Great Elm Group, Inc.

PITTSBURGH, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PNC Private Bank® today revealed research findings exploring the intersection of business ownership and personal wealth. The findings are outlined in the inaugural "Business Owner Wealth Insights" report, which draws on a national survey conducted with Ipsos. The survey explores how middle-market business owners balance growth, succession and legacy for their businesses and personal finances.

The research revealed strong interest in integrated financial planning among business owners. Nearly nine in 10 respondents (89%) value financial advice that considers both business and personal needs, and 88% see value in working with a dedicated financial advisor who understands both. However, only 55% currently work with a financial advisor on both their business and personal finances.

While nearly all business owners surveyed (98%) – and all family business owners (100%) – said they reassess their business decisions to ensure alignment with personal growth goals, about 40% do so only occasionally or rarely.

Additional findings include:

• About two-thirds of business owners manage their business and personal finances separately.
• Managing cash flow (33%) and keeping pace with evolving technology (32%) are cited as the top business challenges.
• While 26% say balancing business reinvestment with tax strategy is challenging, 40% are willing to sacrifice tax efficiency in favor of reinvesting in their business.

"Our research clearly shows that many business owners are seeking holistic advice that brings together their personal finances and business goals," said Don Heberle, head of PNC Private Bank. "This highlights the importance of working with advisors who understand the complexity of managing both – and who can help owners make informed decisions that support long-term growth, succession and legacy."

The PNC research also examined business owner perspectives on succession planning, family dynamics, philanthropy and tax planning.

Succession planning emerged as a critical priority, with 84% of family business owners saying a formal plan is essential to business continuity and nearly as many expressing that family dynamics affect exit and succession decisions. Among all business owners, nearly one-third (31%) do not have a plan in place. Common barriers include the lack of a clear successor, a focus on daily operations, family conflicts, the complexity of planning, financial uncertainty and unclear long-term business goals.

"Exiting or transitioning a business is often one of the largest, and most personal and emotional decisions an owner will make," said Heberle. "That's why it's critical for owners to have the right advisors and resources -- to help owners navigate complexity, balance business and personal priorities, and achieve their goals."

Philanthropy also plays a central role for many business owners. More than eight in 10 respondents (81%) said charitable giving is core to their business identity and legacy, and the same percentage structure their investment strategies to support philanthropic goals. While 80% believe it is important to involve the next generation in giving, only 43% currently do so.

"Engaging family early and establishing clear frameworks are key to ensuring an owner's philanthropic vision carries forward," said Heberle. "When charitable giving is thoughtfully integrated into business and wealth planning, it becomes a lasting expression of values and a powerful part of an owner's legacy."

The research also found that a significant majority (80%) said they are extremely or very confident in making tax-related decisions, and 77% are actively engaged in tax planning. Yet roughly eight in 10 (82%) said they would benefit from additional expert guidance.

"Taken together, these findings reinforce what we hear from business owners every day — that their business, personal and financial lives are deeply interconnected," said Heberle. "They want advice that brings it all together, and that integrated perspective is essential to helping them build, transition and sustain their legacy over the long term."

To view the full Business Owner Wealth Insights report and other findings, visit PNC's website.

PNC Private Bank is part of the PNC Asset Management Group (AMG), which is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC AMG is a relationship-based provider of investment, planning, banking and fiduciary services to wealthy individuals and institutions through the proactive delivery of value-added ideas and solutions. PNC AMG offers personal asset management for high and ultra-high net worth individuals and families through PNC Private Bank® and PNC Private Bank Hawthorn®; and institutional asset management services to corporations, healthcare systems, insurance companies, unions, municipalities and nonprofits through Institutional Asset Management. For more information about PNC Asset Management Group, visit www.pnc.com.

Methodology

The Business Owner Wealth Insights 2026 study was conducted online from Nov. 19 to Dec.10, 2025, and surveyed 300 private business owners and co-owners aged 25 and older who hold primary responsibility for their companies' operations. The research incorporated national panel samples of 150 Commercial business owners with annual revenues between $10 million and $50 million, and 150 Lower Middle Market business owners with annual revenues between $50 million and $125 million. Each sample carries a ± 8% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. To ensure national representativeness, results were weighted using Dun & Bradstreet data. The study was conducted by Ipsos.

