The Chicago Festival Association is the 501(c)(4) non-profit that produces the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade. We are entirely funded by sponsorship, and do not receive any grants from private institutions to put together this parade.
The Chicago Clown Corps is a new project, based off of similar projects done by other parades around the country. Membership is not tax-deductible, but we want to tell you where the money goes from joining. It truly makes a difference in the quality of parade.
There is a significant cost in putting on the parade. The proceeds of this program go into setting off the high costs, which a non-profit in an economic troubling time needs all the help it can get. Keep in mind, whether its city services or helium, portable restroom rental of marketing, there are a lost of costs involved in producing a three-hour entertainment extravanganza.
Please note, if you are using Clown Corps memberships as a team-building exercise, you may be able to consider memberships as a “team building expense.”