United Way of Central Ohio to receive nearly $253,000 for Success by Third Grade program
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2023 -- The PNC Foundation announced that it is awarding more than $543,000 in grants to support a range of high-quality early childhood education and elementary education programs across central Ohio.
The grant funding is designed to support the specific needs of pre-K learners and elementary students by providing community-based educational experiences for families with young children or professional learning and skill development for current or future early childhood educators.
“Empowering society’s youngest minds is the best investment a bank can make,” said Mary Auch, PNC regional president for Columbus. “As a national main street bank, we recognize that we have an important role to play in helping to ensure that all children have the opportunity to acquire and strengthen the skills they need to succeed so that our communities prosper.”
Thirteen organizations are receiving one-year grants, for a total of $297,000, through the PNC Foundation as part of PNC Grow Up Great®, the bilingual, $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
The PNC Foundation also announced it awarded nearly $253,000 to the United Way of Central Ohio to support its Success by Third Grade program. The initiative, now in its third year, aims to provide resources and access to programs that will help students thrive and set them up for success during the more formative years of their education.
The full roster of PNC Grow Up Great grant recipients includes:
- Columbus Early Learning Centers
- COSI
- Easterseals Central & Southeast Ohio
- Final Third Foundation
- Franklin Park Conservatory
- Homes for Families
- Jazz Arts Group
- Local Matters
- Momentum-Excellence Inc
- ProMusica Chamber Orchestra
- The Works Ohio Center of History, Art & Technology
- WOSU
- YMCA of Central Ohio
YWCA of Central Ohio was also awarded a separate grant to support a much-needed renovation to its playground space at the YWCA Family Center. This project will fulfill a critical need for a high-quality and age-appropriate play area for children in the organization’s Safe & Sound childcare service.
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.
CONTACT:
Craig Friedman
(614) 463-6647 (office)
(614) 558-1567 (mobile)
craig.friedman@pnc.com