CONTACT: 

RJ Tamburri

(412) 762-9614

rj.tamburri@pnc.com

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SOURCE PNC Private Bank

Collaborations with Sesame Workshop and DonorsChoose will strengthen science, math and literacy skills through everyday experiences and fund creative classroom ideas

PITTSBURGH, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., is kicking off Great Month, its annual celebration of PNC Grow Up Great^® and high-quality early childhood education, by announcing new initiatives with two longtime collaborators.

The PNC Foundation announced a $6.2 million grant to Sesame Workshop to support a multi-year school readiness effort focused on outdoor and play-based learning. This initiative will develop new resources to help young children build school readiness skills in science, math and literacy, and will encourage them to explore their interests and form connections that support early learning.

Available this week at sesameworkshop.org and pncgrowupgreat.com are new Sesame Street Muppet videos, printable activity sheets, articles and an outdoor science web-based adult learning app. A Sesame Street "Go Outside…Grow Outside" growth chart will be available April 1 in PNC branches.

Research shows that outdoor and play-based learning can strengthen science, literacy and math skills while supporting physical development and emotional well-being. Many young children, however, have limited opportunities for safe outdoor play and hands-on exploration, particularly in under-resourced communities. The initiative responds to this need by giving parents, caregivers and educators practical tools that make experiential learning easier to integrate into daily routines.

"We know that all experiences can spark learning, especially when a child is curious about what's around them," said Sally McCrady, chair and president of the PNC Foundation. "These new resources will help families build on children's curiosity to learn through simple daily activities, from counting bounces of a ball at the playground to noticing how birds blend into tree branches."

"Our longstanding partnership with PNC Foundation helps inspire children's curiosity about their environment," said Kama Einhorn, senior director of Content Design at Sesame Workshop. "By encouraging outdoor exploration, we nurture a sense of wonder and discovery that is essential for lifelong learning, helping every child connect with nature and develop critical skills for the future."

Additionally, to continue the momentum of Great Month, PNC Grow Up Great has fully funded nearly 1,000 DonorsChoose classroom projects totaling nearly $600,000, submitted by public pre-K and Head Start teachers in the communities where PNC employees live and work. The projects align with the mission and focus areas of PNC Grow Up Great, with supplemental support directed to needs related to health, sports and wellness, and warmth, care and hunger. PNC and DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that allows individuals to donate directly to classroom projects, have collaborated since 2017 to help teachers obtain quality resources and experiences for students in public pre-K, public charter and Head Start classrooms. The $20 million alliance has used flash funds, match offers, DonorsChoose gift codes and jumpstart donations to support early childhood learning.

In April, PNC Grow Up Great and DonorsChoose will build on this support by spotlighting the creativity of early childhood educators who are designing innovative outdoor play and learning experiences. During Great Month, public pre-K and Head Start teachers in PNC communities will be invited to submit outdoor-focused classroom projects through DonorsChoose. Qualifying projects will receive a $500 jumpstart donation from PNC Grow Up Great to help expand hands-on learning and exploration for young learners.

To empower employee volunteerism and participation in PNC's volunteer grant program, PNC announced that beginning April 1, volunteer grants will double for individual and team volunteers. Previously offered as Double the Impact grants during occasions such as PNC Grow Up Great's 20th anniversary in 2024, the new amounts range from a $2,000 grant for an individual who volunteers 40 hours with an approved partner to $6,000 for a four- to 10-person team that combines for 100 hours. PNC's paid volunteerism policy provides employees up to 40 hours of paid time off each year to volunteer with approved organizations, and volunteers have earned more than $12 million in grants for PNC Grow Up Great partners. This year, employees can support outdoor learning by assembling Discover Math in Nature! activity kits, reading nature-themed books in pre-K classrooms, and assembling bird houses, bug hotels and sunshine crafts.

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. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

CONTACT:

Angie Carducci

(412) 762-9186

angela.carducci@pnc.com

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SOURCE The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.