irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $0THE COMEDY SHOP. EVERY PURCHASE SUPPORTS THE NON-PROFIT NATIONAL COMEDY CETNER AND ITS MISSION OF PRESENTING THE VITAL STORY OF COMEDY IN AMERICA.
- #2 $0COMEDIC ARTS PROGRAMMING. THE MUSEUM CELEBRATES COMEDY'S GREAT MINDS AND UNIQUE VOICES, WHILE PROVIDING AN EXAMINIATION OF THE TIME-HONES CREATIVE PROCESSES THAT HAVE ELEVATED COMEDY TO THE ART FORM.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Carl Reiner Department of Archives & Preservation
National archive preserving comedy history through collections of handwritten jokes, manuscripts, oral histories, and creative materials from comedians like George Carlin, Joan Rivers, and Lucille Ball
Comedy Shop
On-site and online retail operation where purchases support the nonprofit mission and fund educational programming
Field Trips with Educational Modules
Interactive, docent-led museum visits for students, including optional 15-minute educational sessions on topics like stand-up history, cartooning, and sound design aligned with NYS learning standards
activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Guided Historic Site Tours 2 activities
- Manage retail and revenue-generating operationsOperates The Comedy Shop at the National Comedy Center and two gift shops at the Lucy Desi Museum, selling official comedy and I Love Lucy merchandise. Generated $107,335 in gift shop revenue and $280,808 from live comedy shows in 2020, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit mission of presenting the story of comedy in America.
- Operate a national comedy archiveEstablished a national archive in 2018 to preserve historical materials representing comedy's contributions to American culture, renamed in honor of Carl Reiner in 2021. Houses his comprehensive career archives and supports academic research, educational initiatives, interactive storytelling, artist interviews, and curated performances using archival collections.
-
-
Local History Museum Operations 2 activities
- Operate the National Comedy Center museumOperates a 37,000-square-foot state-of-the-art museum in Jamestown, NY, featuring more than 50 immersive and interactive exhibits that guide visitors through the history of comedy from vaudeville to internet memes. The museum, opened in August 2018, uses personalization technology and serves as the nation's official cultural institution dedicated to comedy.
- Preserve and present Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz legaciesOperates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in Jamestown, NY, preserving and showcasing rare artifacts, wardrobe, props, creative papers, awards, photographs, and video related to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Regularly creates new exhibits from the Lucy and Desi Archive and offers guided tours with behind-the-scenes insights into I Love Lucy and their lives.
-
-
Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
- Deliver educational programs and group toursProvides educational programming for student field trips, including docent-led orientation, gallery access, and 15-minute discussion-based sessions aligned with New York State learning objectives. Offers personalized group tours of all sizes, motorcoach visits, and "Lucytown Tours" — guided bus tours of locations significant to Lucille Ball’s life — along with coordination of regional attractions and event bookings.
-
-
Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Host the annual Lucille Ball Comedy FestivalProduces the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which has showcased over 300 comedic artists across more than 30 years. The festival includes headliner shows, stand-up showcases, late-night comedy, block parties, educational programming, and live performances by emerging and established comedians.
-
-
Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Provide accessibility and visitor support servicesEnsures inclusive access through free manual wheelchairs, accessible parking, restrooms (including single-user, family, and all-gender), open captioning, transcripts for audio content, large print materials, service animal accommodation, and accessible seating at all live venues. Also provides discounted admission via Museums for All ($2 for SNAP recipients) and free admission for members and NARM participants.
-
-
Arts-Based Dementia Engagement Programs 1 activity
- Support community engagement through specialized programsOperates a Memory Café program that uses comedy-based activities to engage individuals with memory loss, fostering social connection and cognitive stimulation through humor.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$25.80M
Contributions & grants$2.33M9%
Program service revenue$1.03M4%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$22.44M
expenses
Total expenses$5.22M
Program expenses65%
Admin / overhead32%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$1.52M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$20.24M
Cash$244K
Investments$0
Liabilities$414K
Net assets$19.83M
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +641.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOURNEY GUNDERSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 32 | $215K |
board members · 9
- CINDY ARONSON — MEMBER
- GEORGE PANEBIANCO — MEMBER
- HOLLY SULLIVAN — MEMBER
- JEROME LEE YAW — MEMBER
- JON ALBRO — MEMBER
- LOUIS DEPPAS — MEMBER
- MICHAEL LATONE — MEMBER
- SARAH DEMINK — MEMBER
- TOM BENSON — MEMBER
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- Betty White Ludden Estate Partner — Contributed materials from Betty White’s career to the archive.
