Our mission is to spark joy and healing, one playful interaction at a time. Utilizing our talents as a highly-trained and diverse company of performing artists, we create moments of levity and healing, empowering patients and emboldening hope. We bring empathy, authenticity and therapeutic humor to pediatric hospitals, care facilities, schools and more, using laughter as an agent of hope and healing for children, families and seniors through the art of clowning, variety arts and the transformational power of laughter.
We believe that laughter and play are essential to people’s well being. Our vision is to contribute to the integrative health movement in the United States, which is working to turn healthcare environments into places that see patients as whole people and not just their diagnoses. We imagine a future where every pediatric unit has creative arts programming, including healthcare clown programs, as part of a comprehensive care approach. We are committed to bringing our therapeutic humor to people living with dementia, helping them access joy and experience a feeling of agency that they have often lost as their memory declines and people around them struggle to connect. We look to build programs where empathy, authenticity and playfulness are priorities of programs for adults living with memory decline.
Laughter League was founded by Tiffany Riley and Dick Monday, ("Slappy and Monday") life partners and performing partners for the past twenty years. During this time they have headlined at circuses and festivals worldwide including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, The Big Apple Circus, The Lone Star Circus, Hanneford Circus, and Circo Atayde. They created the clown troupe, The New York Goofs, Slappy's Puppet Playhouse, and the Funnyatrics Clown Program. Today, they can be found doing it all as The Laughter League and reaching thousands in need along the way. Tiffany is the author of the acclaimed book, Beyond the Red Nose: The Serious Business of Healthcare Clowning, which provides the first deep inside look into this professional world of healthcare clowning with first-hand poignant stories, overcoming challenges, and future plans in pediatrics and beyond.
Our integrated therapeutic healthcare clowning program reaches over 100,000 children and their families annually in the pediatric setting. Hospitalization is a scary and traumatic event for children. The toll illness takes on a family is tangible while stress and anxiety go hand in hand. Laughter League is devoted to bringing the healing and transformative power of laughter to pediatric patients across the United States. Research shows that laughter is a crucial component of the treatment protocol. Laughter League's Therapeutic Clowning program works to reduce the stress of patients, staff, and family members; empower patients to be involved in their own healing; aid hospital staff in difficult procedures; improve relationships between patients, family members, and providers. Additionally, our clowns partner with summer camps for children facing chronic medical conditions, bringing their unique comedic skills to the camp setting.
In 2024, we launched a new division of Laughter League which is called The Joy Family. This program takes our years of experience performing for seniors and combines it with the therapeutic approach we use with pediatrics to create meaningful and fun visits with seniors, and especially those living with dementia. The Joy Family programs focus on empowering residents by using humor and engagement as a healing agent. We are specifically hoping to use the funds we raise at North Texas Giving Day to launch the Joy Family in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.
Funding this year will support our Joy Family program for seniors living with dementia as well as expand our programming at Cook Children's Medical Center, Parkland Hospital and Camp John Marc in Meridian, TX.
Laughter League is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of the people we serve through the transformational power of laughter. We do this with our performance, education and outreach. We are known for our top-notch performers, our passionate outreach and our ability to impact audiences of all ages and walks of life. We are collaborators who find that working with teachers, medical staff and other theater groups is where the true magic lies. We have partnered with Bath House Cultural Center, Arts Mission Oak Cliff, Big Thought, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, The Dallas Children's Theatre, Galleria Dallas and the Texas Commission on the Arts. In health care, we have professional Healthcare Clown programs at Cook Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth, Parkland Burn Unit, Camp John Marc and at hospitals and senior centers in Boston, Providence, New York, Atlanta and Seattle.
We are seeking ongoing support for our pediatric healthcare clown programs at Parkland Memorial Burn Unit, Cook Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth and Camp John Marc. Additionally, we seek funds to launch our new program, The Joy Family, bringing therapeutic interactions based on music, levity and lightness to people living with dementia.
We value listening, connection, and empowering those whose voices are less heard. Laughter League values a collaborative work approach throughout the organization, from performers working together in duos in the hospital to the way that the administrative team works together. In the hospital and in memory care facilities we do this through play, but we also hold these values in our more serious interactions with our colleagues.
Laughter League believes that building and sustaining an inclusive and diverse culture is essential to our hospital clown programs. We believe that diversity brings strength.
Diversity - Equity - Inclusion - Belonging
Laughter League acknowledges the vital importance of dismantling systemic barriers and promoting a culture of anti-racism. These efforts are crucial in fostering a sense of belonging creating an inclusive and supportive environment where our Hospital Clowning programs can truly make a positive impact on the lives of those we work with and serve.
We actively seek out and engage artists and partners from diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and abilities. We reject stereotypes, stigmas, and discrimination based on disability and advocate for equal access to quality healthcare, as well as access to the performing arts, for all. Our work is to create opportunities that dismantle barriers and empower individuals from underrepresented communities to thrive in the hospital clowning industry.
To deepen our commitment, Laughter League engages in ongoing DEIB education, training, and open dialogue and action recognizing the importance of addressing systemic racism and challenging bias and prejudice. We actively encourage an environment where courageous conversations are embraced and welcomed. Our organization’s goal is to become a living example of the diverse communities we serve, actively working towards a more equitable and just society where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Organization name
Laughter League
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$250,000 - $499,999
Counties Served
Dallas, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American, Other
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Address
Sammons Center for the Arts, 3630 Harry Hines Blvd. Sa