Financing for Impact Entrepreneurs
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Financing for Impact Entrepreneurs
This course is part of Raising Impact Investment Capital Specialization
Instructor: Cathy Clark
Included with
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What you'll learn
Identify and compare 12 types of impact capital, including their benefits, risks, and ideal use cases
Evaluate which capital types best align with a venture's mission, growth stage, and financial strategy
Describe how innovative capital structures are designed to meet the needs of impact enterprises
Make informed decisions about financing options that support long-term impact and sustainability
Skills you'll gain
- Finance
- Return On Investment
- Market Dynamics
- Entrepreneurship
- Strategic Partnership
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Financial Management
- International Finance
- Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG)
- Asset Management
- Business Management
- Portfolio Management
- Social Impact
- Business Strategy
- Fiscal Management
- Entrepreneurial Finance
- Capital Markets
- Investment Management
- Investments
- Corporate Finance
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There is 1 module in this course
What is the best kind of capital for an impact venture? This course helps you answer that question by exploring the wide range of capital types available to impact-driven enterprises and how to choose the right fit based on your venture’s goals and stage of growth.
You’ll begin by learning how the impact investing marketplace has evolved to meet the unique needs of impact entrepreneurs, including the creation of innovative capital structures. Through short, accessible primers, you’ll explore 12 types of impact capital: each with its own benefits, trade-offs, and ideal use cases. By the end of the course, you’ll not only understand the landscape of impact capital, but also gain the tools to evaluate which type best aligns with your venture’s mission, growth stage, and financial strategy. This course is ideal for aspiring and current impact entrepreneurs, managers seeking capital, emerging impact investors, and anyone curious about the growing field of impact investing. No prior experience is required—we break down complex ideas into clear language and provide practical tools and templates to support your learning and application.
Explore the wide range of capital types available to impact-driven enterprises—and how to choose the right fit based on your venture’s goals and stage of growth. You will learn how the impact investing marketplace has evolved to meet the unique needs of impact entrepreneurs, including the creation of innovative capital structures. You will explore 12 types of impact capital—each with its own benefits, trade-offs, and ideal use cases—and gain the tools to evaluate which type best aligns with your venture’s mission, growth stage, and financial strategy.
What's included
2 videos23 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
2 videos•Total 16 minutes
- Why Type of Capital Matters•5 minutes
- Five Big Tips for Raising Impact Capital•11 minutes
23 readings•Total 202 minutes
- General Course Information•5 minutes
- Raising Impact Investment Capital Specialization•5 minutes
- Report a Problem with this Course•10 minutes
- Capital for Stages of Growth•5 minutes
- The Basic Three: Grants, Debt, Equity•5 minutes
- Grant Primer•10 minutes
- Loan Guarantee Primer•10 minutes
- Outcomes-Based Financing Primer•10 minutes
- Convertible Grant Primer•10 minutes
- Forgiveable Loan and Recoverable Grant Primer•10 minutes
- PRI Debt and Equity Primer•10 minutes
- Debt Primer•10 minutes
- Revenue-Based Financing Primer•10 minutes
- Convertible Debt Primer•10 minutes
- SAFE Simple Agreement for Future Equity Primer•10 minutes
- Redeemable Equity Primer•10 minutes
- Equity Primer•10 minutes
- Note on Crowdfunding•5 minutes
- Note on Blended Finance•5 minutes
- Types of Capital Comparison Tool•20 minutes
- Resource: Types of Capital Comparison Grid•10 minutes
- Additional Resources on Types of Capital•2 minutes
- Share your Learning Experience•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Graded Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Feedback on this Course•10 minutes
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