SUPPORT US
As a small private school, we depend on the support of our generous community. There are many ways that you can help Brilliant Star thrive, and every little bit makes a big difference!
donate or
fundraise
Donate money or host a fundraiser in support or Brilliant Star. We are a registered non-profit organization and contributions are tax deductible as permitted by law.
donate your
etc
You pay taxes anyway, but by donating ETCs (Education Tax Credits) you can decide where that tax money goes. It's simple!
volunteer
Your skills
Due to COVID-19 restrictions we are not able to have volunteers inside the classrooms at this time, but there may be other projects that you could help with.
join the
pta
The Parent Teacher Association is an important component in the long-term success of Brilliant Star.
Make an ETC Donation!
ETCs (Educational Tax Credits) are a great way to support the school because the money you donate – ALL OF IT – comes directly to us rather than the government! We can then use that money to do all kinds of great things for our students and school, such as repairing the leaky roofs on several of the classroom buildings.
You can make an ETC donation, up to $5000 per individual, if you own your own business or if you pay individual Chapter 2 taxes. It’s simple, and it’s money that you would have paid in taxes anyway, but this way YOU get to decide exactly where it goes. It's a no-brainer. Every tax payer should be doing this!
If you have friends or family who would like to donate their ETC as well, we’d love to have them! They do NOT need to have students in this school.
Here’s how it works for business owners:
If you own your own business, instead of paying your Business Gross Revenue Tax (BGRT) to the CNMI government this month (or quarter) you can instead pay the school and get a dollar for dollar credit on your taxes. If you give your BGRT total to the school, up to $5,000 a year, we will hand you a receipt that you can give to CNMI Tax and Revenue to be credited to your BGRTs. Doing this costs you and your business NOTHING! It simply gives your BGRT to the school rather than the government.
Example scenario for business owners: If you owe $1,200 for your BGRTs for the month of December, you can pay that $1,200 with a check, cash or credit card to Brilliant Star School. We will issue you a receipt including your tax ID number, which you will then turn into the CNMI Tax and Revenue office, the same place you pay your BGRT, and your BGRT payment to the CNMI will be zero for that month or quarter.
Here’s how it works for individuals:
If you’d like to donate your Chapter 2 CNMI taxes, choose an amount that is up to the amount of Chapter 2 taxes you have paid for the year ($5,000 maximum). Pay that amount to the school by December 31st. File your taxes as you usually would and include your ETC donation in your calculations of your tax bill. You will get a credit for your ETC as part of your tax refund.
Example scenario for individuals: Let’s say you paid $2,850 in Chapter 2 tax so far this year and you want to donate all of that to Brilliant Star. Come to the school and make a payment for $2,850. We will give you a receipt with your social security number on it. You include that receipt with your tax return and submit it to the government when you do your taxes. You will get the money given as an ETC back in your refund check.
NOTE:
The ETC payments we receive this year are going directly to our “Raise the Roof” fundraiser to replace the leaky roofs on our 6 buildings this summer. Each roof will cost about $17,000. Every dollar counts! So whether you are able to give $50 or $5,000, it will bring us closer to our goal!
If you’d like to donate, just send us an email to arrange a time that you can come in.