George Bantum is the CEO and Founder of Star Bright Donations, a nonprofit organization, dedicated to providing financial assistance to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Although Bantum didn’t attend an HBCU himself, his ties are strongly connected to the community, as his wife is a graduate of Hampton University.
Bantum, a graduate of Mercer University, saw an opportunity to make an impact in the African American community with Star Bright Donations. Here you can learn more about George Bantum at www.StarBrightDonations.org. –christian johnson
Why did you start this charity?
I always wanted to start a non-profit foundation. I had to think about who the target audience would be and being a person of color myself, I wanted to give back to the community. I wanted to leave a legacy and helping Historically Black Colleges and Universities was the perfect way. Star Bright Donations gives 70% of proceeds to HBCU’s. The donations help with financial aid, school improvements, and upgrading technology laboratories.
Who benefits from the program?
Proceeds from the auction will go to HBCU across the nation. The website gives celebs the opportunity to get on board and donate items that can be auctioned. At that point the celeb can say which school they want their proceeds to go. In cases where there isn’t a school preference, the person who wins the bid, can decide on a school.
How do you connect with celebrities to get involved?
We were lucky enough to partner with Angela of AW Media group. Through their connections, we were able to obtain high profile celebrities. Angela was able to provide information about Star Bright Donations, regarding what the program is about. Our program is set up to create a winning situation for everyone. Not only is the person getting a piece of a celebrity’s life but the proceeds are going to a great cause.
What is your biggest success story to date?
We have only been up and running since January. In this, our the first year, it’s not about revenue. It’s more so about getting the word out through various platforms. We’re only 3 months in, yet we’ve been able to get over a dozen celebs on board such as Akon, Egypt Sharrod, Lance Gross, Taraji P. Henson, and Taye Diggs.
