Nonprofit Lead Guitar gifted new home by Lovell Foundation
Nonprofit Lead Guitar gifted new home by Lovell Foundation
The new property will allow Lead Guitar to expand operations on both a local and national scale to meet demand for its programs. In the last two years alone, the organization has grown by 73% in the number of students served nationwide. Since the founding of Lead Guitar in 2007, Tucson has remained the organization’s hub for administrative operations even as it has added programs in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and Detroit. Lead Guitar has never had a permanent home until now. Lead Guitar Executive Director, Brad Richter says, “having a permanent space for staff that also allows us to welcome students and teachers from Tucson and around the country virtually and in-person is an important step for us.”
Ann Lovell, President of The David and Lura Lovell Foundation, spoke to the significance of the decision to gift their building: “Lead Guitar’s proposed use of the building not only as administrative offices but also for local youth music programing, and education and training that reaches students in Lead Guitar schools across the nation was very exciting. Our board of advisors all believed it to be the legacy we wanted to leave—our one last gift to the community before our sunset.” Lead Guitar has been a longtime grantee of the Lovell Foundation, earning its first grant in 2014. In 2021, Lead Guitar was awarded a $1,000,000 grant to support strategic national growth. "We are deeply grateful to Ann Lovell, John Amoroso, Christina Rossetti, Mary Buckley and the entire Lovell Foundation board for their mentorship and collaboration over the years, and for providing an inspiring space for our learning community and staff to work together," Richter says, “We will continue to honor and carry on the spirit of the Lovell Foundation in how we serve our local and national community. This new home is nothing short of transformational for Lead Guitar.”
Lead Guitar is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that builds free in-school guitar ensemble classes in partnership with neighborhood schools nationwide where more than 80% of students qualify for Free or Reduced-price Lunch. Lead Guitar’s vision is to engage every learner with an instrument that appeals across genres and generations, using music from a broad range of traditions, and differentiated materials such as adaptive and Spanish-language curricula. Daily mentorship, classroom connections with globally recognized guitarists, and college campus experiences empower students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. More than 7,500 kids are enrolled in Lead Guitar classes every year in Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Atlanta, Phoenix and Tucson.
Images
Additional Info
Media Contact : Whitney Herr-Buchholz
Related Links : https://www.leadguitar.org/