Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does ChiliFest benefit any one person
directly?
A: No. All the proceeds from ChiliFest go directly to the
Minnesota Rett Syndrome Research Association and the Mankato Veterans
Memorial Place. No individual receives proceeds from ChiliFest.
Q: Are my contributions tax-deductible?
A: Mankato Area Concerns of Special Needs and Public Servants (SNAPS), a
Minnesota registered non-profit corporation, is the organization which
sponsors and supports ChiliFest. At this time, SNAPS is seeking
(but has not yet been designated) tax-exempt status under IRS
section 501c3. Donors are advised to contact their personal tax
advisor for guidance regarding this matter.
Q: How is the judging done?
A: Firstly, ChiliFest is not any kind of "officially sanctioned"
chili cook-off. It is a fun, friendly competition for
"bragging rights." We select judges from the area with
some notoriety ("celebrities"), which usually includes members
of the media, local politicians, and community leaders.
The judges are asked to rate each chili on a scale of 1-10,
based on their impression of it. The scores of the judges
are totaled, and then the three highest scores win.
Q: How is the People's Choice award
selected?
A: People's Choice winner is selected by counting the number of
People's Choice voting tickets placed in a competitor's
container. A voting ticket is attached to each admission
ticket, so the idea is that each paying customer gets to vote
for their favorite.