Nonprofit organizations in the United States and its territories are invited to apply for a multi-year matching grant to present a Levitt Music Series in their hometown. Grants are up to $40,000 per year for three years—a total of $120,000—alongside robust planning resources, toolkits and peer support to help build a concert series that is community-driven and accessible to all.

For members of the folk community, artists, presenters, and grassroots cultural workers, this is a great opportunity to deepen your impact and create something that lasts.

Why This Matters for Folk Music

Folk music has always lived and breathed in public spaces like festivals, community halls, front porches, and city squares. The Levitt Foundation’s work honors the folk tradition by making high-quality, live music accessible to all, especially in places where opportunity and access can be limited.

For presenters and artists, the Levitt Music Series is a meaningful way to reach new audiences, uplift local culture, and use music as a vehicle for connection and change.

What Is the Levitt Music Series Grant?

The Levitt Music Series Grant is bigger than music. It’s about creating space for people to gather, celebrate culture, and connect. Each Levitt Music Series consists of 7–10 free outdoor concerts per year, presented in underused public spaces that are transformed into vibrant community hubs.

These series welcome audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and feature a wide range of music genres—including folk, Americana, blues, world music, and more. The foundation’s approach encourages diverse and inclusive programming, spotlighting both established artists and rising talent.

Since 2015, Levitt has funded free outdoor music series in more than 50 communities across the U.S., from rural towns of fewer than 2,000 people to major cities like Denver, Los Angeles and Chicago. For folk presenters, this grant offers not only financial support, but also the opportunity to join a national movement that aligns with the values of access and cultural equity.

Who Can Apply?

The Levitt Foundation invites applications from 501(c)(3) nonprofits across many sectors. Past recipients have included arts nonprofits, community development organizations, parks and recreation departments, affordable housing organizations, universities, Main Street programs, and more.

Whether you’re a presenter with years of experience or a community group with a bold idea and local support, the key is demonstrating the ability to bring people together through music and make the most of a public space.

Grant categories include:

Levitt AMP – For towns and cities with populations up to 250,000
Levitt VIBE – For cities with populations over 250,000
Levitt BLOC – For multi-site concert series in communities of any size

Each grant requires a 1:1 funding match from other sources: local businesses, donors, city departments, foundations, and in-kind contributions such as sound equipment or marketing support, can all help meet this match.

What’s Included?

Beyond the financial grant (up to $40,000 per year), Levitt grantees receive a robust support package, including:

A Levitt Music Series Toolkit with resources and templates
In-person training and guidance from the Levitt Foundation
Access to a national network of peers producing free outdoor concerts
A $1,500 mini-grant for any applicant that advances to the public voting phase

Top finalists will be selected through a public voting process in September 2025, with final grant recipients announced November 18, 2025. The first concert season will begin in spring 2026.

Special Opportunities in Tennessee and Mississippi

Thanks to partnerships with state agencies, organizations in Tennessee and Mississippi have additional opportunities:

Tennessee

The Levitt Foundation has teamed up with the Tennessee Entertainment Commission and other state partners to provide up to six Tennessee-based organizations with Levitt AMP grants—bringing a total of 180 free concerts across the state over three years. There’s no separate application; Tennessee-based nonprofits apply through the main Levitt application and will be considered in a state-specific public vote.

Mississippi

In collaboration with the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), two organizations in Mississippi will be selected for a special combined grant: funding for both a public art installation and a Levitt AMP concert series. The Letter of Intent opens in July 2025 and full applications will be accepted in August via the MAC website. Priority will be given to rural communities with fewer than 25,000 residents.

Ready to Learn More?

Applications are open now through June 30, 2025.

To see full eligibility criteria, read detailed FAQs, or begin your application, visit: levitt.org/music-series-grants

For those who believe in the power of music to bring people together, this is an invitation to turn your community into a place where the music never stops.

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