Fred Rogers Productions has received a US$1.4-million grant from PNC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of PNC Bank, to support its animated series Alma’s Way and several community events. 

FRP secured the funding through the PNC Grow Up Great program, which contributes to projects that help kids up to age five develop a love of learning. This particular grant is being used to develop Alma’s Way beyond its most recent season, which is almost complete, as well as supporting four Alma’s Way Explore Your City events giving families an opportunity to learn about their local public transportation system and watch live performances.

Some funding has also been earmarked for the Be My Neighbor Day program, a free Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood-inspired gathering that PBS stations run across the US every year. These events started in 2014 and typically include face painting, celebrity reading spaces, donation opportunities and resources for learning how to be a good neighbor.

FRP has been supported by the PNC Foundation grant for the last several years, receiving US$1.3 million in 2023. But the backing is arguably more meaningful than ever, given the other funding cuts that have recently played out in the US market. 

In May, the US Department of Education shut down the Ready to Learn grant, which helped fund the Fred Rogers/9 Story Media Group series Peg + Cat and a long list of other PBS KIDS programming. That same month, the pubcaster was also hit hard by US President Donald Trump signing an executive order to slash its federal funding administered by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It has since furloughed 25% of the PBS KIDS team.