Stephen Colbert is nationally recognized for his biting wit and satire. The comedian is less widely known for his vast philanthropic work, which in the past has benefited organizations advocating for human rights, autism research, and injured veterans, among other causes.
The late night comedian — who stepped down from Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” at the end of 2014 to begin hosting the “Late Show” this fall — just announced that he would fund every grant request from South Carolina public school teachers that are currently posted on the DonorsChoose.org website. Colbert is a native of South Carolina.
“I’m so excited to announce we are funding all 1,000 South Carolina projects on DonorsChoose.org today,” said Colbert. “DonorsChoose.org makes it so easy to have an impact and connect directly with the teachers and students you’re helping.”
The $800,000 donation will support nearly 1,000 projects from 800 teachers across the state. The grants will benefit over 375 schools.
Colbert made the announcement at a New York conference that was hosted by the DonorsChoose.org crowdfunding website. The website — which connects teachers with donors — hosted the projects that will be funded through the Colbert donation.
“I was completely shocked,” said Damon Qualls, a teacher at Alexander Elementary School in Greenville, South Carolina. “This means so much to the teachers and students in South Carolina. What you’ve done by funding these projects will make such a difference in the classroom.”
Colbert is a member of the DonorsChoose.org Board of Directors. He raised the funds by auctioning off his desk and set pieces from the “Colbert Report” before the show ended.
