PBS and our member stations are America’s largest classroom, the nation’s largest stage for the arts and a trusted window to the world. PBS's educational media helps prepare children for success in school and opens up the world to them in an age-appropriate way.
Public Broadcasting Service gave a five-million-dollar-plus grant to its own PBS Foundation in 2025, underscoring how much of its funding supports the public media system behind its national programming. The foundation’s grantmaking also reached member stations and producers across the country, including Connecticut Public Broadcasting in Hartford, WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, and KQED-TV in San Francisco. Those awards show a funder that supports both the infrastructure of public television and the organizations that create, distribute, and localize content for audiences in many markets. Its stated work centers on education, children’s media, arts and culture, public media, and journalism. That mix is consistent with PBS’s role as a classroom resource and a national stage for the arts. The grant list also shows support for production and distribution partners such as American Documentary Inc., Independent Television Service Inc., and public stations that serve state and regional audiences. In practice, the foundation appears to back the organizations that keep public media programming, educational media, and related content available across the system.
Education is a clear thread in the grant list. Public Broadcasting Service gave $400,860 to Connecticut Public Broadcasting (wedh) in Hartford and $88,890 to Wjct-tv in Jacksonville, both part of a broader pattern of support for public television stations. The foundation also backs content creation and distribution. It gave $107,419 to Independent Television Service Inc. in San Francisco and $90,300 to American Documentary Inc. in Brooklyn, pointing to support for documentary and public-interest programming. Arts and culture appear through station and production support as well. Awards to Kqed-tv in San Francisco, Twin Cities Public Television in Saint Paul, and Day's Edge Productions in San Diego show that the funder supports organizations involved in both local public media and program production.
Typical grant size is tightly clustered: the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are $10,000, $10,000, and $30,000. The recent-grants list shows a much larger internal award to the PBS Foundation alongside a long tail of operating-style support to stations and production partners, suggesting a mix of system-level and project-level giving. The data also show repeat recipients across years and within the same year, including the PBS Foundation, KQED-TV, University of Utah, and the University of North Carolina center for public TV. Public Broadcasting Service is a regular funder, not an individual-giving or program-related-investment maker. The active program listing includes an invitation for bid and a request for information, and the RFI is marked as accepting unsolicited input.
$8.2M
$752.8M
$696.6M
$584.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $30K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$30K
About 5% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Public Broadcasting Service gives nationally, and every grant in the country distribution goes to U.S. recipients. The heaviest concentration is in California, which leads by grant count. Recent awards also land in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah, with named recipients in Hartford, Boston, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Research Triangle Park, Houston, and Salt Lake City. Virginia accounts for 5% of grants, but that is separate from the headquarters location in Arlington.
The foundation funds public media, education, children’s media, arts and culture, and journalism. Recent grants show support for public television stations, documentary organizations, and production partners, including station-based and system-level recipients.
Yes. The recent grants list includes multiple awards to the PBS Foundation across 2023, 2024, and 2025, and repeat support also appears for KQED-TV, the University of Utah, and the University of North Carolina center for public TV.
The grant-size distribution is compact around smaller awards: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $30,000. The list also includes larger awards for system and infrastructure support.
