I'm going to do something a little different this week. Instead of talking about a festival, a tour announcement or an earnings report, I want to tell you about a washer and a dryer in Cincinnati. Strange opening, eh? Well, it's the thing I'm proudest of this week. It also says a lot about my own personal and professional development as we approach our 30-year anniversary at Degy.
On Saturday, October 11, 2025, I was sitting on my couch scrolling my feed when a video from Cincinnati stopped me cold. A woman was talking about Project Connect, the homeless advocacy team inside Cincinnati Public Schools, and about a safe place for families who are sleeping in their cars so their kids can stay in school. She used the term “Sleep Lots for the Unhoused”. I got my head around it and realized, oh crap, that's homeless families, just said a little more gently. Those kids were sitting in classrooms every day, and their families were doing everything they could to hold it together at night. I'll admit it, I teared up on my own couch, and then I did something about it. That same afternoon I searched LinkedIn for Rebeka Beach, who manages Project Connect, and wrote to ask whether laundry machines from our F.R.E.S.H. program could help. She wrote me back that Monday, and it turned out they were already planning to add laundry to a new wrap-around resource center.
The place she was talking about became the Safe Sleep Lot at Taft Elementary, which opened this past April with twelve spaces, a trailer with a security office, a kitchenette, a bathroom and shower area. It has since served hundreds of people, and the families who stay there need a lot more than a parking space. This week, through our F.R.E.S.H. program, Degy Impact placed a Whirlpool washer and dryer with Project Connect to serve those students and families. That makes Ohio the third state we've reached, after Florida and Maryland, and I couldn't be prouder of my amazing team that made it happen.
Here's where I get real honest and share something I'm a bit embarrassed about. I'm a late bloomer at this. For most of my career, my days at the office were about booking the next show, focused almost exclusively on making money and growing this small business into something bigger. I didn't stop long enough to think about what a company like ours could do for the people around it. Sure, I figured that our work makes people ‘happy’ and gives them a reprieve, so maybe that was enough for my soul. It took years for me to see that an entertainment company can have real impact beyond what we do in the office each day.
Degy Impact is our 501(c)(3), and we launched it at the start of 2025 with a focus on education and health. F.R.E.S.H. (Fostering Respect, Empowerment, Self-Care & Health) puts washers and dryers into schools so students living with housing instability aren't missing class because of dirty clothes. We've also partnered with Gift of Life to get college students and event guests signed up for the bone marrow registry, and the swabbing drives at our events have brought in 1,200 swabs so far. Ironically, in the same week we donated the Cincinnati laundry machines, we also hit our 20th Swab Match. That means there may be a life-saving donation ahead as a result of our team’s work. And there's the Dr. Richard M. Nisman Educational Scholarship, named for my late father, to help students chasing careers in entertainment.
None of this was on the whiteboard when I started this company. Heck, this offering wasn’t even on our donation board for this year. What started with a scroll on my couch and a message to a stranger has become some of the most meaningful work we do. I also didn't figure any of it out on my own. Somebody in our business walked me through it, and he's been quietly doing this a lot longer than I have.
The reason I started this whole laundry journey is a friend of mine in Nashville, Blake McDaniel. Blake is a longtime Nashville talent agent. First at CAA helping acts such as Zac Brown Band, Guster, John Mayer, oh, and Taylor Swift too. He now runs Conway Entertainment Group, a powerhouse consultancy and entertainment outfit. But some of his best work has been done away from the stage. For years, Blake has been quietly putting washer and dryer sets into Metro Nashville schools through his Clean Clothes for Kids program, working with the nonprofit PENCIL and a group of private donors who believe in him; I am one of them. He did it on his own, school by school, and in June of last year PENCIL marked his 50th set at an elementary school in Southeast Nashville. Talk about a gritty and wonderful human.
A simple phone call between Blake and me several years ago is how Degy Impact's F.R.E.S.H. program got started. Blake guided me and taught me how to do it, and I followed the lead of what he had started in Nashville. That one call has turned into placements in South Florida, Maryland, and now Cincinnati. When the Cincinnati machines went in, Blake wrote a post about it on Facebook with a message to everyone else in our business that I want to repeat here: if you see a need for clean clothes for kids in your area and want to do something, call him and he'll talk you through it. The effort you put in is small compared to the impact you make. Thank you Blake, and I couldn't have said it better.
Artists have been showing up for causes for as long as there have been tours, but lately the way they do it has gotten a lot more direct. Carrie Underwood sent a dollar from every ticket sold on her Denim & Rhinestones Tour to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and when she announced the total on the Today show, her fans had raised more than $420,000. Think about that math for a second. A dollar a ticket doesn't change what a fan pays in any way they'd notice, but over a 43-city run it turns into real money for a cause people care about. That's the model a lot of artists are using now, and it's the easiest thing in the world for a buyer to say yes to.
