Skip to main content
Filer image
Filer image

As you consider your charitable giving before December 31, we want to share our heartfelt gratitude for the generosity you’ve shown East Tennessee PBS over the years. Your support has kept trusted programs, children’s education, and vital community services strong for families across our region.

If you are age 73 or older, you are required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your IRA each year. Many donors choose to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly from their IRA to a nonprofit like East Tennessee PBS. A QCD counts toward your RMD, is excluded from your taxable income, and can be a tax-smart way to support the programs and values you care about.

We also want to make sure you’re aware of significant tax changes ahead. Beginning in 2026, several provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are scheduled to expire. When that happens:

  • The standard deduction will decrease, meaning fewer households will itemize charitable gifts and receive a tax benefit.
  • The estate and Gift Tax Exemption will be cut roughly in half, reducing the advantages of charitable contributions made through estate planning.
  • In short, charitable donations will remain deductible, but the tax benefits to you — and the overall impact for the organizations you care about — will likely be reduced.

That’s why making your gift in 2025 has even greater significance 
— both for you and for the community.

For East Tennessee PBS, the timing could not be more critical. We have already lost nearly a third of our federal funding, yet the need for trusted, accessible programming has never been greater. With your continued generosity, we can provide:

  • Educational programming for children that sets them on a path to lifelong learning.
  • Workforce development initiatives like Jobs Explained, Job Pop!, and Chip Kids that prepare young Tennesseans for the future.
  • Trusted information and local stories that inform, connect, and reflect our region.
  • Vital emergency alerts that keep our communities safe.

We are deeply grateful for the role you play in making all of this possible. By making your gift before December 31 — whether through a QCD, a direct gift, or another method — you maximize your charitable impact and help ensure East Tennessee PBS remains strong in 2026 and beyond.

You can learn more about ways to give at www.EastTennesseePBS.org or contact me directly at bshipley@easttennesseepbs.org.