PNC Foundation: Grow Up Great Grant

The PNC Foundation's Grow Up Great Grant is a significant initiative aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for children from birth to age 5. With a commitment of $500 million, this program focuses on improving school readiness through support in vocabulary development, social-emotional learning, and the arts. By partnering with community-based nonprofits, PNC aims to foster stronger, smarter, and healthier communities, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.

NOTE: If you're interested in PNC Foundation funding, first please confirm that you meet our criteria before contacting the designated representative in your area.
Vision & Mission
For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.
The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.
PNC Grow Up Great is our signature program. It is a $500 million, multi-year, bilingual initiative that began in 2004 to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
As part of this initiative, the PNC Foundation has earmarked funds for grants to nonprofit organizations that work to improve school readiness by providing support in areas such as:

• vocabulary development; social-emotional learning; math; science; and the arts.

PNC supports eligible organizations, events and initiatives across the States, in the counties specified.

Application Details

PNC Grow Up Grant Eligibility Standards

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (51% or more) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant

eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and

• Include one or a combination of the following:
• o direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
• o professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
• o family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
• ▪ The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary building, the arts, financial education, or
• social/emotional development.
• The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the

organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.

• Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities, virtually or in-person.

Examples of What Meets PNC Grow Up Great Grant Eligibility Standards

• Classroom educational lesson(s) followed by a visit to a museum, science center, etc.
• Early childhood education outreach, program development and implementation (includes reasonable

administrative expenses related to a program)

• Professional development for existing early childhood education teachers, assistants, etc.
• Parent/community engagement activity including the Grow Up Great primary focuses referenced above
• Development of outdoor early learning environment (e.g., classroom, play space) with educational or arts-

based component
Examples of What Does Not Meet PNC Grow Up Great Grant Eligibility Standards

• Scholarships/tuition assistance for children to attend preschool
• Scholarships/tuition assistance for high school or college students or other adults who are studying early childhood

education but not yet working in the field

• Health or wellness initiatives, including mental health, vision or hearing screenings, anti-obesity efforts, learning

▪ Treatment for abused or neglected children

• Capital campaigns (e.g., equipment, building renovation) or operating expenses (e.g., teacher salaries)

▪ Pre-natal education visits or infant safety items

• Passes or memberships to cultural organizations. Exceptions may be granted for memberships to rotate throughout

parents within the early education center or for passes used as an incentive-based rewards program

• Fees or travel costs related to regional/national/international conferences or training
• Sponsorships or underwriting for charitable walks or galas
• Support for advocacy efforts or legislative action including lobbying, meetings with elected officials or staff, or

Quick Tips

• In the Funding Information section of the CyberGrants application, select Education as the “Funding Category” –

with Early Childhood Education then selected in the “Education Type” secondary drop-down field.

• Provide as much detail as possible on the budget breakout categories.
• Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI) requirements are required for PNC Grow Up Great (and CRA) eligibility. In the

“Project/Program Description” field in the Request Information section of the CyberGrants grant application please
include a clear description of how 51% or more of children supported are from LMI families. Further, supporting
documentation that demonstrates that 51% or more of the population served is LMI must also be uploaded.
o Examples of supporting LMI documentation: Head Start information; child care subsidy information (for
private providers); Free and Reduced Meals information (for public school districts); Medicaid information;
income statistics on families to show the % under 80% of Area Median Income (AMI); a mission statement
that clearly indicates a focus of supporting LMI children and families.

• Link to access the CyberGrants Grant Application: www.cybergrants.com/pncfoundation/application

Link to access the Eligibility Quiz: www.cybergrants.com/pncfoundation/eligibilityquiz