Create a legacy gift today to secure your future impact

Legacy Giving

Rodney and Margo Fitzgerald

“Our professional careers were in education. We have continued to support public education through awards and annual contributions. We want our legacy to be one of continued support. With this estate gift to BCPEF, education will continue to be part of our lives even after our deaths. We want to ensure that funding is available to support this foundationally important component in our community.“

Ron and Mary Braam

“As owners of a chemical manufacturing company, we have witnessed the daily impact of education on our employees’ potential for success. A significant portion of our annual charitable giving is dedicated to education. The future financial requirements of public education will only continue to grow, and thus, our legacy giving will become even more critical. We want exceptional public education to continue building successful lives and communities, so please join us in making a gift to BCPEF through your estate plan.“

Why Include BCPEF In Your Estate Plan

The vision and mission of Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation is to forge well-educated, productive citizens, building a stronger and more prosperous community. This is ensured through strategic support of innovative public education, achieving measurable academic success for all students.

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Personalize The Impact of Your Legacy

You can support your alma mater for years to come through BCPEF. As the 501(c)(3) for Bradley County and Cleveland City Schools, your legacy gift to BCPEF can be designated to support the school of your choice.
Learn More About The Ways to Give

Ways to give

Trusts and Bequests

Bequests allow you to leave a specific amount or percentage of your estate to BCPEF.

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Beneficiary designations

Designate BCPEF as a beneficiary to support future generations of students.

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More information on how to give

BCPEF Contact Information

Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: (423) 476-0034
Principle Business Address:
Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation
833 N Ocoee St
Cleveland, TN 37311
Mailing address:
Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation
PO Box 4354
Cleveland, Tennessee 37320

Specifics for Including BCPEF

Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation, a non-profit corporation designated 501(c)(3) by the IRS, organized and existing under the laws of the State of Tennessee
EIN: 20-0585134
Principle Business Address:
Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation
833 N Ocoee St
Cleveland, TN 37311
Mailing address:
Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation
PO Box 4354
Cleveland, Tennessee 37320

Charitable Bequests Provided in Your Will

A Simple, Powerful Way to Give: Your Will or Trust
One of the most meaningful and straightforward ways to make a lasting gift is by including the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation (BCPEF) in your will or revocable living trust.
This type of gift, known as a charitable bequest, allows you to designate a portion of your estate to support our mission after your lifetime. It is a flexible option that allows you to provide for your loved ones first and still make a significant charitable impact.

Flexible Giving Options to Match Your Goals
You can structure your bequest in a way that best suits your financial and family goals. Common options include:
A Specific Dollar Amount: Designate a fixed amount to be given to BCPEF.
A Percentage of Your Estate: Gift a specific percentage of your estate’s total value, which adjusts with your estate’s value over time.
A Gift of the Remainder: Designate a portion or all of the “remainder” of your estate after all debts, expenses, and gifts to loved ones have been fulfilled.

Submit our Bequest Notification Form Here

Beneficiary Designations

What is a Beneficiary Designation?
A beneficiary designation is a straightforward way to name a person or organization (like BCPEF) to receive an asset directly upon your passing. This instruction is made directly with the financial institution that holds the asset, and it operates independently of your Will.
Because you can change your beneficiaries at any time, this giving method is highly flexible, allowing you to retain full control of your assets during your lifetime while still planning for a future gift.

Tax-Smart Advantage
Gifting assets through a beneficiary designation can be one of the most tax-efficient ways to give. When heirs inherit retirement plan assets (like an IRA or 401(k)), they must pay income taxes on those distributions. However, as a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BCPEF receives the full amount of your gift, tax-free. This means 100% of your generous donation goes to the charity you wish to support.

Four Simple Steps to Make Your Gift
Step 1: Request the Form
Contact the administrator of your retirement plan, insurance policy, or bank account for a “Change of Beneficiary” form. Most are available to download online.
Step 2: Name BCPEF
Designate the “Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation” as a full, partial, or contingent beneficiary. You will need our legal information
– Legal Name: Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation
– Tax ID Number (EIN): 20-0585134
– Address: 833 N Ocoee St, Cleveland, TN 37311
Step 3: Return the Form
Sign and return the form to your plan administrator.
Step 4: Notify BCPEF
Submit the Notification Form to let us know of your generosity.

Gifts of Appreciated Assets

Donating appreciated assets is a simple way to make a sizable gift to BCPEF while avoiding capital gains taxes on the appreciation providing an income tax deduction in the year of the gift.

Contact Us to start the proccess.

Gifts of Stock and Real Estate:
Gifts of long-term appreciated stock, mutual funds or real estate offer an easy and tax-efficient way to make a lasting contribution to BCPEF, sustaining the mission of BCPEF while avoiding capital gains tax and reducing federal income tax.
In general, when a person sells an appreciated asset, he or she must recognize capital gain on the sale of such property. If, instead, you gift the Securities or Real Estate to BCPEF, you will avoid the capital gain, and also be entitled to take a charitable deduction on your federal income tax return, potentially saving in federal income taxes and in state taxes as well. To ensure you are entitled to receive the most beneficial tax treatment, please contact us or your tax/legal advisors BEFORE you sell your securities.

Gifts of Tangible Personal Property:
As with gifts of stock and real estate, a donor will be entitled to a deduction as a result of a contribution of personal property to BCPEF. The deduction would be based on whether the item donated is related to our mission. If the gift you make is used in furthering our mission, you will receive a charitable deduction for income tax purposes for the full fair-market value of the property donated. But if you decide to give us artwork, jewelry, or other non-mission related property, you receive an income tax charitable deduction equal to your cost basis in the asset (typically the amount you paid for the property).

Life Income Gifts

A Life Income Gift is a highly effective way to contribute assets to BCPEF, while allowing you, the donor, to keep an income for yourself and others for the remainder of your life, their lives or a fixed term of years.

To create a Life Income Gift, make an irrevocable gift of cash, securities or real estate to BCPEF, and in return, receive an income (fixed or variable, depending on the option you choose). After your lifetime and/or the lifetime(s) of other designated beneficiaries, the remaining balance of your gift would be used to support the mission of BCPEF. Your age, assets, and income objectives will help to determine the best type of Life Income Gift.

Note: Contact your attorney or financial planner for assistance in establishing a life income gift.

Charitable Lead Trusts

A Charitable Lead Trust is an excellent way to give an immediate gift to Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation while ultimately transferring assets to your loved ones.

If you have a sizable estate, wish to avoid taxes, and your heirs are generally taken care of for the foreseeable future, yet you wish to provide them with a substantial inheritance after your lifetime, a Charitable Lead Trust may be the right planned giving option for you. A Charitable Lead Trust is an excellent way to give an immediate gift to BCPEF while ultimately transferring assets to your loved ones — often with significantly reduced gift and estate taxes.

Note: There are a variety of requirements that must be considered in establishing a Charitable Trust to provide the tax advantages. Contact your attorney or financial planner for assistance in establishing a Charitable Trust.

*Please be advised that Bradley/Cleveland Public Education Foundation (BCPEF) is not a tax or legal advisor. The information included in this website should not be construed as tax or legal advice. BCPEF does not intend to suggest that any of the strategies contained herein are suitable for the reader. Further, anyone intending to execute any of the strategies contained in this website should seek the advice of a competent tax or legal advisor before so doing.