Home Depot Foundation launches 'Path to Pro' grants
The Home Depot Foundation announced new 'Path to Pro Education Grants' aimed at reviving shop classes nationwide, a move designed to rebuild skilled pipelines and community ties reported. Those grants could create local demand for tools and training resources in stores.
On March 10, 2026 The Home Depot Foundation announced (corporate.homedepot.com) an initial $1 million investment to launch the nationwide Path to Pro Education Grants with applications now open. Grants of up to $10,000 are being awarded in Home Depot gift cards to accredited K‑12 schools, community and technical colleges, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits for tools, products, equipment or new/remodeled training spaces (corporate.homedepot.com). Eligible nonprofit applicants must have a current operating budget of at least $300,000 and audited financial statements from the past three years (with exemptions for schools), and the program permits only one request per organization with funds limited to program-related expenses (corporate.homedepot.com). The Education Grants are part of the broader Path to Pro effort—a $50 million Foundation commitment launched in 2018—and the Foundation reports the Path to Pro platform has introduced roughly ~600,000 individuals to the trades and certified more than 70,000 participants through nonprofit partners. (corporate.homedepot.com) The national rollout builds on a 2025 Southern California pilot that directed $500,000 into skilled trades programming as part of a $3 million wildfire recovery commitment announced in January 2025. (corporate.homedepot.com) The Foundation cites labor metrics showing about 300,000 open construction jobs today, a projected need for roughly 4.1 million construction workers over the next decade, and an estimated 41% of the current construction workforce set to retire by 2031, with the grants emphasizing carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and construction management training. (corporate.homedepot.com)