- Carl Reiner & the Reiner Family Partner — Contributed Carl Reiner's comprehensive career archives to the permanent collection.
- Chautauqua Belle Partner — Includes historic steamboat cruises on the Chautauqua Belle as part of group tour offerings.
- Chautauqua Harbor Hotel Partner — Offers the Hilarious Getaway Package that includes tickets to the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum.
- Chautauqua Institution Partner — Includes visits to the Chautauqua Institution as part of regional group tour offerings.
- Desilu Too & Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Estate Partner — Provided papers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for inclusion in the archive.
- DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown Partner — Offers the Punchline Package that includes tickets to the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum.
- George Carlin Estate Partner — Provided George Carlin’s handwritten joke files for inclusion in the archive.
- Joan Rivers Estate, Melissa Rivers Partner — Contributed Joan Rivers’ card catalog of 70,000 jokes to the archive.
- Lake Erie Wine Country Partner — Partners with wineries in the Lake Erie Wine Country region for group tour inclusions.
- Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum Partner — Collaborates to preserve and present the legacies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Jamestown, NY.
- Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum Partner — Collaborates with the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in Jamestown to promote shared cultural heritage in comedy.
- Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum Partner — Operates in conjunction with the National Comedy Center to present and preserve the legacies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
- Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum Partner — Operates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum as part of its programming
- Lucy Desi Museum Partner — Collaborates on dual admission offerings to provide joint access to both the National Comedy Center and the Lucy Desi Museum.
- Macaroni KID Erie Partner — Local family-focused media outlet that reported on visitor experiences at the National Comedy Center.
- Museums for All Network — Participates in the Museums for All program to provide low-cost access to SNAP beneficiaries.
- NBCUniversal Partner — Partnered to contribute creative materials from landmark series such as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
- North American Reciprocal Museum Association Network — Participates in reciprocal admissions program allowing NARM members free entry.
- Paramount Pictures Partner — Contributed archival materials related to comedy history.
- Pixar Partner — Contributed materials to the archive related to comedic animation and storytelling.
- Smothers Brothers Partner — Provided papers and creative materials from their careers for inclusion in the archive.
- Squeaky Caster Partner — Collaborates on public content, including blog coverage of visits to the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum.
- Student Groups Department Partner — Department responsible for coordinating field trip logistics, educational programming, and career exploration opportunities for student visitors.
- The White Inn Partner — Offers a package that includes tickets to the National Comedy Center and Lucy Desi Museum.
- Tour Chautauqua Partner — Collaborates with Tour Chautauqua to promote regional tourism offerings including Chautauqua Lake.
- TourChautauqua.com Partner — Provides official travel planning resources for visitors to the National Comedy Center region.
- U.S. Congress Government — Formally designated the National Comedy Center as the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to comedy in 2019.
- Warner Brothers Partner — Provided archival materials related to comedy history.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Driven Archival Development for Comprehensive Representationmethodology: artist_partnership_acquisitionBy forming partnerships with comedians and their estates to acquire materials, the Center ensures authentic and comprehensive preservation of comedy history, because direct collaboration with creators yields richer, more accurate archives than third-party collection alone.
- Cultural Legacy Activation through Institutional Place-Makingmethodology: cultural_legacy_programmingBy anchoring its mission in the legacy of Lucille Ball and transforming her hometown into a national cultural destination, the Center inspires engagement with comedy’s creative voices and preserves American comedic heritage, because grounding abstract art forms in tangible personal and regional legacies increases public connection, visitation, and educational relevance.
- Exhibit-Based Storytelling to Preserve and Communicate Comedy Historymethodology: exhibit_based_storytellingBy curating physical artifacts, archival materials, multimedia, and wardrobe within narrative-driven exhibits, the Center communicates the cultural impact and life stories of key comedic figures, because object-based storytelling makes intangible cultural expressions like humor more concrete, relatable, and historically grounded.
- Immersive, Interactive Learning for Comedy Educationmethodology: immersive_interactive_educationBy using immersive, interactive exhibits that combine technology, personalization, and multisensory engagement, the National Comedy Center fosters deeper understanding and connection to the history and evolution of comedy, because experiential formats increase visitor curiosity, retention, and emotional resonance compared to passive observation.