Stephen Colbert Gives Back to His Home State of South Carolina With $800,000 of Grant Funding

Stephen Colbert — known best for his comedy — has just put a smile on the faces of kids and teachers in his home state of South Carolina, but the reason why is no laughing matter. The future Late Show host announced this morning that he is partnering with Share Fair Nation and ScanSource to fund every existing grant request for South Carolina public schools on DonorsChoose.org — totaling a whopping $800,000.

The surprise announcement — live streamed from New York — was delivered directly to Alexander Elementary School in Greenville, SC, where 100 percent of the students are on free or reduced lunch. Colbert was joined by Damon Qualls, a teacher at the school who has had 126 projects funded through DonorsChoose.org.

The nearly 1,000 projects Colbert funded will help over 375 schools buy things like dodgeballs, books, and sensory therapy materials. Nobody's laughing now, Colbert!