The Lowe’s Foundation is committed to preparing tomorrow’s trades professionals by investing in partnerships and programs that recruit, train and prepare job-ready tradespeople, with a major focus on the Gable Grants $50M, 5-year (2023–2028) commitment to train 50,000 skilled tradespeople.
Lowe’s Foundation is anchored by a $50 million, five-year Gable Grants commitment running from 2023 to 2028 to train 50,000 skilled tradespeople. That pledge frames its grantmaking: the foundation backs organizations that recruit, train, and prepare job-ready workers for carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and masonry roles. Recent awards show that this is not a narrow scholarship strategy but a workforce-building one, with grants going to colleges, nonprofits, and intermediaries that can expand training capacity and move learners into the trades. Among the larger recent awards, The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation received $1,000,000 in 2025 for skilled trades, signaling support for institutional training infrastructure. She Built This City also received $1,000,000 in 2025 for skilled trades, reflecting an interest in organizations preparing new entrants for trades careers. Other grants point to program expansion, pre-apprenticeship pathways, and wraparound support rather than one-off training events. The foundation’s pattern suggests a focus on scalable delivery, job readiness, and partnerships that can reach multiple communities through established education and nonprofit networks.
Skilled trades education is the clearest throughline in Lowe’s Foundation grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $1,000,000 to Columbus Technical College Foundation Inc for skilled trades and $750,000 to Seattle Colleges Foundation for the same purpose, showing support for postsecondary training capacity. The foundation also funds organizations that broaden access to the trades. It awarded $825,000 to West Virginia Women Work in 2025 for skilled trades, and $650,000 to Chicago Women In Trades for skilled trades, indicating an emphasis on pathways for women entering these fields. Workforce readiness and placement are part of the mix as well. Positive Workforce received $500,000 in 2025 for skilled trades, while The Masters Apprentice received $930,000 for the same broad category. Across these grants, the foundation supports training delivery, pre-apprenticeship readiness, and job-ready preparation.
Typical grant size sits in the mid-six-figure range, with a p25 of $262,500, a median of $300,000, and a p75 of $350,000. Recent awards also include multiple seven-figure grants, showing that the foundation uses larger commitments for some partners while maintaining a consistent base level of support. The pattern is programmatic rather than transactional. The foundation is a public charity and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its active Gable Grants programs include both invitation-only and unsolicited pathways, depending on the stream: community-based nonprofits and national nonprofits are invitation-only, while community and technical colleges accept unsolicited applications. The recent grants list includes repeat support to organizations in different years, which suggests an ongoing, relationship-based approach rather than isolated awards.
$38.5M
$18.8M
$25.3M
$22.8M
Most grants fall between $263K and $350K, with a median of $300K.
25th Percentile
$263K
Median
$300K
75th Percentile
$350K
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Grantmaking is regional and heavily concentrated in North Carolina, which accounts for 71% of grants. Recent recipients in the state include Charlotte-based She Built This City and Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, plus United Way of Central Carolinas Inc in Charlotte in 2023. Beyond North Carolina, the foundation’s grants reach a wide U.S. spread. Recent awards went to recipients in Seattle, Chicago, Miami, New York, and Indianapolis, along with colleges and workforce organizations in states including Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, and West Virginia. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
It supports community-based nonprofits, public community and technical colleges, and national nonprofits that deliver skilled trades programming through chapters, members, or affiliated organizations. The focus is on direct training providers and scalable skilled trades education, especially pre-apprenticeship and workforce development.
The foundation focuses on carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and masonry, along with pre-apprenticeship readiness, job placement, mobile or accessible training delivery, and support for second-chance or justice-involved learners.
Typical grants are mid-six-figure awards: p25 is $262,500, median grant size is $300,000, and p75 is $350,000. Recent awards also include several $1,000,000 grants and one $1,425,000 grant.
It depends on the program. Gable Grants for Community & Technical Colleges accepts unsolicited applications, while the community-based nonprofit and national nonprofit Gable Grants streams are invitation-only.
