PNC Grow Up Great® Early Childhood Education Initiative

PNC believes that it’s never too early to invest in a child’s future – because when they thrive, the future becomes even brighter. Understanding that the first five years represent one of the most critical times in a child’s life, when experts say up to 90% of a child’s brain develops, PNC Grow Up Great is a proactive investment in high-quality early childhood education.

In 2004, PNC decided to put its philanthropic focus behind a signature cause to make the greatest possible difference and asked its employees what mattered most to them. The answer was clear: children and education. That led to the launch of PNC Grow Up Great, the company’s signature philanthropic initiative. The company learned that achievement gaps between children without access to early education and more advantaged peers start to appear long before kindergarten and those gaps tend to persist throughout life, becoming difficult and costly to close. Children who attend high-quality preschool programs have higher graduation rates, employment and annual income than those who do not, which can mean better physical and mental health, increased civic engagement and a healthier society overall.

PNC Grow Up Great was created with the commitment to help prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school and in life. Through a comprehensive approach of awareness, advocacy, grantmaking and volunteerism, the program has reached more than 10 million children through grants and educational programming and provided $270 million in grants to nonprofits to advance high-quality early childhood education. More than a corporate initiative, it’s a holistic commitment, and employees are given the time and resources to play a part with up to 40 hours of paid volunteer time per year; since 2004, they’ve contributed more than 1.2 million volunteer hours to PNC Grow Up Great and earned volunteer grants for organizations based on their hours.

Because PNC is a bank, not an early childhood education provider, the initiative has collaborated from the start with education experts at the local and national level, such as developing free bilingual resources with Sesame Workshop, collaborating with Fred Rogers Productions and local public television stations for Be My Neighbor Days. The initiative has also funded studies from the National Institute for Early Education Research, and has awarded more than $20 million since 2017 through DonorsChoose to help Head Start and public preschool teachers provide resources and experiences for their students.

• Leverage the experts: Identify the highest-quality experts in the field you’re working to support and explore partnership opportunities. Consider the creation of an Advisory Council of these experts to help inform strategic priorities and guide the program.
• Look for where you can make a difference: When PNC Grow Up Great began in 2004, early childhood education was not an area of philanthropic focus at many large companies, nor was its impact on a child’s lifetime trajectory, the economy or society broadly understood. Consider where your investment can make the greatest possible impact.
• Engage employees holistically: Provide employees with the time and resources to get involved, such as PNC’s generous 40 hours of paid volunteer time per year and Grants for Great Hours program. This heightens the impact and fosters employee engagement.