Amplifying Stages Across Tennessee: Music Series Grant Opportunity for TN-based Nonprofits

Join us for an informative Tennessee Film & Entertainment Webinar about an exciting new grant opportunity for Tennessee communities! 

The Levitt Foundation, in partnership with the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, is offering up to six Tennessee-based cities multi-year Levitt Music Series Grants of up to $40K per year for free outdoor concerts in 2026–2028.

Learn how your nonprofit can apply to bring high-quality, diverse music programming to your community through this initiative, Levitt's first joint partnership with a specific state. 

We'll walk through eligibility, the application process, and what makes this opportunity unique to Tennessee. Don’t miss your chance to be part of a statewide effort to amplify music, culture, and community!

This grant opportunity is supported by the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

About the speakers

Sharon Yazowski, President & CEO, Levitt Foundation
As President & CEO of the Levitt Foundation, Sharon provides visionary leadership in fulfilling Levitt’s mission to strengthen the social fabric of America and reinvigorate public spaces through the power of free live music. Her passionate commitment to the arts as a vehicle for creating more healthy, connected, and thriving communities has guided the growth of free Levitt concert series nationwide, including the development of long-term public/private partnerships in major U.S. cities, expanding programs into rural areas, and sustainability strategies for the Levitt network of venues and concert sites, in addition to the Foundation’s research and investments in music ecosystems. Under Sharon’s leadership, in 2021 the Foundation pledged to spend down its assets of $150 million over two decades, advancing the movement of free concerts in public spaces as essential to community life.

 As the chief spokesperson for the Foundation, Sharon travels the country speaking about the social and economic impact of Levitt programs, Levitt-commissioned research, and creative placemaking. She is often an invited speaker at conferences across sectors and guest lectures at undergraduate and graduate music business and nonprofit management programs. Sharon’s career began in metropolitan Chicago, where she produced free outdoor concert series and worked with a range of artists and arts nonprofits, followed by time in the finance sector. Sharon earned a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University with a concentration in arts and business management.

Victoria Bridenstine, Vice President of Programs, Levitt Foundation
As Vice President of Programs, Victoria plays a key role in shaping the grantmaking strategy at the Levitt Foundation. She oversees the management of the Foundation’s Friends of Levitt partners and grantee portfolios, develops strategies and priorities to support the sustainability of Levitt’s grantee partners, and identifies resources that provide meaningful support to the Foundation’s growing national network of music venues and Levitt AMP, VIBE, and BLOC sites. 

Victoria has over 16 years of experience in grantmaking and community engagement. Before working at the Levitt Foundation, she worked at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children where she developed operational standards, increased brand awareness through community relationships, and secured major donations. While at the Lymphoma Research Foundation, she implemented an overall communications strategy and local grassroots marketing efforts to increase awareness of available resources, services, and fundraising events. In addition to her community engagement experience, Victoria has worked in grantmaking with verve. At the W. M. Keck Foundation, she supported grantmaking activities for high-impact research, undergraduate education, and programs that enrich the lives of local children and families. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Occidental College and M.S. in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California.

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The Arts & Business Council's Tennessee Film & Entertainment Webinar Series is made possible by support from the Tennessee Entertainment Commission. CreateTN.com