The Story Behind
Summit Impact Trust
From a student vision at Indiana University to a national nonprofit institution,
this is how Summit Impact Trust was born.
A Vision for Ethical Capital
Summit Impact Trust was founded in 2024 as a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit trust with a clear mission: to build a sustainable, ethical investment platform that generates returns exclusively for humanitarian and social impact grants.
Unlike traditional foundations that rely on annual fundraising or one-time endowments, Summit operates as a perpetual trust: investing donated capital responsibly, growing it through disciplined portfolio management, and deploying 100% of net returns to vetted nonprofit partners addressing critical needs in housing, healthcare, education, environmental restoration, and more.
Built for the Long Term
Summit was structured not as a temporary initiative, but as a permanent institution: one designed to outlive its founders and serve communities for generations. With a board of independent trustees, transparent governance, and a commitment to zero administrative overhead for personal profit, Summit represents a new model of philanthropy: lean, scalable, and mission-driven.
The organization is national in scope but rooted in the belief that ethical capital can do more than generate wealth: it can transform lives. Every dollar donated to Summit is invested with strict ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) screening, ensuring that the trust never profits from harm. The returns? They go directly to organizations making measurable, lasting impact.
501(c)(3) Trust
IRS-approved charitable foundation structure
Independent Governance
Board oversight and fiduciary responsibility
National Reach
Impact across communities and continents
The Principles That Guide Us
Summit Impact Trust is built on three core principles that define everything we do:
1. Ethical Investment
We invest with conscience. Our portfolio excludes companies involved in weapons manufacturing, predatory lending, environmental destruction, and human rights violations. We believe capital should grow without causing harm, and that starts with how we deploy it.
2. Strategic Philanthropy
Every grant we deploy is chosen based on measurable outcomes, organizational credibility, and alignment with our impact priorities. We focus on organizations addressing root causes, not just symptoms, of inequality, suffering, and systemic injustice.
3. Radical Transparency
We publish our financials, grant history, and governance structure openly. Donors, partners, and the public can see exactly where funds come from, how they're invested, and where they go. Trust is earned through accountability.
This philosophy isn't just aspirational; it's operational. It guides our investment committee, our grant selection process, and our long-term strategy. Summit Impact Trust exists to prove that doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive.
Inspired by ECMG
Envision Capital Management Group (ECMG)
Founded 2018 | Indiana University | Student-Run Investment Fund
Before Summit Impact Trust existed, there was ECMG: Envision Capital Management Group, a student-run 501(c)(3) investment fund founded in 2018 at Indiana University. ECMG was built on a simple but bold idea: students could manage real capital, make real investment decisions, and donate real returns to nonprofit organizations.
For several years, ECMG operated as a training ground for students passionate about finance, ethical investing, and social impact. Members analyzed portfolios, conducted market research, and deployed funds to causes they believed in. It was more than a student club: it was a laboratory for mission-driven finance.
A Foundation of Experience
Through ECMG, the founder of Summit Impact Trust learned firsthand the power of student-led philanthropy, the importance of transparent governance, and the challenges of building something from nothing. The lessons from ECMG, about ethical screening, grant selection, and the responsibility that comes with managing donor capital, became the blueprint for what Summit would become.
As the founder graduated and moved beyond the university, ECMG eventually dissolved as a student organization. Its board approved a donation of remaining assets, and the chapter closed. But the vision didn't end there.
"ECMG taught me that students don't need permission to create impact; they need structure, guidance, and real responsibility. Summit takes that philosophy and builds it into something permanent, national, and professionally governed."
— Ishaan K. Sandhir, Founder & Trustee
Important Clarification:
Summit Impact Trust is not the legal successor, continuation, or rebranding of ECMG. It is a separate, independent 501(c)(3) organization with its own governance, tax-exempt status, and operational structure. Summit was founded as a new entity, inspired by the values and lessons of ECMG, but built to operate at a national scale with professional oversight and long-term institutional stability.
ECMG's legacy lives on in Summit's commitment to student engagement, ethical investment, and transparent grant-making, but Summit represents an evolution, not a continuation. It is the next chapter of a bigger mission: to prove that philanthropy can be built on discipline, students can lead with real responsibility, and capital can be a force for lasting good.
