PNC Foundation Flash Funds Nearly $2 Million in Preschool Teacher Requests Through DonorsChoose
PITTSBURGH, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / The PNC Foundation today continued its longtime alliance with DonorsChoose by flash funding every pre-K and Head Start teacher request in PNC's markets.
Across 30 states and Washington D.C., today's flash fund fulfilled 3,054 teacher requests that had been posted on DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that connects individual donors with public school classrooms. It supported 88,601 pre-K and Head Start students, for a total of $1.96M in classroom dreams brought to life.
The flash fund kicked off Great Month at PNC, which the company celebrates each April to raise awareness of PNC Grow Up Great® and the importance of high-quality early childhood education. Launched in 2004, the $500 million, bilingual initiative supports programs, resources and experiences that help to prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school and life.
"There's no better way to kick off Great Month at PNC than to help teachers obtain the classroom resources they need," said Sally McCrady, chair and president of PNC Foundation. "Through our work with DonorsChoose, which has ranged from flash funds to matching donations to providing all 61,000+ PNC employees with gift codes to donate to a classroom project of their choice, we can make a direct impact on pre-K teachers' ability to help their students reach their fullest potential."
PNC Foundation to Match Donations to Pre-K and Head Start Requests
Following the flash fund today, the PNC Foundation will also match, dollar for dollar, donations that support pre-K and Head Start projects listed on DonorsChoose in the PNC footprint, subject to restrictions and a maximum dollar amount. The match is designed to encourage others to help support preschool programs in public or charter schools and Head Start classrooms. The duration of the match campaign depends on the number of project requests and donations; for specific guidelines, visit donorschoose.org.
Expanding the Impact for Early Childhood Educators
The PNC Foundation's support of DonorsChoose began in April 2017 with an initial flash fund of $504,000, which fulfilled 849 teacher requests in public and charter pre-K classrooms in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Since then, the PNC Foundation has funded over $14 million in pre-K and Head Start projects, supporting nearly 60,000 teacher requests across the company's footprint.
The PNC Foundation's initial grant funding to support pre-K classrooms in 2017 enabled DonorsChoose to expand its education funding platform to include project requests from Head Start teachers for the first time. It was the first expansion to reach a new audience of teachers in the 17-year history of DonorsChoose. Since that time, the number of pre-K projects posted in the PNC footprint has grown by 258%, and pre-K projects posted within the PNC footprint outpaced general projects posted by nearly two times.
Resources such as art supplies, technology, books and field trips can enhance the preschool learning environment, but many teachers find that funding these resources can be difficult. Recent research from the National Education Association found that well over 90% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies and other items their students need to succeed. One analysis estimated that, in the 2022-23 school year, educators would spend more than $820 out of pocket on school supplies.
About DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, over 5 million people and partners have contributed $1.4 billion to support 2.5 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.
About PNC Foundation
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.
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