The Wells Fargo Foundation announced that it is providing a $750,000 grant to establish the Team Rubicon TRades Academy. The TRades Academy initiative aims to equip individuals with trade skills, such as contracting, electric, plumbing, and HVAC, for application in various communities, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The TRades Academy aims to significantly expand Team Rubicon's rebuild operations by the end of 2025. The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation is set to match donations up to $6.5 million including the initial Wells Fargo grant. This supports the program's focus on serving veterans and providing training in skilled trades for employment and leadership opportunities in communities said Wells Fargo.

“The TRades Academy is a visionary program that encompasses so many priority areas for Wells Fargo from supporting veterans to keeping people in affordable homes,” said Anna Bard, head of employee giving, service and disaster relief at Wells Fargo. “Team Rubicon is empowering people with skills and certifications so that communities will have access to qualified rebuilding experts and program participants can effectively start their own small business. We are investing in long‑term impact for veterans and the communities they live in nationwide.”

Since 2021, the Wells Fargo Foundation has been a partner of Team Rubicon. Previously, Wells Fargo provided a grant of $2.5 million to Team Rubicon enabling the humanitarian organization to rapidly respond and aid communities in the aftermath of disasters or crises according to a press release by Wells Fargo.

“Wells Fargo’s continued partnership with Team Rubicon remains essential in our mission to assist the most vulnerable communities,” said Team Rubicon CEO Art delaCruz. “Looking forward, Wells Fargo is at the forefront of our efforts as Team Rubicon performs long‑term recovery by supporting TRades to address the growing skilled labor shortage.”