charities.
ABOUT
See below for the charities to which PIT has previously donated, our investment theses, and our supporting research. Charities are sourced and pitched by Junior Analysts and Senior Analysts and are reviewed by Portfolio Managers and the Giving Committee. Portfolio Managers lead updated diligence annually to determine how charities have used our donations. These pitches analyze a variety of nonprofit organizations through a private-equity-inspired diligence process and serve as a testament to the USIT Foundation's commitment to seeking out nonprofit charities of the highest quality.
CHARITY PORTFOLIO
REHABILITATION ENABLES DREAMS (RED)
Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED) is a Georgia-based charity that transforms the lives of justice-involved young adults through a 12-month diversion program. Participants experience a 0-5% three-year recidivism rate, an 85% increase in employment relative to pre-arrest rates, and a 47% increase in educational attainment. Our donation funded a cohort of 25 RED participants to cultivate municipality adoption and funding.
Final Presentation (2021) | Portfolio Update (2022) | Portfolio Update (2023)
PRISON ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM (PEP)
Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) is a Texas-based charity that specializes in utilizing entrepreneurial education to help prisoners find jobs, open businesses, and leave the CJS. PEP provides a 9-month in-prison entrepreneurship education and a 6-9 month post-prison business accelerator. Our donation is funding PEP’s replication and digitalization strategy, which includes a model scalable to other Texas prisons.
Final Presentation (2021) | Portfolio Update (2022) | Portfolio Update (2023)
ESSILOR VISION FOUNDATION
Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) is a Texas-based nonprofit that operates nationwide, empowering children to reach their full potential by giving them the ability to see clearly. It provides eye screenings, exams, glasses, and other visual resources to children whose families couldn’t afford them otherwise. Our donation is helping to fund child vision access through the CLTL program, a capital-light and scalable service delivery channel.
LITERACY PARTNERS
Literacy Partners (LP) is a New York City-based organization focused on improving 2-Generation outcomes for parents and their children through English language learning. 83% of LP students made a one-level gain in English proficiency and 63% of LP students made a 2+ level gain. Our donation funded an evening class for LP’s English for Parents program, a program with 200+ hours of classwork and language practice.
HEALTHY FUTURES OF TEXAS
Healthy Futures of Texas works to reduce teen pregnancies through science-based education and advocacy efforts. In Bexar County, where the charity runs all sex education, there has been a 62% decrease in the teen birth rate - significantly higher than the overall decrease of 51% in Texas overall. Prior to Healthy Futures’ involvement, Bexar County’s teen rate of pregnancy was 7% higher than the state average - it is now 1% lower
DOORS OF HOPE
Doors of Hope is a long-term rehabilitative center focused on empowering women to break the cycle of addiction, homelessness, and incarceration through education, intervention, mentoring, and case management in a safe and supportive recovery-based environment. It also offers a recovery-based re-entry program and drug rehabilitation in 50+ counties across the state of Tennessee.
PELOTONU
PelotonU is an Austin-based charity that enables non-traditional students to receive higher education. PelotonU's program consists of a competency-based curriculum and wrap-around management support. Coaches guide students weekly through an exclusive competency-based curriculum from SNHU and WGU, where students are able to complete as many projects as they can, which are then graded by field experts.
PRISON SCHOLAR FUND
Prison Scholar Fund (PSF) is a Seattle-based charity that specializes in providing CS-based education, transition, and employment assistance. PSF's growing network with ex-FAANG startups and partnerships with companies like Microsoft and Google ensure high job placement. Students earn an average salary of 96k post-release, a 100% job placement rate within 90 days of release, and an impressively low 4% recidivism rate.
INSIDE CIRCLE
Inside Circle is a Sacramento-based charity specializing in mental health solutions for incarcerated individuals, allowing them to process trauma, leave the prison system, and find long-term stability. The model builds healing communities around peer-led support circles, which replace gang culture. Inside Circle has overseen a reduction in Rule 115 (serious) violations by 80% and has an impressive 3-year recidivism of 0%.
MONEYTHINK
Moneythink is a Chicago-based charity that provides financial coaching to students in low-income school districts. Moneythink has helped students receive over $2.4M in financial aid, with students borrowing 42% less than their peers. 82% of students completed the FAFSA vs. 55% nationally, 87% of students created financial plans, and 81% of students enrolled in a recommended affordable college.
BETTER FUTURES MINNESOTA
Better Futures Minnesota is a Minnesota-based charity that provides holistic care to prevent recidivism for formerly incarcerated men. The charity employs ex-offenders in landfill diversion, deconstruction, and appliance recycling to generate revenue for housing, healthcare, and job training programs. Their unique business model generates a substantial program service revenue of $1.5M, providing a model for stable long-term growth.
ELEVATE USA
Elevate USA is a Colorado-based charity that improves economic mobility for at-risk youth by helping them graduate high school and pursue college or a long-term career. The charity's scalable, data-driven program has been successfully implemented in over 17 cities across the nation. 89% of students are on track to graduate high school and 71% of alumni have a college graduate or are on track to attain one.
GREEN FOREST WORK
Green Forest Work is a Chicago-based charity that combats climate change by planting trees to reduce carbon emissions. The charity reforests Appalachia, an area defined as one of four globally important regions for terrestrial biodiversity. It has planted over 5 million trees over 9,400 acres at an estimated cost of $2.50 per tree - ~52x more cost-efficient than comparable tree planting charities.
WASTE CAP
Waste Cap is a Wisconsin-based charity that employs a consulting-style model to reduce waste and costs for its clients. The charity's Wisconsin projects generate a diversion rate of 85.3% with an average partnership retention length of 3-7 years. Clients (generally state projects or other large institutions) receive a personalized package of services and activities and achieve a zero-waste certification.
WELL DONE FOUNDATION
Well Done Foundation is a Montana-based charity that plugs abandoned oil and gas wells, preventing methane emissions from entering the atmosphere. Since its founding in 2019, the Well Done Foundation has plugged 26 wells, permanently reducing methane emissions by 950,000 metric tons of CO2E through their 5-step process. The organization is also a leading sponsor of the American Carbon Registry's Methodology.