United Association Local 538 Union Hall & Training Center
Legal name: Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No 538 Educational Trust Fund
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 473376798
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2020–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019
- Location
- Johnson City, TN, USA
- Phone
- 423-928-5751
- Rating confidence
- Limited
- Sector
- Labor Unions
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $345,998
- Expenses
- $188,701
- Assets
- $248,415
- Liabilities
- $5,122
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
5 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- RANDY FRYE (TRUSTEE): $118,699 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Null. If you're new to Pipefitting & Plumbing or have less than 5 years of experience, we offer training solutions that get you to Journeyman status FAST (well-paying employment!) To learn more about our Apprenticeship Program click **HERE**. Journeyman Employment Opportunities With a HUGE demand for skilled workers that is anticipated to continue growing... we help our Journeyman (skilled workers) receive a liveable wage, safe working conditions, healthcare, & good retirement options that do NOT come out of your own paycheck. To learn more about becoming a Journeyman click **HERE**.
What it reported doing in 2024
Training of journeyman and apprentices
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.
The verdict
- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 52
- Sustainability: 61
- Growth: 40
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: Limited
- Program expense ratio: Limited
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 80%; rating input score 80; 21st percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 1 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 14
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Limited
- Other executive compensation review process: Limited
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 45.5%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.32; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: Limited
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
- Governance: 4 of 5 board members independent · 1 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $183K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $119K · 5 people listed
- Consistency: 11 of 11 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.