cultivating a community of curious, engaged individuals.

We develop working professionals and undergraduate students to approach philanthropy through the lens of thoughtful investment and rigorous underwriting.

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the usit foundation

The USIT Foundation is the 501(c)(3) parent organization of the University Securities Investment Team, the largest student-run investment fund at The University of Texas at Austin. The Foundation supports the student organization and engages its alumni to promote personal and professional growth through active charitable giving. In Spring 2020, the alumni of the USIT Foundation initiated a philanthropic Giving Pledge to commit time and resources to better our communities.

philanthropy investment team

The Philanthropy Investment Team (PIT) is the student organization that is a part of the University Securities Investment Team. PIT drives the Foundation’s philanthropic efforts via selecting nonprofits with maximal social return on investment and making informed investment recommendations to the Foundation. Learn more about our process below.

what do we do?

The Philanthropy Investment Team employs a private-equity-oriented investment style to allocate our portfolio to 501(c)(3) organizations with the highest social impact.

We also continually monitor prior donation recipients and offer pro bono advisory services to help our partners enhance their philanthropic work.

  • Donations from the USIT Foundation are funded largely by alumni of UT Austin, who have chosen to give a portion of their annual salary to highly effective charities.

  • We approach our diligence in a style similar to that of leading private and public equity investors. Our goal is to evaluate and identify best-in-class charities, measured by their impact created for each dollar of investment.

  • The Foundation’s donations are disbursed each summer and comprise the full amount of our donor pledges. Our donation represents a commitment to partner with selected charities, including providing recurring donations and other operational support as requested.

where we work.

Our members and alumni have gone on to work at leading institutions in investing, the government, the corporate world, and more.