NATIONAL COMEDY CENTER INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

NATIONAL COMEDY CENTER INC

EIN 41-2030241 · Art Museums (A51)

What they do

THE MISSION of THE LUCILLE BALL DESI ARNAZ MUSEUM, A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, is to CELEBRATE THE INSPIRING LIVES and ENDURING LEGACIES of PIONEERING ARTISTS, INNOVATORS, and LEADERS LUCILLE BALL and DESI ARNAZ, WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE SHAPED OUR SHARED CULTURAL HERITAGE and CHARTED A COURSE for AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY. THE MUSEUM, LOCATED IN BALLS HOMETOWN of JAMESTOWN, NY, HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY ANCHOR and ENGINE for THE DEVELOPMENT of THE COMEDIC ARTS for OVER 25 YEARS.IN 2018, THE LUCY DESI MUSEUMS MISSION WAS BROADENED WITH THE OPENING of THE NEARBY NATIONAL COMEDY CENTER, WHICH OPERATES IN FULFILLMENT of LUCILLE BALLS VISION THAT HER HOMETOWN BECOME A DESTINATION for THE CELEBRATION of COMEDY --IN ALL ITS FORMS. VISITORS to JAMESTOWN, NY ARE INSPIRED, EDUCATED, and ENTERTAINED BY BOTH of THESE ATTRACTIONS, AS WELL AS THE ANNUAL LUCILLE BALL COMEDY FESTIVAL, WHICH PRESENTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING and PERFORMANCES BY RISING ARTISTS and COMEDY LEGENDS ALIKE.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $77.80 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders10 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

72.98%of revenue went to mission work77.8% of expenses · Program services

1.68%of revenue went to fundraising1.8% of expenses

$93.81spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

19.16%of revenue went to management and office costs20.4% of expenses

$1.44in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

62.6%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

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Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $61,911 for JOURNEY GUNDERSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$3,554,593

Mission workProgram services$2,593,97172.98% of revenue77.8% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$680,93919.16% of revenue20.4% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$59,7821.68% of revenue1.8% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$219,9016.19% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$3,334,69293.81% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 77.8% mission · 20.4% management · 1.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.81% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 80.1% mission · 17.5% management · 2.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 116.02% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 91.5% mission · 7.9% management · 0.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 150.69% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 82.6% mission · 17.0% management · 0.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 70.66% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 82.5% mission · 17.0% management · 0.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 87.07% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 89.0% mission · 10.7% management · 0.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 77.99% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 96.9% mission · 3.1% management · 0.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 54.76% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 93.4% mission · 6.6% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 57.45% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$3,554,593

Expenses$3,334,692

Annual surplus $219,901 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$2,593,971 · 77.8% of expenses

Management and office costs$680,939 · 20.4% of expenses

Fundraising$59,782 · 1.8% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$3,554,593

Expenses$3,334,692

Assets$4,816,019

Income$3,769,276

Contributions$2,223,548

Mission work (program services)$2,593,971

Fundraising$59,782

Grants given$15,270,497

Average grant$2,181,500

Management and general$680,939

Stocks and bonds$1,944,427

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

JOURNEY GUNDERSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 8 hrs/week $61,911Base $38,289 · Other $23,622

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (10)

JOURNEY GUNDERSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CINDY ARONSONSECRETARY

GEORGE PANEBIANCOMEMBER

HOLLY SULLIVANVICE PRESIDENT

JEROME LEE YAWMEMBER

JON ALBROMEMBER

LOUIS DEPPASMEMBER

MICHAEL LATONETREASURER

SARAH DEMINKMEMBER

TOM BENSONPRESIDENT

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2002
Location: PO BOX 69 2 W 3RD STREET, JAMESTOWN, NY 14701
County: Chautauqua
In care of: TOM BENSON
Primary officer: TOM BENSON, PRESIDENT

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailinfo@lucy-desi.com Phone(716) 484-0800

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: NOVOGRADAC & COMPANY LLP
NTEE classification: Art Museums (A51)
IRS tax category: Art Museums
Grant-giving organization: Yes