The Gene Haas Foundation

What The Gene Haas Foundation does

The Gene Haas Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1999 by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, and based in Oxnard, California (Ventura County). Its mission is to introduce individuals to manufacturing technologies—specifically CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining—through scholarships, educator training, competition sponsorship, and capital grants to elite training facilities. The foundation's activity is funded entirely by personal contributions from Gene Haas himself; per the foundation's FAQ, foundation funds are explicitly prohibited from being used to purchase equipment from Haas Automation.

The foundation operates six interconnected programs: (1) CNC Education Grants providing scholarship funds (typically $500–$2,500 per student) to schools with CNC training programs; (2) Gene Haas Centers, an exclusive capital/endorsement grant recognizing and funding preeminent CNC training facilities in North America and Europe; (3) the HTEC (Haas Technical Educators Conference) network of annual and regional educator events; (4) HTEC Teacher Training, summer instructor courses hosted at six designated North American partner schools covering Intro to CNC Milling, CNC Turning, and Multi-Axis CNC Milling; (5) Competition Team Sponsorships supporting FIRST Robotics, SAE, Project MFG, and SkillsUSA teams; and (6) Community Grants to local Ventura County charities including kidSTREAM Children's Museum.

In 2025 alone, the foundation distributed over $40 million in grants, bringing cumulative contributions since 1999 to more than $265 million. It serves tax-exempt educational entities exclusively—high schools, community colleges, universities, and workforce development centers—through an online grant application process. Operations are run by a lean staff of 1–10 employees, including Executive Director Kathy Looman and HTEC Program Coordinator Amy Sisk. Geographic reach spans the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and limited programs in Mexico.

Name

The Gene Haas Foundation

Legal name

Gene Haas Foundation

Website

https://ghaasfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gene Haas Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds CNC machining education through scholarships, educator training, competition sponsorship, and capital grants to elite training facilities, serving tax-exempt secondary schools, community colleges, and universities across North America and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Grants Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• CNC education grants
• Manufacturing scholarships
• Workforce training grants
• Vocational education funding
• Teacher training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxnard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Disbursements: As a private foundation established by Gene Haas, the foundation receives contributions directly from Gene Haas and disburses millions annually in grants to educational programs. All grants are awarded exclusively to tax-exempt entities. The foundation does not generate revenue from products or services - it is a philanthropic organization that distributes funds to support manufacturing education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Gene Haas Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1999 that distributes grants to support manufacturing education—specifically CNC machining—and community charities. It funds scholarship grants for students, sponsors robotics and racing competition teams, operates teacher training programs, hosts the Haas Technical Educators Conference (HTEC), and endorses elite CNC training facilities as Gene Haas Centers. All grants are awarded exclusively to tax-exempt entities through an online application process.

Product overview

The Gene Haas Foundation is a private foundation established by Gene Haas in 1999 to support manufacturing education and community charities. The foundation operates several interconnected programs: CNC Education Grants provide scholarship funds directly to schools for student CNC training; Gene Haas Centers recognize and fund elite CNC training facilities through capital/endorsement grants; HTEC (Haas Technical Educators Conference) provides annual and regional conferences for educators to share best practices; HTEC Teacher Training offers grant-funded instructor courses at six designated locations; Competition Team Sponsorships support FIRST Robotics, SAE, Project MFG, and SkillsUSA teams; and Community Grants support local Ventura County charities. In 2025, the foundation distributed over $40 million in grants, with total contributions since 1999 exceeding $265 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HTEC (Haas Technical Educators Conference): Collaborative events for educators to be introduced to the latest technology and share best practices in manufacturing education.
• Gene Haas Centers