It's catching on all over. This year Wynonna and Melissa Etheridge each gave a dollar from every ticket on their Raised on Radio tour, with Wynonna's going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Melissa's to her own foundation. Evanescence teamed up with the nonprofit PLUS1 so that a dollar from every ticket on a 47-date world tour goes to humanitarian aid and medical relief, and Tyler Childers is splitting a dollar a ticket on his Snipe Hunt tour between an Appalachian relief fund he helped start and a group working to reduce the environmental footprint of live music.
The causes vary, and the ones that keep showing up are the kind nobody argues about. The 1975 planted a tree for every ticket sold on a 2020 tour with One Tree Planted, and Bryan Adams pledged one tree per ticket on his 2019 Shine A Light tour. Food, for another. Luke Bryan's Farm Tour has turned its stops into food drives with Feeding America and has delivered more than 11 million meals since 2015. Homelessness, hunger and veterans round out the list, and that's where this week's Top 5 lives further below in my blog.
Oteil Burbridge is one of those musicians other musicians talk about with a little awe, and earlier this month he took a different kind of tour. He teamed up with a Vermont trio for four Northeast events, and every dollar of the proceeds went to two regional Make-A-Wish chapters. He's been supporting Make-A-Wish for years, and a night with a bass player like that is the kind of thing a community remembers. Buyers who run smaller theaters and club-sized series should take notice. Hanson (yeah, the brothers are still rocking) were doing this kind of thing before a lot of us were paying attention. Back in 2008 and 2009 they built a campaign called Take the Walk, where the guys led fans on a barefoot mile before shows to put them in the shoes of children in Africa who walk that far every day, and the band gave a dollar for every registered mile to causes like clean water, schools and health care.
If you want proof that giving back is becoming a real part of how this industry works, look at what happened in Nashville in May. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee launched the Music Community Foundation, a national hub that gives artists, managers and industry partners the structure to build and run their own charitable work. Its founding advisory group includes CAA, UTA, WME, Red Light Management and the Grand Ole Opry, plus two artists. The foundation says the entertainment philanthropy program behind it has generated more than $300 million in impact through more than 140 charitable funds. In other words, the agencies that book the tours and the managers who run the careers are putting real infrastructure behind it.
That matters for the people reading this blog, because it changes the conversation at the buying table; yes, that means many of you. A few years ago, a cause was something an artist did on the side. Now it's often part of the tour, and it's something your students, your fair board or your corporate sponsors can see and get behind. It can even start with your idea, before the show is booked. A college programmer can tie a Gift of Life swabbing table to a campus concert and give the students something to do besides stand in line. A fair can partner with a local food bank. A sponsor can see their name next to something that matters. The best of these moments don't feel like a pitch, because they aren't one.
You've met a long list of artists above who put a cause on the ticket. Here are five more, and what they have in common is a real, plain-spoken cause that no one has to argue about, from feeding the hungry to supporting veterans and sick kids, plus a place on a fair, festival, college or military calendar.
Tracy Lawrence has been feeding people in Nashville for twenty years. He started Mission:Possible in 2006 with a turkey fry for the city's homeless, and the 21st annual Thanksgiving event on November 24 at the Nashville Fairgrounds aims to feed 32,000 people across Middle Tennessee through the Nashville Rescue Mission, school systems in eleven surrounding counties and local groups that serve people in need. Mission:Possible has donated more than $1.3 million to the Nashville Rescue Mission alone.
Craig Morgan is an Army veteran, and he has spent years putting his stage to work for veterans. In 2021 he headlined a show in Ocala, Florida, where every ticket dollar went to the Travis Mills Foundation. This November 7 he hosts his own Veterans Day 5K at the Grand Ole Opry House, followed by a headline night at the Ryman.
Lee Brice is a steady supporter of Folds of Honor, which provides scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members. This month he headlined the Folds of Honor concert in New York's Capital Region, and the event's eight-year total has passed $4 million for scholarships. He's also on the bill for a Folds of Honor benefit in Hollywood, Florida.
Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, turned the worst loss a family can have into help for other kids. After the death of their son River, T-shirt sales from Granger's apparel company, along with his fans, raised $218,791 for Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, the hospital that treated him. The family went on to start the River Kelly Fund with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the same foundation behind the Music Community Foundation I told you about above.
And last of this week’s five is Jake Owen. He runs the Jake Owen Foundation out of his hometown of Vero Beach, Florida, and its annual charity event there benefits St. Jude and local charities. An early edition of that night raised more than $125,000 for local causes and St. Jude.
A big thank you to Caité, Chelsea, Brandon, Felix and my entire team working on Degy Impact, and to Rebeka and the Project Connect team for letting us be a small part of what they do every day. Now I want to hear from you. What is the cause your company, your campus or your favorite artist stands behind? It’s never too late to start, as I shared to you above. And you know what… I'll see you next weekend!
