The Summit Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The Summit Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Summit Foundation
- Legal name
- The Summit Foundation
- Website
- https://summitfdn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Summit Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Family Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where The Summit Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Summit Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation depends on its endowment's returns to sustain both grantmaking and operations. They seek to earn a market rate of return on the majority of their investments while maintaining mission alignment through positive and negative screens.
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Summit Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Summit Foundation is a multigenerational private family foundation that funds mission-aligned nonprofit partners through three core grantmaking programs: Equality for Women and Girls (Central America and the US), Resilient Mesoamerican Reef (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras), and Sustainable Cities (US urban climate action). It awards grants proactively (it does not accept unsolicited proposals), maintains a public Grants Database of awards since 2020, and manages its endowment with mission-aligned investment screens via partners such as Cambridge Associates.
Product overview
The Summit Foundation operates as a multigenerational private family foundation headquartered in Washington DC, organized around three core grantmaking programs: the Equality for Women and Girls Program, the Resilient Mesoamerican Reef Program, and the Sustainable Cities Program. The foundation also maintains a public Grants Database for tracking awarded grants since 2020, and an Our Investments portal describing its endowment management approach. The foundation does not offer technology products or SaaS services; its offerings consist entirely of philanthropic grantmaking and related educational resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Equality for Women and Girls Program Grantmaking initiative of The Summit Foundation that seeks to achieve gender equality by amplifying voices and championing rights of women and girls in Central America and the United States through girls' education, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, child marriage prevention, engaging boys and men for gender equality, women's economic opportunity, youth leadership, and civil society strengthening.
- Resilient Mesoamerican Reef Program Grantmaking initiative of The Summit Foundation that seeks to secure a healthy and resilient Mesoamerican Reef ecosystem spanning more than 600 miles across Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, focusing on marine protected area expansion, sustainable fisheries (including Belize fisheries), nutrient pollution reduction, coral/mangrove/seagrass protection, and science-based conservation.
- Sustainable Cities Program Grantmaking initiative of The Summit Foundation focused on significantly reducing carbon emissions and pollution through city-led transformative climate action, supporting equitable transit expansion, building decarbonization, fossil fuel removal, and clean energy transition in U.S. cities, with an aim of full carbon neutrality by 2050.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 25,000 girls and 500 mentors reached through Abriendo Oportunidades program in Guatemala
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Summit Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Summit Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
The Summit Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Intentional Endowments NetworkcoreThe foundation is a member of this network focused on sustainable endowment management practices.
- Population CouncilcoreLong-term partner running Abriendo Oportunidades program reaching 25,000+ girls. Also collaborated on Invisible Threads report addressing migration through investment in women and girls.
- Asociación Mujeres Liderando GuatemalacoreFormer El Colectivo grantee now a standalone nonprofit, supported by Summit since 2021. AMLG empowers Indigenous women through leadership development.
- MAIAcoreCo-founder of El Colectivo initiative, working with Summit Foundation since 2021.
- WINGS GuatemalacoreCo-founder of El Colectivo initiative, providing reproductive health services in Guatemala.
- Women's Justice InitiativecoreCo-founder of El Colectivo, working on women's rights and justice in Guatemala.
- Wuqu' KawoqcoreCo-founder of El Colectivo, providing health and education services.
- Red de Mujeres Indígenas (REDMI Aq'ab'al)minorNetwork of Indigenous women co-founded by former AO mentor Elizabeth Vasquez to replicate AO programming.
- Na'leb'akminorMaya-Q'eqchi'-led organization established by former AO mentors, empowering girls through AO-inspired mentorship.
- Transportation for AmericacoreSummit grantee that conducted AI-assisted review of over 57,000 IIJA-funded project descriptions to analyze state spending and climate impact.
- Tri-State Transportation CampaigncoreLong-term advocate for congestion pricing since 2007, played pivotal role in winning New York City's program.
- Regional Plan AssociationcorePartnered on congestion pricing advocacy since 2007, analyzing traffic patterns and commuting impacts.
- Greater Greater WashingtoncoreSupported since 2019 for advocacy work advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice in transportation.
- Together for BrotherscoreGrantee that led Zero Fares Coalition to win permanent fare-free transit in Albuquerque.
- Stand.earthcoreSAFE Cities Campaign recognized by Fast Company 2023 Most Innovative Companies. Coalition has 135+ cities in 17 countries.
