PBS Foundation

The PBS Foundation was created in June 20041 and seeks donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to support the work of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) at a national level.23

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Website: www.pbs.org/foundation/home
Executive Director:

Brian J. Reddington

Location: Arlington, VA View on map
Tax ID: 20-1476451
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $71,260,640 Revenue: $53,653,774 Expenses: $38,828,422

Contents

    Founding

    In a May 2005 speech, then-PBS President Pat Mitchell provided further information about the motivation for the Foundation’s creation as follows:

    “To make it possible to solicit the kinds of major gifts from individuals and private foundations that enable us to launch new national and local initiatives, to invest in more content, to fully optimize this content with new technologies, we set up a PBS Foundation.”4

     In the same speech, Mitchell announced that the liberal Ford Foundation had committed $10 million in support of the PBS Foundation, representing the first contribution to its coffers.4

    Activities

    Located in Arlington, VA, the PBS Foundation is currently led by Brian Reddington5, its executive director, who in 2010 succeeded the inaugural executive director, Cheri Carter.1 The foundation’s fund-raising efforts include an online donation initiative6 and a program started in 2014 that focuses on building an endowment.7

    Overseeing the PBS Foundation is a 16-member board8; its members serve without remuneration and are appointed by PBS’ Board of Directors.9

    Funding

    Foundations that have contributed to the PBS Foundation include: Adobe Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Anne Ray Foundation, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Atlantic Philanthropies, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Charles H. Revson Foundation, Ford Foundation, George Lucas Family Foundation, Grable Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Kern Family Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, Orfalea Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and W. K. Kellogg Foundation.10

    People

    Around the time of his appointment as PBS Foundation Executive Director, it emerged that Brian Reddington had from 2003 to 2006 jointly owned a New York City condominium with PBS President Paula Kerger and her husband.11

    Lewis Cullman, who served on the PBS Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2006 to 200712, has been identified as a member of George Soros’s controversial Democracy Alliance.13

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $71,260,640 $53,653,774 $38,828,422 View
    2024 $49,505,397 $20,698,802 $16,848,812 View
    2023 $43,218,575 $17,715,715 $15,942,341 View
    2022 $37,997,942 $17,786,379 $11,408,894 View
    2021 $38,512,629 $27,139,690 $22,272,039 View

    Prior year filings: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 21

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Paula A KergerPRESIDENT & DIRECTOR$1,602,897
    Jonathan BarzilayCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER$848,247
    Thomas E TardivoTREASURER$581,792
    Katherine LauderdaleCHIEF LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE OFFICER$579,537
    Brian J ReddingtonEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$459,665
    Jill PatroneCORPORATE SECRETARY$370,890
    Tiajuana GrahamVP, INDIVIDUAL GIVING$277,570
    Idalia RamosVP & DEPUTY DIRECTOR (THRU 06/2024)$276,732
    Carrie C ScottSR.DIR, PRINCIPAL GIFTS (Thru 06/2024)$251,286
    Maureen GriecoSR.DIR, PRINCIPAL GIFTS$251,191
    Laura J BrownSR.DIR, PRINCIPAL GIFTS$247,472

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $77,509,383
    • Number of Grants: 650
    • Number of Funders: 243

