Lowe's Foundation

What Lowe's Foundation does

Lowe's Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1957 and headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, that is wholly funded by Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW). Its sole programmatic focus since 2023 is the Gable Grants program, which distributes needs-based grants ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000 to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofits, and national nonprofit organizations that deliver skilled trades training. The foundation targets a U.S. skilled trades labor shortage estimated at 349,000 net new construction workers needed in 2026 and 2.1 million jobs potentially unfilled by 2030, and focuses on carpentry, construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, property maintenance, and clean technology pathways.

Underlying program architecture consists of three grant tracks (community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofits, national nonprofits) operated through recurring competitive and invitation-only application cycles, supplemented by strategic national partnerships with credentialing and training organizations such as SkillsUSA, Goodwill Industries International, NCCER, LISC, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Hiring Our Heroes, plus a 200+ vendor partner ecosystem that provides in-kind and financial support. The foundation does not operate a technology product; supporting infrastructure is limited to an internal grants management portal, a website (lowesfoundation.org), a quarterly Gable Gazette newsletter, social media channels, and awareness vehicles such as the 'Building Back America's Trades' docuseries premiered in April 2026 on Magnolia Network, HBO Max, and discovery+.

The business model is that of a corporate foundation: Lowe's Companies Inc. provides charitable contributions that the foundation deploys as multi-year grants (24-month terms for colleges and community nonprofits, 12-month terms for national nonprofits) to training providers, who in turn serve aspiring tradespeople. The foundation has scaled from a 2023 launch commitment of $50 million / 50,000 trainees to an expanded April 2026 commitment of $250 million / 250,000 trainees by 2035, with roughly $53 million deployed across 65 organizations in 28 states as of early 2026. Governance is provided by a board composed of Lowe's executives, with Janice Dupré (EVP HR, Lowe's) as President & Chair and Betsy Conway as Executive Director.

Name

Lowe's Foundation

Legal name

Lowe's Foundation

Website

https://lowesfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Lowe's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by Lowe's Companies Inc. that distributes Gable Grants of $100K–$1M to community colleges and nonprofits to train U.S. skilled tradespeople, backed by a $250M, 250,000-trainee commitment through 2035.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Workforce development grants
• Skilled trades training
• Community college grants
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Vocational training funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Mooresville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grants from Lowe's Companies Inc. The Lowe's Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded by Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW). The foundation receives charitable contributions from Lowe's to fund its Gable Grants program which supports skilled trades workforce development training at community colleges and nonprofits across the United States.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Lowe's Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that operates the Gable Grants program, awarding needs-based grants of $100,000 to $1,000,000 to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofits, and national nonprofit organizations to expand skilled trades training in carpentry, construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and property maintenance. The foundation has committed $250 million to train 250,000 skilled tradespeople by 2035, with early-2026 cumulative investment of nearly $53 million across 65 organizations in 28 states.

Product overview

Lowe's Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 1957 and founded by Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW). It is NOT a technology product company; it is a workforce development foundation. The organization's primary offering is the Gable Grants Program, a major workforce development initiative that provides needs-based grants ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000 to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofits, and national nonprofit organizations to train skilled tradespeople. The foundation is investing $250 million to train and develop 250,000 skilled tradespeople by 2035. Supporting initiatives include the 'Building Back America's Trades' docuseries, NCCER CareerStarter platform partnership, and SkillsUSA National Signing Day events. The foundation does not offer technology products, SaaS platforms, or developer tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gable Grants: The foundation's primary grant program dedicated to training and developing skilled tradespeople through community colleges and nonprofit organizations.

