Foundation for the Trades

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
833524436
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Iowa City, IA, USA
Phone
3195940617
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$78,535
Expenses
$37,802
Assets
$105,536

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide grants, curriculum,, and supplies that focus awareness in preparing students for a career in the skilled building trades.

What it reported doing in 2025

Fundraising golf event

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 72% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 38
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27.2%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 54.9%; rating input score 55

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 51.9%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.79; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 43% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 45.1% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27.2% of revenue deployed · 54.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $21K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 27/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.