Procore and AGC’s Education Research Foundation Create a Scholarship Fund for Students Studying Construction at HBCUs

In September 2021, the Association of General Contractors of America (AGC) Education and Research Foundation (ERF) challenged Procore to create a six-figure matching scholarship fund to support construction students at historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. Upon accepting the challenge, Procore pledged a one-time donation of $250,000, with the goal of eventually garnering enough AGC-led donations to meet and exceed Procore’s initial pledge.

The purpose of the scholarship is to ensure HBCU students have fair and equal access to a career in the construction industry. While Black employees make up 12 percent of the overall U.S. workforce, Black construction workers have continued to be disproportionately underrepresented, accounting for only 6 percent of the industry over the last 25 years. We have a responsibility to attract, hire, and promote more Black talent as we work towards a more inclusive and equitable future in construction.

Last month we hit a massive milestone at the AGC’s annual fundraising Gala hosted by the Education and Research Foundation. By the following morning, AGC members had raised over $90,000 in additional funds, exceeding Procore’s initial goal. Now having raised over half a million dollars, the AGC ERF will continue to fundraise through 2023 and begin distributing scholarships to students at Florida A&M and Tuskegee Universities for the Fall 2022 semester.

In order to create opportunities for everyone to thrive and succeed, and to open more doors for the next generation of construction professionals, we must work together. These scholarships will increase the likelihood that more students will choose construction and graduate prepared to become the leaders in the industry. Through our partnership with the AGC ERF, construction executives can invest in tomorrow’s talent today, recruiting HBCUs best and brightest directly to their firms.  

Procore is also taking steps to provide educational support to HBCUs beyond the scholarship fund. Through Procore.org, our social impact department, Florida A&M, Tuskegee, and Morgan State University receive free access to Procore’s platform and training resources to equip instructors with the tools needed to educate the future construction workforce.

"We have to give back. Everybody counts or nobody counts and that's gotta come from leadership. Procore taking the lead on this scholarship program and partnering with AGC is a grand slam home run,” said Robert Bowen, Chairman and Founder of Bowen Engineering. “We can make a real difference in our industry, in our community, and in our society. What a better place to go than to Tuskegee and other HBCUs."

Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at Procore, and our partnership with the AGC’s ERF over the past four years is built on our aligned values. Since 1970, the AGC’s ERF has awarded over 4,000 scholarships totaling over $10 million to students in construction. Along the way, we’ve seen firsthand how they have cleared the way for young people hoping to build their careers in construction, and have demonstrated the lasting value scholarships can have in equipping the next generation of leaders.

Procore is a people-first company, and we remain committed to our vision of improving the lives of everyone in construction. We continue to evolve our diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives with the goal of creating a future that empowers our employees, customers, and industry stakeholders to thrive.

Learn more about how you can support the AGC ERF and Procore HBCU scholarship fund here.