Dear Editor,

The Funniest Celebrity in Washington Contest is a hallmark event in our nation’s capital.  Every year, A-list celebrities leave their comfort zone and grab a microphone for a stand-up comedy routine.  Of course, this is all done in the name of charity.
 
For the vast majority of the shows, the partner charities have walked away with sizeable donations, including the $100,000 given to WAVE in 2003.  Our partner charities sign a contract saying that their fundraising goal is $20,000.  Their efforts are backed by our organization’s fundraising committee, which has a proven track record of success in Washington.
 
Over the past several years, there has been an unfortunate disconnect between the quality of the show and the fundraising outcome, which was outlined in detail in the Sept. 29 edition.  I understand that an observer can look at five years of no donations to charities and vilify us, but each instance had unique circumstances, while the most any charity brought into the event was $800, a far cry from the contracted $20,000.  Which such a lack between budgeted income and actual income, the event lost money on hard costs for several years.
 
Our ongoing policy has been to reduce costs each year and I am proud to announce that over the past five years we have reduced our operating budget by $40,000.  
 
With these reductions, including a several thousand dollar reduction this year, existing sponsorships and ticket sales have covered all costs; therefore, all new ticket sale and sponsor money will go directly to our charitable partner, StandUp For Kids.
 
We are excited about tonight’s show and expect a great crowd of celebrities and attendees at the Improv.  
 
Richard Siegel
CEO, Funniest Celebrity Charitable Fund, Inc.