PNC Awards $100K 

Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition Receives $100,000 Grant from the PNC Foundation

(Fort Wayne, Ind., Dec. 4, 2024) – The Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC) announced the receipt of a $100,000 grant from the PNC Foundation. This funding will support the development of an “On-Boarding Program” designed to help high-quality early care and education providers in joining the NEIECC Shared Services Network. The network will bring increased financial stability, operating efficiency and enhanced administrative support to over 20 early care and education programs serving low-income families across the region.

The NEIECC Shared Service network offers a range of benefits, including:

• Financial Support: Access to expert financial advice including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.

• Operational Support: Access to support for financial management, administrative tasks and regulatory compliance.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for personalized staff training and development, including executive coaching.

• Collaborative Network: The opportunity to connect with other providers and share best practices.

"We are thrilled to launch this new initiative to support our local early care and education providers," said Allie Sutherland, executive director at NEIECC. "By providing financial assistance and access to valuable resources, we aim to strengthen the early childhood system in our community. We are grateful to the PNC Foundation for providing funds to build a sustainable network of support for providers. Many of our them have been struggling to balance the overwhelming task of managing administrative overhead while also educating our youngest learners."

The NEIECC Shared Services Network and its latest initiative are closely aligned with PNC’s longstanding commitment to early childhood education. Since 2004, the PNC Foundation has supported high-quality early childhood education through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature philanthropic initiative.

"Supporting the NEIECC and its mission to strengthen early childhood care and education reflects PNC’s philanthropic commitment to advancing  high-quality pre-K programs across our footprint and here in Fort Wayne,” said Corinna Ladd, PNC regional president for Northern Indiana and NEIECC board member. “Our support of early childhood education is a strategic investment to help broaden opportunities for social and economic mobility among underserved children. This grant will empower childcare providers to focus on what matters most – nurturing young minds.”

Childcare providers with subsidies in their programs who are interested in applying for the On-Boarding Grant should contact Allie Sutherland, executive director, at allie@neiecc.org.

About the PNC Foundation

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), 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.

About Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition

Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower communities to advance early care and education opportunities for all families in northeast Indiana. NEIECC serves 11 northeast Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.

Media contact

Allie Sutherland, executive director                     

Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition        

allie@neiecc.org, 619-851-8303         

Maria Pasic, PNC Bank, 

maria.pasic@pnc.com, 312-342-1565                                                    

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