Products and services

• CNC Education Grants Scholarship and program grants awarded to tax-exempt secondary schools and post-secondary institutions to fund CNC machining students, equipment, and consumables; standardized at $500-$2,500 per student.
• Gene Haas Centers Endorsed elite CNC training facilities at secondary schools recognized by the foundation as flagship CNC education programs.
• Haas Technical Educators Conference (HTEC) Annual conference for CNC instructors and technical educators, providing professional development and community-building for educators across the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, and the Netherlands.
• HTEC Teacher Training Formal training program for CNC technical educators, complementing the HTEC conference with structured curriculum and pedagogy support.
• Competition Team Sponsorships Sponsorships for tax-exempt student robotics and racing competition teams at schools and universities, supporting parts, fabrication, and travel costs.
• Community Grants Grants awarded to community-based charitable organizations in addition to the foundation's CNC education focus.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $265 million in total contributions since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Doña Ana Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2026The foundation awarded a $15,000 grant to provide scholarships for students in manufacturing and CNC programs, supporting regional workforce development in southern New Mexico.
• Marshall University Marshall Advanced Manufacturing CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026The Gene Haas Foundation donated $1 million to support the construction of a new CNC machining training center at Marshall University. The facility will be named the Gene Haas Advanced Machining Lab and will support workforce development in West Virginia's manufacturing sector.
• Pioneer Technology CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025The foundation awarded a $20,000 grant to support the Precision Machining program in Ponca City, Oklahoma for workforce development in advanced manufacturing, including student scholarships, industry competitions, and skill development.
• West Nottinghamshire CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2025The foundation provided a £500,000 grant to establish the UK's first Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. The newly renovated facility features advanced CNC machinery, robotics, and automation equipment. West Nottinghamshire College is one of only three institutions nationwide to hold this designation.
• HTEC Teacher Training CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The foundation partners with six facilities across North America to provide CNC teacher training programs. Partner institutions include Central Community College (Hastings, Nebraska), Danville Community College (Virginia), Deanza Community College (California), Gateway Technical College (Wisconsin), Orange Coast College (California), and Southwestern Illinois College (Belleville, Illinois).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SME Education Foundation: Philanthropic arm of SME (formerly Society of Manufacturing Engineers) that provides scholarships, grants, and awards to students pursuing manufacturing and engineering degrees. Directly comparable as a manufacturing-focused education grantmaking foundation.
• Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (Festo): Festo's foundation that funds manufacturing and engineering education through scholarships, grants, and summer camp programs. Comparable as an industry-funded education foundation targeting the manufacturing talent pipeline.
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW): Nonprofit providing STEM curriculum and teacher training for K-12 schools, with a strong manufacturing and engineering pathway. Comparable as a grantmaking/grant-recipient ecosystem that channels industry funding into technical education.
• American Welding Society Foundation: Industry-aligned foundation awarding scholarships and grants to students pursuing welding and manufacturing trades. Comparable as a trade-specific education grantmaking body supporting manufacturing workforce development.
• ASM Materials Education Foundation: Foundation of ASM International supporting materials science and manufacturing education through scholarships, educator grants, and K-12 programs. Comparable as an industry association foundation channeling corporate/philanthropic funds into manufacturing education.

Emerging players

• Tormach Education Foundation: Smaller CNC machine builder with educational outreach and grant programs for schools. Comparable as a competing CNC manufacturer-affiliated education funding initiative, though at a smaller scale than Gene Haas Foundation.
• Tooling U-SME: Joint venture between SME and Amatrol providing online manufacturing training and certification. Complementary to Gene Haas Foundation's mission but operates on a fee-for-service model rather than grants.

Broad incumbents

• Toyota USA Foundation: Major corporate foundation supporting K-12 education including STEM and career-technical education. Comparable as a large-scale industry-linked education grantmaker, though broader in scope than Gene Haas Foundation.
• Snap-on Foundation: Corporate foundation of Snap-on Incorporated supporting technical education, skilled trades, and STEM initiatives. Comparable as an industry-aligned manufacturing tools company funding vocational/technical education.

Others

• Gene Haas Center schools (e.g., Orange Coast College, Southwestern Illinois College): Designated Gene Haas Centre institutions that receive significant capital grants and host HTEC training. They are direct downstream beneficiaries and ecosystem partners rather than competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Kathy_GHF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Gene Haas Foundation