SMART is a labor union representing workers in the sheet metal, air, rail and transportation industries, advocating for worker rights, retirement security, wages and working conditions, training, health & safety, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
A defining pattern in International Association of Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation Workers' giving is sustained support for the Sheet Metal Political Education League, with grants of $1,004,000 in 2023, $1,500,000 in 2024, and $2,316,480 in 2025. That three-year sequence shows a funder that uses program support over time rather than isolated awards. The association’s philanthropy also extends to regional councils, including Sheet Metal Southwest Gulf Coast Regional Council and Sheet Metal Northeast Regional Council, which received program support in separate years. Those awards fit the organization’s broader role as a labor union serving workers in sheet metal, air, rail, and transportation industries. Its stated priorities include scholarships and education, workforce training and apprenticeship, labor rights and advocacy, health and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and member services and benefits. The grantmaking profile is also consistent with restricted program or project funding and direct support for specific activities.
Education appears in multiple parts of the portfolio. Through its active scholarship programs, SMART supports sheet metal members and their families in the United States and Canada, and also offers transportation scholarships for transportation members and their families. The foundation’s labor focus is visible in program support to the Sheet Metal Political Education League, which received $2,316,480 in 2025. Regional member infrastructure also receives funding: Sheet Metal Southwest Gulf Coast Regional Council received $125,000 in 2024, and Sheet Metal Northeast Regional Council received $125,000 in 2024 and again in 2025. Together, these grants point to a mix of education, member support, and sector-specific advocacy.
Grant sizes cluster in the mid-six figures, with a 25th percentile of $125,000, a median of $564,500, and a 75th percentile of $1,128,000. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipient across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating recurring funding rather than one-time awards. SMART is a public charity, and its stated philosophy emphasizes restricted program or project funding and direct program/activity support. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$5.2M
$440.2M
$100.3M
$99.6M
Most grants fall between $125K and $1.1M, with a median of $565K.
25th Percentile
$125K
Median
$565K
75th Percentile
$1.1M
About 50% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Giving is regional and heavily concentrated in the District of Columbia: 50% of grants go to recipients in DC, and the top state by grant count is DC. The recipient list also includes San Antonio, Texas, and Dorchester, Massachusetts. All recent grants in the data went to US recipients, with 6 grants recorded in the United States.
Its stated focus areas include scholarships and education, workforce training and apprenticeship, labor rights and advocacy, health and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and member services and benefits. The recent grants also show program support for regional councils and political education work.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals. Its active scholarship programs are described for members and their families, but the grantmaking data itself is organization-to-organization support.
Typical grants are substantial: the 25th percentile is $125,000, the median is $564,500, and the 75th percentile is $1,128,000. Recent awards also include several $125,000 grants and one multi-million-dollar grant.
The same recipient appears across multiple years. The Sheet Metal Political Education League received $1,004,000 in 2023, $1,500,000 in 2024, and $2,316,480 in 2025, which shows a recurring pattern of support.
The top state by grant count is DC, and 50% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Recent grants also went to organizations in Texas and Massachusetts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,316,480 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SHEET METAL NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL | DORCHESTER, MA | $125,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,500,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SHEET METAL SOUTHWEST GULF COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $125,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SHEET METAL NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL | DORCHESTER, MA | $125,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,004,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE
$2,316,480PROGRAM SUPPORT
SHEET METAL NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL
$125,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE
$1,500,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SHEET METAL SOUTHWEST GULF COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL
$125,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SHEET METAL NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL
$125,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SHEET METAL POLITICAL EDUCATION LEAGUE
$1,004,000PROGRAM SUPPORT