ECMG's Legacy
- • Student-led impact investing model
- • Ethical portfolio screening standards
- • Transparent grant deployment process
- • Campus-based financial education
Summit's Evolution
- • National nonprofit trust structure
- • Professional governance and fiduciary oversight
- • Multi-campus student chapter network
- • Permanent institutional foundation
Why a Nonprofit Trust?
Summit Impact Trust wasn't structured as a traditional 501(c)(3) foundation by accident. The decision to operate as a nonprofit trust reflects a deliberate commitment to permanence, accountability, and mission-driven governance.
Built to Last
A trust structure ensures that Summit operates in perpetuity, with governance and mission continuity built into its legal foundation. Unlike organizations that rely on annual fundraising or temporary grants, Summit is designed to exist for generations: investing, growing, and giving long after its founders are gone.
Independent Oversight
Summit is governed by a board of independent trustees who serve as fiduciaries: legally bound to act in the best interest of the trust's mission, not personal gain. This structure eliminates conflicts of interest and ensures that every decision is made with integrity and accountability.
Mission-Locked Capital
Because Summit operates as a trust, its assets are permanently dedicated to charitable purposes. Funds cannot be diverted, dissolved, or redistributed for personal profit. Donors can give with confidence, knowing their contributions will be invested ethically and deployed strategically, now and in the future.
This structure also enables Summit to operate with minimal overhead. Unlike traditional foundations with large administrative staffs and office expenses, Summit is lean by design: managed by trustees, volunteers, and a growing network of student chapters who work directly on investment analysis, grant evaluation, and program execution.
The result? More capital deployed to impact. Less wasted on bureaucracy. A model that scales without sacrificing integrity.
How Summit Creates Impact
Summit Impact Trust operates on a simple, repeatable cycle designed to maximize long-term impact:
Accept Donations
We receive capital from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors committed to ethical philanthropy.
Invest Ethically
Capital is invested in a diversified, ESG-screened portfolio managed with fiduciary responsibility.
Deploy Returns
100% of net investment returns are granted to vetted nonprofits addressing critical humanitarian needs.
This model ensures that donated capital works in perpetuity: growing over time and funding more grants each year without depleting the principal. It's sustainable philanthropy, designed to compound impact across decades.
Our Impact Focus Areas
Every grant is selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by our investment and grants committee, with input from student chapters at partner universities. We prioritize organizations with proven track records, measurable outcomes, and alignment with our ethical standards.
Student Chapters
While Summit Impact Trust is a nationally governed nonprofit, we believe that students should play a central role in its mission. That's why we're building a network of campus chapters at universities across the country, starting with Indiana University: the birthplace of ECMG and the inspiration for Summit's founding.
How Campus Chapters Work
Student chapters operate as independent campus organizations affiliated with Summit Impact Trust. They are not legal branches of the trust, but rather partners: clubs or student groups that work alongside Summit to advance its mission on their campuses.
Chapter members gain hands-on experience in investment analysis, grant evaluation, nonprofit partnerships, and philanthropic strategy. They work on real projects with real capital, guided by Summit's professional trustees and advisory board.
Important Distinction:
Campus chapters are not subsidiaries or extensions of Summit Impact Trust. They are independent student organizations that collaborate with Summit, contribute research and analysis, and help execute the trust's mission at the university level. This structure allows students to engage meaningfully without creating legal or governance complexity for the trust itself.
What Students Gain
- • Real-world investment and grant-making experience
- • Mentorship from finance and nonprofit professionals
- • Leadership roles in a mission-driven organization
- • Resume-building work with measurable impact
What Summit Gains
- • Talented analysts and grant researchers
- • Campus ambassadors spreading the mission
- • Diverse perspectives on impact priorities
- • A pipeline of future philanthropic leaders
Our first campus chapter launched at Indiana University in 2024, honoring the legacy of ECMG while building something new. As Summit grows, we plan to expand to universities nationwide, creating a movement of students who believe that capital can, and should, be a force for good.