National Comedy Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
412030241
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Jamestown, NY, USA
Phone
7164840800
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Art Museums

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,554,593
Expenses
$3,334,692
Assets
$4,816,019
Liabilities
$6,966,987

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HOLLY SULLIVAN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • TOM BENSON (PRESIDENT)
  • JOURNEY GUNDERSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOURNEY GUNDERSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $215,067 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

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 ball's 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 museum's mission was broadened with the opening of the nearby national comedy center, which operates in fulfillment of lucille ball's vision that her hometown become a destination for the celebration of comedyin 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.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lucille ball comedy festival. The program celebrates the comedic arts and showcases talent from around the country. Visitors come together to share laughter while honoring the craft and comedic talent showcased.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 68% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 48% for direct work, and 52% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.8%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $37.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.2%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.44; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.45; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.8% of revenue deployed · 77.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $215K · 10 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.