Products and services

• Gable Grants Program The primary workforce development initiative of the Lowe's Foundation; provides needs-based grants to community and technical colleges, community-based nonprofits, and national nonprofit organizations to train and develop skilled tradespeople in carpentry, construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and property maintenance. Grants range from $100,000 to $1,000,000 over 24-month (community/technical college) or 12-month (national nonprofit) periods. The program is the foundation's mechanism to deploy its $250 million, ten-year commitment to train 250,000 tradespeople by 2035.
• Building Back America's Trades (Docuseries) A three-part television docuseries produced by the Lowe's Foundation showcasing aspiring skilled tradespeople and their mentors, airing on Magnolia Network, HBO Max, and discovery+ as an awareness and storytelling vehicle for the Gable Grants mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• On track to reach original 50,000-person training goal a year ahead of schedule
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hiring Our HeroescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2025Lowe's Foundation awarded $500,000 to Hiring Our Heroes (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation) to establish a Skilled Trades Academy near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Program provides hands-on training for active duty service members, veterans, and spouses in HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and property maintenance careers.
• All Within My Hands (Metallica's Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2024Partnership between Lowe's Foundation and Metallica's All Within My Hands foundation to support the Metallica Scholars Initiative. Lowe's Foundation contributed $500,000 to expand skilled trades training for community college students at five colleges (Pima Community College, College of Lake County, San Juan College, Western Dakota Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College). The initiative focuses on HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and automotive careers.
• SkillsUSAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 April 2024Lowe's Foundation awarded $1 million Gable Grant to SkillsUSA to support the workforce development nonprofit for students. Partnership includes SkillsUSA National Signing Day ceremonies at Lowe’s stores featuring students committing to skilled trades careers.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partner expanding Community Construction Academies to reach adult learners. Lowe's Foundation is also sponsoring NCCER's CareerStarter platform, a free service connecting students and job seekers with educators, employers, and career opportunities.
• Goodwill Industries InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partner strengthening skilled trades programs through clean technology pathways, including training in appliance repair, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, solar installation and EV charging maintenance.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partner embedding AI curriculum in skilled trades programs to emphasize safety and critical thinking. Also establishing Pre-Apprenticeships+ Accelerator with financial coaching and career advancement services.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit partner enhancing skilled trades job readiness programs for young adults (ages 16-24) at pilot club locations in Hobe Sound, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; and Seattle.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SkillsUSA: National workforce-development nonprofit for trade students and an actual Gable Grant recipient/partner; adjacent ecosystem participant delivering trades career pathways rather than grantmaking.
• NCCER: National nonprofit providing construction education credentials and the CareerStarter platform; a Lowe's Foundation partner and ecosystem enabler in trades training rather than a grantmaker.

Emerging players

• Generation USA: Workforce nonprofit training and placing learners into in-demand jobs including trades-adjacent roles; overlaps on the underserved-population workforce-development mission.

Direct peers

• Harbor Freight Tools for Schools: Grantmaking program funding public high school skilled-trades education; comparable retailer-affiliated philanthropy investing in trades workforce development.
• The Home Depot Foundation: Corporate foundation of Home Depot that funds skilled-trades training (e.g., Path to Pro) and veterans' housing; nearly identical model of a home-improvement retailer's philanthropic arm addressing the trades labor gap.
• mikeroweWORKS Foundation: Nonprofit awarding work-ethic scholarships to fund skilled-trades training; directly overlaps in mission of closing the skilled-labor gap through grants to trainees.
• All Within My Hands (Metallica Foundation): Foundation funding community-college trades education via the Metallica Scholars Initiative; same grant-to-institution model targeting skilled trades, and a co-funding partner of Lowe's Foundation.
• Gene Haas Foundation: Grantmaking foundation funding manufacturing and machining skills scholarships and programs; comparable corporate-linked philanthropy addressing skilled-trades shortages.

Broad incumbents

• JPMorgan Chase Foundation: Large corporate foundation with major workforce-development and skills grantmaking; overlaps on funding job training but across a much broader portfolio than trades.
• Walmart Foundation: Retailer corporate foundation making grants for workforce development and economic mobility; comparable corporate-philanthropy structure though not specialized in skilled trades.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lowesfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/LowesFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lowesfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/lowes.foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments44 records

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Frequently asked questions about Lowe's Foundation