Sacramento Comedy Spot is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Sacramento’s first comedy theater featuring improv, stand-up, and sketch comedy shows and classes. The Comedy Spot also produces original videos, short films, and comedy-related events, and is Northern California’s largest comedy school.
Our mission is to provide a third space, beyond home and work, where people can connect to one another, escape adulting, be creative, and celebrate each others’ diverse backgrounds and stories. The Comedy Spot celebrates otherness and aims to connect people through classes, shows, and events. We want to inspire students and performers to challenge themselves, make a statement, and tell their story through comedy.
The Comedy Spot was born out of a desire to provide a home to comedians who felt alienated by conventional comedy clubs. What initially served as a sanctuary for improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up grew into a place where every misfit comedian can find acceptance, encouragement, and support; a place to create and thrive, where outcasts are celebrated. Now, we are a community of close to 200 performers, volunteers, and instructors who want to make a small difference in this world by making people laugh.
Our fans come first. We don’t believe in “two-drink minimums” and ticketing fees. Without you, the Comedy Spot wouldn't have a place in our community. We are dedicated to treating you like part of our comedy family, not just another customer passing through.
The fundamental principles of the Comedy Spot revolve around our students, performers, and fans. We want to give our students support and a place to learn and thrive. We want to empower performers to express themselves authentically. We want to provide fans with not just exceptional comedy performances, but unforgettable experiences. We endeavor to develop shows and classes that resonate with a wide spectrum of audiences, embracing diverse backgrounds and narratives.
Sacramento Comedy Spot began in 2001 with Brian Crall and a group of 20-something theater kids creating a sketch comedy group named The Free Hooch Comedy Troupe. They played all around Sacramento from 2001 to 2007, proving that alternative comedy could be successful in cities outside of New York, Chicago, and L.A.
Based on the success of Free Hooch and the need for a venue allowing sketch and improv, Brian Crall and Ron Dumonchelle opened Sacramento Comedy Spot on Broadway in 2005. In 2009, the Comedy Spot moved to 20th Street in Midtown.
In 2014, we expanded with a one-room annex location on J Street, the Comedy Spot Lab. This addition housed improv and sketch classes, which had quickly outgrown its small room at the main theater.
In 2015, the Sacramento Comedy Foundation nonprofit was formed for us to have a stronger impact on our community and the people of Sacramento. Its purpose was to create programs that would entertain, support, help, inspire, and bring people together. In 2016, Brian Crall and Ron Dumonchelle donated the the Comedy Spot to the Foundation.
In 2017, we closed our J Street annex and re-emerged at a larger space called the Comedy Spot Training Center, on T Street. This space is shared with and rented to us by The Center, another regional nonprofit organization. The training center afforded us additional classroom space to accommodate more courses and students.
In 2019, Sacramento Comedy Foundation was renamed Sacramento Comedy Spot to avoid confusion and to help keep the focus on our programs and goals. We participated in Big Day of Giving for the first time, experimenting with new possibilities in livestream technology. This form of media allowed the Comedy Spot to expand our audience reach outside Sacramento.
In 2020, we battled to keep the Comedy Spot open in the midst of closures during COVID-19. Despite setbacks, we expanded the number of our supporters. We learned how to write grants, crucial to our survival during that time. We launched our livestreaming network, debuting extensively during Big Day of Giving, with 24 hours of continuous content. We also temporarily opened an outdoor stage in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021.
In 2021, after 16 months of closure, our theater re-opened to the public and we welcomed students back to our training center. With development by Brian Crall, we also introduced the Helix improv form to the world.
In 2023, we re-booted our drop-in class, Improv Taste Test, added more classes to our schedule than ever before, eliminated ticket fees, and brought back special events like WEIRD • STRANGE • BIZARRE.
So far in 2024, we launched our new Discord Fan Server, added a ton of new shows to our schedule, and are planning a series of mini comedy festivals for the summer and fall.
We are working hard every day to be a leader in the Sacramento comedy scene. With your help, we hope to keep Sacramento laughing for years to come!
Our mission is to make Sacramento laugh. Sacramento Comedy Spot aims to educate and inspire everyone to challenge themselves, make a statement, and tell their story through improv, stand-up, sketch, and film. We support, encourage, and promote diversity and inclusion within our walls and throughout the greater Sacramento community. We create unique, comedy-related events, shows, and classes that connect people of all backgrounds through laughter.
Sacramento Comedy Spot is requesting unrestricted funds to help bring old and new fans to the Comedy Spot!
Our goal for 2024 is to expand our class offerings and to create mini comedy festivals to celebrate all things comedy- all year long.
We are also committed to creating memorable moments, entertaining our fans at every step, improving all of our classes, shows, and services, and spreading fun across Sacramento and beyond.
We are also seeking seed money to begin a capital campaign that will result in owning a new location that maximizes our potential and ensures our sustainability, what we are calling Comedy Spot 3.0.
It is our goal to have one facility that can house all of our operations under one roof. This includes offices, a main stage, secondary student stage, classrooms, collaboration rooms, a green room next to the stage, and a professional tech booth.
We are always in need of office supplies, cleaning supplies, and volunteers to help on the weekends.
Equity Statement
Sacramento Comedy Spot encourages and promotes diversity and inclusion in everything we do, from classes to our board, so that we can truly connect people with different backgrounds and stories through comedy.
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Organization Data
Summary
Organization name
Sacramento Comedy Spot
Year Established 0
2005
Tax id (EIN)
47-3441374
Mission Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Operating Budget
$250,001-$500,000
Organization Need
Funding: Unrestricted, Funding: Program, In-Kind Donations, Funding: Other