The active Request for Information on the Public Television Interconnection System is marked as accepting unsolicited input. The foundation also has an Invitation for Bid for perimeter security fence work at the Mountain Top facility in St. Thomas, which is a bid process rather than a grant application.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBS Foundation | ARLINGTON, VA | $5,836,076 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #1 |
| WETA Greater Washington Ed Telecom | ARLINGTON, VA | $744,750 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6, #2, #5 |
| Second Peninsula LLC | Los Angeles, CA | $150,200 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #5 |
| Firelight Films Inc | New York City, NY | $146,976 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #5 |
| WGBH Educational Foundation | Boston, MA | $144,913 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #2, #5 |
| Balance Productions LLC | Portland, OR | $119,200 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #5 |
| WNETWLIW | New York, NY | $110,300 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #2, #5 |
| Independent Television Service (ITVS) | San Francisco, CA | $110,100 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #5 |
| Univ of Utah (KUENKUED) | Salt Lake City, UT | $104,389 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #3 |
| Western NY Public BRDCST Assoc (WNED) | Buffalo, NY | $65,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6, #4 |
| Univ of Georgia Research FDN Inc | Athens, GA | $56,513 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #3 |
| WHYY | Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Univ Of North Carolina Ctr For Pub TV The | Research Triangle Park, NC | $45,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Rhode Island PBS | Providence, RI | $45,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Louisiana Public Broadcasting | Baton Rouge, LA | $45,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Alabama Public Television | Birmingham, AL | $45,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Idaho Public Television | Boise, ID | $25,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| WTCI-PBS | Chattanooga, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Detroit Public Television (WTVS) | Wixom, MI | $22,100 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6, #2 |
| Northeastern Pa Ed TV Assoc (WVIA) | Pittston, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council (KLRU-TV) | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| KUAT-TV | Tucson, AZ | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Mountain Lake PBS | Plattsburgh, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| University of Central Florida Research Foundation (WUCF) | Orlando, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Fort Wayne Public Teleivision (WFWA) | Fort Wayne, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Friends of KSPS | Spokane, WA | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| WNJT-TV | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Florida West Coast Public Broadcasting | Tampa, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #6 |
| Redwood Empire Public Television (KEET) | Eureka, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Friends of Wisconsin Public TV (WHA) | Madison, WI | $14,648 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #2 |
| Florida State University Research Foundation (WFSU) | Tallahassee, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Nashville Public TV Inc (WNPT) | Nashville, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| WQED Multimedia | Pittsburgh, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Chattanooga Public Television Corp (WTCI) | Chattanooga, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Kentucky Educational Television Foundation (KET) | Lexington, KY | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| Connecticut Public Broadcasting | Hartford, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| PBS FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $5,121,418 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #1 |
| CONNECTICUT PUBLIC BROADCASTING (WEDH) | HARTFORD, CT | $400,860 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #2 |
| WGBHEDUCATIONALFOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $332,882 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #7 |
| ROLLER COASTER ROAD PRODUCTIONS LLC | BROOKLYN, NY | $130,608 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #7 |
| KQED-TV | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $129,823 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #7 |
| MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING (METV) | LEWISTON, ME | $94,130 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #2, #6 |
| WJCT-TV | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $88,890 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #2 |
| MIGHTY PICNIC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $84,226 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #4 |
| THE AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $83,835 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #7 |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (KUENKUED) | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $77,439 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #3, #8, #9 |
| THE UNIV OF NC CTR FOR PUB TV | RSRCH TRI PK, NC | $63,924 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #2, #5, #6, #8 |
| KNME-TV | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $45,000 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #8, #9 |
| WMHT-TV | TROY, NY | $45,000 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #8, #9 |
| THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (WPSU) | STATE COLLEGE, PA | $45,000 | 2025 | SEE PART IV: #8, #9 |
Second Peninsula LLC
$150,200SEE PART IV: #5
Balance Productions LLC
SEE PART IV: #5
WNETWLIW
$110,300SEE PART IV: #2, #5
Univ of Utah (KUENKUED)
$104,389SEE PART IV: #3
Univ of Georgia Research FDN Inc
$56,513SEE PART IV: #3
Univ Of North Carolina Ctr For Pub TV The
$45,000SEE PART IV: #6
Rhode Island PBS
$45,000SEE PART IV: #6
WTCI-PBS
$25,000SEE PART IV: #6
Detroit Public Television (WTVS)
$22,100SEE PART IV: #6, #2
Northeastern Pa Ed TV Assoc (WVIA)
$20,000SEE PART IV: #4
KUAT-TV
$20,000SEE PART IV: #4
Mountain Lake PBS
$20,000SEE PART IV: #4
Fort Wayne Public Teleivision (WFWA)
$20,000SEE PART IV: #4
WNJT-TV
$20,000SEE PART IV: #6
Florida West Coast Public Broadcasting
$20,000SEE PART IV: #6
Redwood Empire Public Television (KEET)
$20,000SEE PART IV: #4
WQED Multimedia
$10,000SEE PART IV: #4
Chattanooga Public Television Corp (WTCI)
$10,000SEE PART IV: #4
ROLLER COASTER ROAD PRODUCTIONS LLC
$130,608SEE PART IV: #7
MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING (METV)
$94,130SEE PART IV: #2, #6
MIGHTY PICNIC
$84,226SEE PART IV: #4
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (KUENKUED)
$77,439SEE PART IV: #3, #8, #9
THE UNIV OF NC CTR FOR PUB TV
$63,924SEE PART IV: #2, #5, #6, #8
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (WPSU)
$45,000SEE PART IV: #8, #9