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $10,027,2302025 Raymond James Charitable Endowment FundGENERAL SUPPORT
    $5,121,4182024 Public Broadcasting ServiceSEE PART IV: #1
    $3,470,1852021 Public Broadcasting ServiceSee Part IV: #1
    $3,270,9702023 Public Broadcasting ServiceSee Part IV: #1
    $3,000,0002024 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCDEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF KEN BURNS FILM
    $2,014,8252023 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES
    $2,003,5182021 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCDEVELOPMENT OF KEN BURNS FILM; NATIONAL PBS KIDS CHARACTER EDUCATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN; PBS KIDS CONTENT
    $1,217,6472022 Public Broadcasting ServiceSee Part IV: #1
    $1,003,5182020 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCDEVELOPMENT OF KEN BURNS FILM; NATIONAL PBS KIDS CHARACTER EDUCATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN; PBS KIDS CONTENT
    $1,000,0002024 The Rosalind P Walter Foundation Xxxxx1002GENERAL
    $1,000,0002024 The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson FoundationPBS Climate Initiative
    $1,000,0002023 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCDEVELOPMENT OF KEN BURNS FILM
    $1,000,0002022 The Rosalind P Walter Foundation Xxxxx1002GENERAL
    $750,0002024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $666,6672021 Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation2020 GRANT AWARD
    $625,0002023 The Rosalind P Walter Foundation Xxxxx1002GENERAL
    $502,4462023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $500,0002023 Lohengrin Foundation IncGENERAL FUND
    $500,0002023 Hoveida Family FoundationPROVIDE SUPPORT FOR NOVA AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
    $500,0002022 Seattle FoundationTo provide general support.
    $500,0002022 Lohengrin Foundation IncGENERAL FUND
    $500,0002022 The Chicago Community Trust$400,000 for general operating support $100,000 for the News, Journalism and Public Affairs Fund, a separate account of the PBS Endowment Fund.
    $500,0002021 Lohengrin Foundation IncGENERAL FUND
    $500,0002021 The Rosalind P Walter Foundation Xxxxx1002GENERAL
    $388,5002023 The Arthur Vining Davis FoundationsCrash Course Survey of World Religions

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $107,237,058
    • Number of Grants: 20
    • Number of Recipients: 7

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $34,407,2442025 Public Broadcasting ServicePUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE: RESTRICTED GRANTS (34,407,244) TO SUPPORT PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE PROGRAMMING.
    $18,970,5832021 Public Broadcasting ServiceSEE PART IV
    $11,730,0972024 Public Broadcasting ServiceSEE PART IV
    $11,487,6292023 Public Broadcasting ServiceSEE PART IV
    $6,618,5012022 Public Broadcasting ServiceSEE PART IV
    $6,413,6142020 Public Broadcasting ServiceSee part iv
    $549,1162022 WGBH Educational FoundationSEE PART IV

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

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    References

    1. “Cheri Carter Named Executive Director of the PBS Foundation.” PBS. April 13, 2005. Accessed July 30, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/cheri-carter-named-executive-director-of-the-pbs-foundation-april-13-2005/.
    2. “Who We Are.” PBS. 2017. Accessed July 30, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/foundation/who-we-are/#frequently-asked-questions.
    3. Its formation represents a further evolution in the long-running relationship between PBS and its funders (including left-of-center foundations), which has traditionally involved donor support for specific programs.
    4. “‘Public trust is the rating that matters most to PBS’.” Current.org | Pat Mitchell speech, May 2005. March 27, 2006. Accessed July 30, 2017. https://current.org/wp-content/uploads/archive-site/why/why2005mitchell.shtml.
    5. http://www.pbs.org/foundation/who-we-are/           
    6. Sefton, Dru. “PBS hires online-giving firm, gives sparse details of plan.” Current.org | PBS proposes national online initiative, 2010. June 7, 2010. Accessed July 30, 2017. https://current.org/wp-content/uploads/archive-site/funding/funding1010pbsonline.shtml.
    7. “Ways to Give.” PBS. 2017. Accessed July 30, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/foundation/ways-to-give/.
    8. “Board of Directors” PBS. 2025. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://foundation.pbs.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.
    9. “Fred Berens and Wendy Dayton Begin Service on PBS Foundation Board of Directors.” PBS. June 11, 2014. Accessed July 30, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/fred-berens-managing-director-investments-wells-fargo-advisors-and-wendy-dayton-president-of-the-douglas-wendy-dayton-foundation-begin-service-on-pbs-foundation-board-of-directors/.
    10. “Our Impact.” PBS. 2017. Accessed July 30, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/foundation/our-impact/#donor-recognition.
    11. Sefton, Dru. “PBS entrusts key funding job to good friend of its president.” Current. May 3, 2010. Accessed July 30, 2017. https://current.org/2010/05/pbs-entrusts-key-funding-job-to-good-friend-of-its-president/.
    12. PBS Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2006, Part V -A – List of Current Officers, Directors, Trustees and Key Employees.
    13. Vadum, Matthew. “The “Vast Left-wing Conspiracy”: George Soros’s Democracy Alliance remains a potent force in the 2014 elections.” Capital Research Center. October 6, 2014. Accessed July 30, 2017. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-vast-left-wing-conspiracy-george-soross-democracy-alliance-remains-a-potent-force-in-the-2014-elections/.