North Carolina is the top grant state by count, accounting for 71% of grants. Recent recipients there include organizations in Charlotte, along with a 2023 grant to United Way of Central Carolinas Inc and a 2023 grant to Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep In Heavenly Peace | Pocatello, ID | $1,425,000 | 2025 | Community Improvement |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation | New York, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Community Improvement |
| Goodwill Industries International | Rockville, MD | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Community Improvement |
| The National Center for Construction Education and Research | Alachua, FL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Columbus Technical College Foundation Inc | Columbus, GA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Maricopa County Community College District Foundation | Tempe, AZ | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| The National Center for Construction Education and Research | Alachua, FL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation | Fitzgerald, GA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Midlands Technical College Foundation | Columbia, SC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Central Piedmont Community College Foundation | Charlotte, NC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| She Built This City | Charlotte, NC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| SkillsUSA | Leesbourg, VA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Goodwill Industries International | Rockville, MD | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation | Perkins, MS | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| The Foundation for Palm Beach State College | Beach, FL | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| The Masters Apprentice | Denver, CO | $930,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Sleep In Heavenly Peace | Pocatello, ID | $916,150 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Baton Rouge Community College Foundation Inc | Baton Rouge, LA | $850,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| West Virginia Women Work | Morgantown, WV | $825,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Trade Institute of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $800,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont | Charlotte, NC | $800,000 | 2025 | Community Improvement |
| Coconino County Community College Foundation | Flaggstaff, AZ | $750,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Seattle Colleges Foundation | Seattle, WA | $750,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Alaska Works Partnership Inc | Anchorage, AK | $700,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| SkillsUSA Inc | Leesbourg, VA | $700,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Ivy Tech Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $700,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Chicago Women In Trades | Chicago, IL | $650,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Community College of Baltimore County Foundation | Baltimore, MD | $601,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Hope Renovations | Chapel Hill, NC | $600,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Uncommon Construction | New Orleans, LA | $600,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Moore Community House | Biloxi, MS | $600,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Montana Technology Enterprise Center | Missoula, MT | $500,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Miami Dade College | Miami, FL | $500,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| All Within My Hands | San Rafael, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Wilkes Community College | Wilkesboro, NC | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| North Alabama Homebuilding Academy | Huntsville, AL | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Positive Workforce | York, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| MiraCosta College Foundation | Oceanside, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Central Maine Community College | Auurn, ME | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| International Scholarship and Tuition Services | Nashville, TN | $500,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Valencia College Foundation Inc | Orlando, FL | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Nontraditional Employment for Women | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Livingstone Schools Inc | Tampa, FL | $480,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Southeast Community College | Milford, NE | $470,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| SER Metro Detroit - Jobs For Progress Inc | Detroit, MI | $450,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| MADISONVILLE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC | Madisonville, KY | $450,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Mountwest Community & Technical College | Huntington, WV | $415,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
| Howard College - San Angelo | Spring, TX | $400,000 | 2025 | Skilled Trades |
| Boys & Girls Club of America | Atlanta, GA | $350,000 | 2025 | Given grants for mission |
Given grants for mission
Columbus Technical College Foundation Inc
$1,000,000Skilled Trades
Given grants for mission
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation
$1,000,000Given grants for mission
Midlands Technical College Foundation
$1,000,000Given grants for mission
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation
$1,000,000Skilled Trades
Baton Rouge Community College Foundation Inc
$850,000Given grants for mission
Coconino County Community College Foundation
$750,000Skilled Trades
Alaska Works Partnership Inc
$700,000Given grants for mission
Community College of Baltimore County Foundation
$601,000Given grants for mission
Uncommon Construction
$600,000Given grants for mission
Moore Community House
$600,000Given grants for mission
Miami Dade College
$500,000Skilled Trades
North Alabama Homebuilding Academy
$500,000Given grants for mission
Positive Workforce
$500,000Skilled Trades
MiraCosta College Foundation
$500,000Skilled Trades
Central Maine Community College
$500,000Given grants for mission
International Scholarship and Tuition Services
$500,000Skilled Trades
Livingstone Schools Inc
$480,000Skilled Trades
Southeast Community College
$470,000Given grants for mission
MADISONVILLE COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC
$450,000Skilled Trades
Mountwest Community & Technical College
$415,000Given grants for mission
Howard College - San Angelo
$400,000Skilled Trades