Impact Investment Finance
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Impact Investment Finance
This course is part of Raising Impact Investment Capital Specialization
Instructor: Cathy Clark
2,384 already enrolled
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What you'll learn
Define impact investing, different types of impact investors, and their key characteristics
Explain how capital, financial return, and impact flows between investors and enterprises
Describe the common errors entrepreneurs make when raising impact investing capital
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
1 assignment
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There is 1 module in this course
What are impact investors looking for? This course offers a practical introduction to the impact investing marketplace. Youβll learn how the market is structured, including the roles of asset owners and asset managers, and how capital flows between them. The course explores how impact investors pursue both financial and social or environmental returns, and the different types of investors involved along with their motivations, constraints, and preferred investment vehicles.
Youβll hear directly from impact enterprise leaders about their experiences raising capital, and from investors about what they look for when evaluating opportunities. The course also highlights common mistakes enterprises make when seeking funding and offers strategies to attract aligned capital. By the end of this course youβll be able to identify an effective impact investing strategy, and be prepared to start your journey in the impact marketplace. This course requires no prior knowledge and is designed for anyone interested in impact investing: whether you're an aspiring investor, an enterprise leader, or exploring a career in the field. We break down key concepts, explain investor types in accessible language, and define essential financial terms.
This course offers a practical overview of the impact investing marketplace, covering how capital flows between investors and enterprises to achieve both financial and impact returns. You'll learn about the roles of asset owners and managers, the motivations and constraints of various types of impact investors, and the investment vehicles they use. The videos below include insights from both investors and enterprise leaders, highlighting what each side looks for in a successful partnership. It also addresses common mistakes enterprises make when seeking capital and how to avoid them.
What's included
9 videos5 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
9 videosβ’Total 47 minutes
- Welcome to Impact Investingβ’4 minutes
- Expert Views: Impact Investing in Actionβ’7 minutes
- What is Impact Investing?β’8 minutes
- Impact Capital Supply and Demandβ’8 minutes
- How Capital and Impact Flowβ’4 minutes
- Expert Views: Finance or Impact Firstβ’3 minutes
- Expert Views: Challenges and Benefits of Raising Impact Capitalβ’5 minutes
- Aligning with Impact Investorsβ’5 minutes
- Errors in Finding Aligned Capitalβ’4 minutes
5 readingsβ’Total 41 minutes
- General Course Informationβ’5 minutes
- Raising Impact Investment Capital Specializationβ’5 minutes
- Report a problem with the courseβ’1 minute
- Guide to Types of Impact Investorsβ’20 minutes
- Share your learning experienceβ’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ’Total 30 minutes
- Graded Quizβ’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Feedback on this Courseβ’10 minutes
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Reviewed on Apr 10, 2026
Simple and effective. Appreciate inviting guest who made it more experential
Reviewed on Jul 6, 2025
Useful for investors to get an understanding of impact investing, the objectives and the participants.
Reviewed on Aug 27, 2025
Fantastic overview of the impact investment ecosystem, the different stakeholders and the challenges of and opportunities for alignment.
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you canβt afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, youβll find a link to apply on the description page.
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