‘A Great Big Cheer’ for Children – and PNC Employees

15K hours volunteered, 10K Can Do Cans assembled and nearly $2M in preschool teacher requests funded — and that’s just the start of what made April a really Great Month.

April is known as Great Month at PNC, and the company’s employees took it literally.

In PNC markets across the U.S., employees went all in on celebrating PNC Grow Up Great by supporting children from birth through age 5 as they prepare for success in school and life. Many employees were also excited for the chance to engage in more in-person volunteer opportunities this year, especially alongside their colleagues.

Here's a rundown of what the company and its employees accomplished together during Great Month 2023:

• 3,054 teacher requests fulfilled on April 3 via DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that connects individual donors with public school classrooms. PNC's flash funding to kick off Great Month that day supported 88,601 pre-K and Head Start students, for a total of $1.96M in classroom dreams brought to life.
• 14,747 hours volunteered by 5,912 employees, a 38% increase from 2022
• 10,000 Can Do Cans (educational kits) assembled for delivery to pre-K classrooms
• Nearly 800 teachers supported with a $250 Lakeshore Learning gift card and wellness kit
• 436 trikes and wagons built by 1,157 employees across four markets
• 908 volunteers engaged in reading books to pre-K children, either in-person or virtually, in 173 early childhood education centers, more than double the numbers from 2022.
• Through an initiative dubbed, “The Great Big Cheer,” PNC branches and many other market-led activations elevated awareness of PNC Grow Up Great, both in person and via social media posts.

A Great Month Across PNC’s Markets

Volunteerism at PNC is year-round. Eligible employees get up to 40 hours of paid volunteer time per year to volunteer for approved PNC Grow Up Great and/or Racial and Social Justice partner organizations. The latter are local organizations, varying by market, that serve low- to moderate-income and BIPOC individuals and communities, and have a mission and programming addressing economic empowerment, education and/or entrepreneurship.

Since 2004, PNC Grow Up Great has supported programs, resources and experiences that plant the seeds for a lifetime of opportunities. The $500 million, multiyear, bilingual early childhood education initiative helps to eliminate barriers and improve equity so that every child, particularly those in underserved communities, has an opportunity to succeed. In nearly 20 years, it’s invested $225 million in grants to nonprofits, reached more than 8 million children, and engaged PNC employees in more than a million volunteer hours.

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