For more than 25 years, Degy Entertainment has been helping buyers find the act that fits the moment, whether that's a homecoming crowd, a county fair, a corporate event or a base full of service members, putting on nearly 3,000 events a year across more than 30 countries. Our talent buying and middle-artist booking teams work with colleges, fairs and festivals, military installations, parks and recreation departments and private events.
Looking for an act with a cause behind it? Reach out to Ari Nisman anytime or learn more at Degy Entertainment.
What is Degy Impact?
Degy Impact is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Degy Entertainment, launched in early 2025 with a focus on education and health. Its programs include F.R.E.S.H. (Fostering Respect, Empowerment, Self-Care & Health), which places washers and dryers in schools, a bone marrow registry partnership with Gift of Life, and the Dr. Richard M. Nisman Educational Scholarship.
What is the F.R.E.S.H. program?
F.R.E.S.H. stands for Fostering Respect, Empowerment, Self-Care & Health. The program places washers and dryers in schools so students experiencing housing instability can keep up with class without worrying about clean clothes. Placements have reached South Florida, Maryland, and now Cincinnati, Ohio.
What is the Safe Sleep Lot in Cincinnati?
The Safe Sleep Lot at Taft Elementary is a safe parking space for families sleeping in their cars so their children can stay in school. It opened in April with twelve spaces, a trailer with a security office, a kitchenette, and a bathroom and shower area, and it has served hundreds of people since opening.
How did Degy get involved with Project Connect in Cincinnati?
After seeing a video about the Safe Sleep Lot, Ari reached out to Rebeka Beach, who manages Project Connect at Cincinnati Public Schools, to ask whether laundry machines from the F.R.E.S.H. program could help. Project Connect was already planning a wrap-around resource center that included laundry, and Degy Impact placed a Whirlpool washer and dryer there.
What is Clean Clothes for Kids?
Clean Clothes for Kids is a program led by Nashville talent agent Blake McDaniel, who has placed washer and dryer sets in Metro Nashville schools in partnership with the nonprofit PENCIL and private donors. PENCIL marked his 50th set in June 2025. Degy Impact’s F.R.E.S.H. program was inspired by his work.
How do artists give back through their tours?
Many artists donate a set amount from each ticket sold to a cause. Carrie Underwood’s Denim & Rhinestones Tour sent a dollar per ticket to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, raising more than $420,000. Other artists have supported St. Jude, humanitarian relief, tree planting, and food drives through similar ticket-based giving.
What is Mission:Possible?
Mission:Possible is Tracy Lawrence’s Thanksgiving charity event in Nashville, started in 2006 with a turkey fry for the city’s homeless. The 21st annual event on November 24, 2026, at the Nashville Fairgrounds aims to feed 32,000 people across Middle Tennessee. The initiative has donated more than $1.3 million to the Nashville Rescue Mission.
How does Folds of Honor support military families?
Folds of Honor provides scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members. Lee Brice is a long-time supporter, and the organization’s eight-year total from his concerts has passed $4 million.
What is the Music Community Foundation?
The Music Community Foundation is a national hub launched in Nashville in May by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. It helps artists, managers, and industry partners build and run their own charitable work, with a founding advisory group that includes CAA, UTA, WME, Red Light Management, and the Grand Ole Opry.
How can college programmers add a cause to a concert?
Programmers can pair a concert with a community activity, such as a bone marrow registry swabbing table through Gift of Life, a food drive, or a local nonprofit partnership. These moments give students something meaningful to do and can strengthen sponsor and community support.
Why do cause-driven tours work for buyers?
Cause-driven tours give buyers an easy story to share with students, fair boards, or corporate sponsors. Causes that people don’t argue about, like feeding the hungry or supporting veterans, create goodwill and make the event more memorable.
Can a small company start giving back through entertainment?
Yes. Ari’s own story shows that impact can begin with one idea and one phone call. Blake McDaniel encourages anyone who sees a need for clean clothes for kids to reach out, because even small efforts can have a meaningful effect.
What is Take the Walk?
Take the Walk was a campaign by the band Hanson in 2008 and 2009. Fans joined the band on a barefoot mile before shows to raise awareness of children in Africa who walk that far daily, and the band donated a dollar for each registered mile to causes including clean water, schools, and health care.
What is the Veterans Day 5K hosted by Craig Morgan?
Craig Morgan hosts a Veterans Day 5K at the Grand Ole Opry House on November 7, followed by a headline performance at the Ryman. The event supports veterans and is part of his long-running commitment to service members.
What is the River Kelly Fund?
The River Kelly Fund was started by Granger Smith and his wife Amber after the death of their son River, with support from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Granger Smith’s apparel company T-shirt sales and fan donations previously raised $218,791 for Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin.