Comic Relief (U.S.)
/OVERVIEW: Comic Relief US is an American grantmaking organization that supports efforts to eliminate poverty in the United States and worldwide. It also supports disaster relief and refugee populations.
IP TAKE: This funder tends to prioritize larger, established organizations; however, it does fund the occasional smaller, local anti-poverty organization. International grant seekers may have more luck reaching out to Comic Relief’s U.K. counterpart, which has a more open and transparent application process while the U.S. branch doesn’t accept unsolicited proposals, making it a more closed funder. It’s unclear how U.S.-based grantees secure funding here other than being big and established with a recognizable name.
PROFILE: Established in 2015, Comic Relief US (also Comic Relief Inc.) is an independent sister organization of Comic Relief U.K. It was created to model the success of its British predecessor, which was launched on Christmas Day in 1985 by Richard Curtis, Jane Tewson and a group of friends to raise money for vulnerable populations in Africa and the UK. In addition to the name, the two organizations also share a mission: to use “the power of entertainment to drive positive change to help those who need it most.” Comic Relief US prioritizes support for poverty, homelessness, and vulnerable children worldwide.
In the U.K., Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day has been around since the late-1980s and according to the foundation’s website, “...has become something of a British institution.” In the UK, Red Nose Day is a six week long fundraising campaign ending with a seven-hour long televised marathon airing on the BBC. Inspired by its overseas partner’s successful fundraising tactic, organizers in the US launched their own Red Nose Day in 2014. The stateside version of the day is smaller scale. Nevertheless, in 2015, the inaugural Red Nose Day raised over $23 million that was divided among 12 charities located in the U.S. and abroad. In its first six years in the United States, it raised over $230 million and benefited nearly 25 million children. In addition to Red Nose Day, Comic Relief US also participated in several other significant fundraising campaigns, including Idol Gives Back in 2007 and Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief in 2017.
Comic Relief U.S. and Comic Relief U.K. should not be confused with the now defunct American charity, Comic Relief USA, which was active in the 1980s and 1990s with fundraising telethons that aired on HBO and were hosted by comedians Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Grants for Housing and Community Development, Global and Economic Development
Despite its lack of clearly defined funding programs, Comic Relief broadly supports organizations and projects that work to combat poverty and homelessness, especially as they impact vulnerable children everyday lives. The primary fundraising vehicles for Comic Relief’s antipoverty efforts are Red Nose Day and BA Flying Start, which is a partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief that benefits “children and young people at risk within the United States.” Past Grantees include Children’s Health Fund, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Feeding America, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, City Year, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Convenant House, and The GAVI Campaign.
Grants for Diseases
Comic Relief has made COVID-19 one of its top funding priorities, and in 2020, it organized a digital Red Nose Day, which “raised more than $32 million […] for the world's most vulnerable children affected by the COVID-19 crisis.” In particular, Comic Relief’s pandemic initiative supports organizations working to mitigate the negative impact of public school closures on low-income families due to the loss of essential services, including free or reduced meals, childcare, and extracurricular/afterschool activities.
Grantees include Save the Children, The Global Fund, Charity:Water, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Covenant House, Amref Health Africa, Children’s Health Fund, and Feeding America.
Important Grant Details:
Comic Relief grant amounts often range from $250,000 up to several million dollars. Unlike its U.K. counterpart, Comic Relief U.S. does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
