About Tradesfutures
Develop, promote, and improve Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (ARPs) to expand access to high-quality, union construction careers and to support women, veterans, and people of color in establishing and maintaining careers in the construction industry.
Focus Areas
apprenticeship readinessworkforce developmentchild care support for workerstraining and educationwomen in trades / tradeswomen programmingplacement into union apprenticeship
Who They Fund
registered apprentices and journey-level construction workerschildren of apprentice/journey-level workers (care recipients)people of colorwomenveteranshistorically underrepresented groups in construction
About Tradesfutures
Tradesfutures centers its grantmaking on Apprenticeship Readiness Programs that expand access to union construction careers, with support also reaching women, veterans, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups in the construction industry. Recent awards show a mix of operating support, training, scholarships, and childcare assistance tied to entry and retention in the trades. The largest recent grant in the data, $303,074 to Missouri Works Initiative, was for apprenticeship training, and another large award of $243,930 went to National Urban League for apprenticeship training. That pattern sits alongside grants meant to build local capacity, such as $129,625 to Pwt United for apprenticeship training and $100,000 to Economic Development Partnership of Al for apprenticeship training. The foundation also supports programs that help people move from readiness into registered apprenticeship and, in some cases, stay in the pipeline through supportive services. Its active grant program describes cooperative subawards used to expand and scale ARPs, establish new programs, and support a network of readiness providers.
What Tradesfutures Funds
Apprenticeship readiness is the clearest thread across the portfolio. In 2025, Tradesfutures gave $94,234 to Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council and $92,952 to Building Pathways South for apprenticeship training, both tied to building the pipeline into construction trades. The foundation also funds workforce access through local and regional intermediaries, including $73,865 to Georgia Building Trades Academy and $73,611 to Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council for apprenticeship training. Child care is another visible priority. Tradesfutures gave $200,000 to Nontraditional Employment for Women to help launch a child care assistance program for underrepresented workers in the construction industry, and later awards included $165,000 to Empowher Institute for child care. Scholarships appear as a separate support line, including awards to Rowan University Foundation, Rowan University, Alabama State University Foundation, Alabama A&M University, Miles College Foundation, and Lawson State Community College Foundation.
How Tradesfutures Gives
The typical grant size is moderate: the 25th percentile is $19,544, the median is $44,966, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent activity shows repeat support to some organizations across multiple years, including Missouri Works Initiative, National Urban League, Rochester Careers in Construction, Urban Green Council, Empowher Institute, Building Pathways South, and Georgia Building Trades Academy. Tradesfutures is a pure DAF provider, and the grant list points to a mix of capacity-building awards, scholarships, and direct-support grants. The active program is a competitive subaward structure tied to a U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement, and it does not accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.3M
Total Assets
$3.7M
Total Revenue
$4.2M
Total Expenses
$3.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $100K, with a median of $45K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$45K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
National7 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
BRANDON BISHOP
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