LAUGHTER FOUNDATION FAQ

1. Administration
2. “Bored” Members
3. Where the Money Goes
4. How Do I, Steven Alan Green, Personally Benefit From The Laughter Foundation?
5. What Are The Foundation’s Future Programs?
6. How Can I Get Involved?

ADMINISTRATION

As we are a start-up, we are under the fiscal sponsorship of The Attic Theatre and Film Center in Culver City.  The Attic charges us 5% of all monies received to process donations legally through The Network for Good, which is similar to The United Way.

 The Attic has been a non-profit in good standing for 30 years. The late Patrick Swayze literally built the theatre brick by brick. The Attic’s Federal Tax ID Number is: 95-4473701. (A small part of the money raised will be used for our own 501(c)3 application.)  James Carey, the Chairman and Producing Artistic Director, has a Masters in Non-Profit and acts as our Advisor.  Without James’s help, we never woulda got this far.   Thank you, James…!

“BORED” MEMBERS

As a start-up, we can’t have an actual board just yet.  However; Comedian Friends of the foundation who have lent their name as potential board members include: Roseanne Barr*, Paul Provenza (creator The Aristocrats & Showtimes’ The Green Room), Kitty Bruce (daughter of Lenny and runs Lenny’s House & The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation), Kelly Carlin (writer, performer, radio show host & daughter of George), Rain Pryor (performer & daughter of Richard), Andy Marx (daughter of…I mean, screenwriter & grandson of Groucho).

*Note: Roseanne has gone AWOL again, but I keep her name up here because to some people, it’s impressive.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

Of every dollar raised through The Laughter Foundation…

1. 30% goes to replenish The Heckler Fund
2. 25% goes to COMEC
3. 20% goes towards producing fundraising benefits featuring stand-up comedians
4. 10% goes towards new program development
5. 5% goes towards office & administration (printing, postage, phone, etc.)
6. 5% goes towards our Fiscal Receiver, The Attic Theatre (this is actually “off the top” of every dollar)
7. 5% goes to Non-Volunteer Staff.

TO BE CLEAR: We need a business plan.  But, even that costs money.

HOW DO I, STEVEN ALAN GREEN, BENEFIT PERSONALLY FROM THE LAUGHTER FOUNDATION?

The answer: Three ways…

1. The great personal joy and satisfaction of being able to say I did something good for another comedian.
2. Financially: Although we’ve been operating on a “Starbucks budget,” we’ve gotten a lot done.  We’re basically an all-volunteer army.   From the lovely Jenny, who is our web-master, to Leanne who is helping with social networking, to the fantastic Liz Leshin, our professional Fundraising Consultant, all of us are working for free and just the love of a good idea.   When we are completely funded, then people will be adequately paid for their work, including myself, who will have a small salary as President of the foundation.   In addition, since I am first and foremost a comedian, if there’s ever a situation where I personally need money for a medical emergency, then conceivably (after a proper internal vetting process) I could personally benefit.   The one regular expenditure the foundation does provide me is my pay-as-you-go-phone, which is about $60/month.
3. It’s fucking fun!

WHAT ARE THE FOUNDATION’S FUTURE PROGRAMS?

1. National and International Laughter Day
2. Clown Care Unit(CCU) – Clowns for kids in hospitals
3. Senior Citizen Comedy Clubs – Comedy shows in retirement homes
4. The Laughter Institution – Long-term plan and augmentation of The Comedy Museum, to study laughter as a science, as well as the social  and geopolitical implications of comedy.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

If you’re a stand-up comedian, and you have a joke or routine

1. If you’re a stand-up comedian, and you have a joke or routine about Health Care, then email it to us and who knows….   Send link to: Vegas Joke
2. If you’re not a professional comedian (more like the office comedian) we can always use “volunteers and new ideers!”
3. If you’re Jerry Lewis, then just stay away this time please.