- YIELD HubcoreFunded by Summit and other foundations, focuses on youth partnership in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Mesoamerican Reef FundcoreLaunched MAR+Invest, a $1.7M blended finance mechanism for reef-positive business opportunities.
- Healthy Reefs for Healthy People InitiativecoreMonitors reef health across the Mesoamerican Reef with 70+ partners, produces annual Report Card.
- Sea Around UsminorResearch initiative at University of British Columbia supporting Belize fisheries project.
- MRAG AmericasminorFisheries science and management expertise supporting Belize sustainable fisheries project.
- Environmental Law InstituteminorLegal expertise supporting Belize fisheries sustainability project.
- Girl RisingcoreSupported RISE Guatemala program, merged with She's the First in 2025 for expanded girls' education impact.
- She's the FirstcoreEllas al Frente initiative in Central America, merged with Girl Rising in 2025, impacting 6,000+ girls.
- Indigenous Justice CirclecoreNative-female-led nonprofit supporting Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQ+ youth through Girl Societies program.
- Panorama GlobalcoreProvides fiscal sponsorship and business operational support for Indigenous Justice Circle.
- FUNDAECOcoreGuatemalan nonprofit partnered on Invisible Threads report addressing migration through women's investment.
- Population InstituteminorCollaborated on Invisible Threads report examining factors driving migration from Guatemala.
- Global Fund for ChildrencoreManager of RECARGA initiative supporting educational recovery in Central America with funder collaborative.
- Biodiversity Funders GroupminorConference co-organizer for transportation advocacy funder summit.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Summit Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Tides Foundation: Fiscal-sponsorship and grantmaking infrastructure organization that supports many of the same social/environmental causes as Summit and partners with funds for marine, climate, and gender-justice work.
Broad incumbents
- Ford Foundation: Large international foundation with deep gender, climate/just-transition, and Indigenous-rights portfolios that overlap with Summit's three focus areas and Central American footprint.
- MacArthur Foundation: Established general-purpose foundation with major climate (including cities/grids) and gender portfolios; overlaps with Summit on sustainable cities and women's empowerment themes and is a benchmark for private-foundation scale and approach.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies / Rockefeller Foundation: General-purpose foundation historically active on U.S. cities, climate, and gender—comparator for foundation scale, geographic reach, and program governance.
Direct peers
- Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major private foundation with a strong U.S./global cities climate portfolio (including the C40 Cities partnership) that overlaps directly with Summit's Sustainable Cities program in mission and geography.
- Oak Foundation: International family foundation funding women's rights, Indigenous communities, and the environment; comparable in sector mix and in operating across multiple distinct cause areas with long-term commitments.
- Moore Foundation: Family foundation with a flagship ocean and marine conservation portfolio, alongside environmental and special-projects initiatives, that competes for talent and influence in the marine conservation field.
- Walton Family Foundation: Large private family foundation that, like The Summit Foundation, runs multi-decade marine and climate grantmaking and was the prior employer of Summit's Resilient MAR director. Directly comparable in private-family-foundation model with environment and ocean portfolios.
- The David and Lucile Packard Foundation: Private family foundation with a dedicated ocean conservation program, marine fisheries investments, and gender programs—closely paralleling Summit's Resilient Mesoamerican Reef and Equality for Women and Girls focus.
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Large private foundation with active climate, gender equity, and ocean programs, including U.S. cities work that overlaps with Summit's grantmaking footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Summit Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Summit Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Summit Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Summit Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Summit Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Summit Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Summit Foundation
What does The Summit Foundation do?
The Summit Foundation is a multigenerational private family foundation that funds mission-aligned nonprofit partners through three core grantmaking programs: Equality for Women and Girls (Central America and the US), Resilient Mesoamerican Reef (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras), and Sustainable Cities (US urban climate action). It awards grants proactively (it does not accept unsolicited proposals), maintains a public Grants Database of awards since 2020, and manages its endowment with mission-aligned investment screens via partners such as Cambridge Associates.
Is The Summit Foundation a public or private company?
The Summit Foundation is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Summit Foundation founded?
The Summit Foundation was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Summit Foundation based?
The Summit Foundation is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Summit Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: endowment Investment Returns.
Who are The Summit Foundation's main competitors?
Tides Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies / Rockefeller Foundation. Direct peers are Bloomberg Philanthropies, Oak Foundation, Moore Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Does The Summit Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Summit Foundation.
What industry is The Summit Foundation in?
The Summit Foundation's product category is Private Family Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.