Bradley-Cleveland Public Education Foundation seeks more donors

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The Bradley-Cleveland Public Education Foundation wants to introduce itself to more people in the community.

From annual minigrants to classroom teachers to adding something extra for students and supporting local teachers seeking national certification, the foundation aids both school systems, Executive Director Lynn Voelz said.

The Cleveland and Bradley County school boards held their annual joint meeting last week to hear the foundation’s report.

“There’s a lot of potential,” Voelz told the boards. “Donors give because they are asked and because of who asks them. This is a universal truth in philanthropy.”

The majority of money donated to the foundation comes from its own board of trustees or from educators, Voelz said.

“Those who know us best are our greatest contributors,” Voelz said.

This year the foundation contributed $89,500 to the school systems, including 59 grants to 17 schools. It also acts as fiscal agent for several other grants. The past two years, 26 teachers have been funded for the first step toward national certification. Six teachers have completed paperwork and exams for full national certification, records show.

“I love going to the program each year and hearing the teachers talk about how they have used the money and hearing the students talk about it,” Cleveland school board Chairwoman Peggy Pesterfield said.

New to the foundation this year is estate giving. A comprehensive brochure from the Legacy Society of the foundation soon will be available at funeral homes and other area locations explaining the mechanism for making such gifts.