PNC Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The PNC Foundation supports education, community development and arts and culture in geographic areas served by its parent banking company.
IP TAKE: Past grantees describe the PNC Foundation as “friendly,” “responsive,” and “open-minded.” Grantmaking is, however, limited to specific counties in 24 states and Washington, D.C.—areas served by the parent foundation’s parent bank. With the exception of a few grantee partnerships with large national organizations, this funder gives to small nonprofits that have strong impact on their local communities.
This funder runs separate application programs for its Grow Up Great and Arts Alive grants. All other grantmaking is state specific, and the foundation provides contact information for representatives in each of the 24 states and Washington, D.C. where it operates. Read directions closely since eligibility and due dates vary by program.
PROFILE: Established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1970, the PNC Foundation works with nonprofit organizations in geographic areas served by its parent banking corporation, including 24 states and Washington, D.C. PNC aims to “enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.” In addition to its signature Grow Up Great and Arts Alive programs, this funder awards foundation grants in the areas of education, housing and work and opportunity.
Grants for Early Childhood Education
PNC’s early childhood education funding stems from its signature Grow Up Great program and its foundation grants. Grow Up Great generally works with established partners such as Sesame Workshop and the National Head Start Association to “provide innovative opportunities that assist families, educators and community partners to enhance children’s learning and development.” This initiative prioritizes bilingual children and underserved communities. PNC’s foundation grants are directed toward organizations serving low- and moderate-income communities and prioritize early math, science and arts programs for children from birth to age five. Funded programs include direct services, teacher development, family engagement and volunteer opportunities for employees of the foundation’s parent company. Recent early childhood grantees include Detroit’s Say and Play with Words program, children’s programming at the South Carolina Aquarium and the Bilingual Preschool of Charlotte in North Carolina.
Grants for K-12 Education
While the main focus of PNC’s education philanthropy is early childhood education, this foundation has given to private and charter K-12 schools. Recent grantees include Fayette County Public Schools in Kentucky, St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, Virginia; the University School of Huntington Valley, Ohio; St. Albans School of Washington, D.C. and the United Schools Network, which operates elementary and middle schools in Columbus, Ohio.
Grants for Higher Education
PNC does not name higher education as an area of grantmaking interest, but a significant portion of its grantmaking has gone to public and private colleges and universities in the U.S. The foundation does not outline goals for its giving in this area. Past grantees include Villanova University, Kansas State University, Ohio State University, Canisius College and the University of Illinois.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
PNC’s housing grants stem from its economic opportunity grantmaking initiatives, which prioritizes affordable housing for low- and middle-income individuals, financial counseling for home ownership and transitional housing for homeless and recently homeless families. Housing grants have gone mainly to local chapters of the United Way, including chapters in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Chicago and Southeast Michigan.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
Work and opportunity represent a smaller area of funding for PNC. Areas of focus include entrepreneurship, job skills training and low-cost loans for small businesses. Grants have gone to organizations including Dress for Success, the Alvis House Workforce Development Certification Program in Columbus, Ohio and Christian Community in Action, which runs a career training center in Cary, North Carolina.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The PNC Foundation established its arts initiative, Arts Alive, in 2009. The initiative supports arts and culture initiatives that benefit the communities served by its parent company. The program periodically selects different geographic areas as the focus of its grantmaking. Past grantees include the Columbus Museum of Art, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Florida, the Clay Studio of Philadelphia and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Important Grant Details:
The PNC Foundation made close to $65 million in grants in a recent year. Grants are generally made in amounts up to $50,000 but have been larger in a few cases. While the foundation maintains some ongoing relationships with large national organizations, many of its grantees are small organizations that have a strong impact on the communities they serve. Grants generally provide general operating support. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent tax filings.
PNC maintains separate application procedures for its Grow Up Great, Arts Alive and its other foundation grants. The Grow Up Great program runs an ongoing online application system with guidelines linked to the foundation’s webpage. Arts Alive focuses on organizations operating in specific geographic regions and posts regional guidelines and application materials on the initiative’s webpage. All other grantmaking is state specific, with eligibility quizzes and contact information listed for each state and Washington, D.C., on the foundation’s web page. General inquiries should also be made to state-specific foundation contacts.
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