Impact Investing Courses and Training – The Impact Investing Guide

When looking to enter the industry it can be beneficial to take specialist impact investing courses not only to develop relevant skills, but also demonstrate your commitment to potential employers. The following courses allow you to do build out your CV in your spare time for little or even no financial outlay. The list is ordered starting with most recommended:

Invest with Impact – Career Coaching [Free] [1 hour]
A free consultation call, with follow-on paid coaching available to help talent address their main needs as they transition into the sector.

+Acumen – Various Courses [Free] [10-30 hours]
+Acumen run various scheduled courses such as ‘Financial Modelling for the Social Sector’, ‘Social Impact Analysis’ and ‘Designing for Environmental Sustainability and Social Impact’. Most courses are free.

PRI Academy – Enhanced Financial Analysis [£300 – £600 GBP] [10 hours]
The course aims to provide candidates with a detailed understanding of the place of sustainability in finance, and the role of ESG factors in financial decision making. Targeted at investment professionals, the course aims to build the skills necessary to identify new value drivers in financial analysis, and apply practical tools to modelling and stock valuation.Approved by the CFA Institute, a 50% student discount is available for this course.

CFA – Certificate in ESG Investing [$675 GBP] [130 hours]
This certificate is designed for investment practitioners who want to learn more about how to analyze and integrate material ESG factors into their day-to-day roles. It is suitable for anyone working in front or back offices and adjacent roles — including sales and distribution, wealth management, product development, financial advice, consulting, risk — as well as anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues.

Wharton Online – Business Strategies for Social Impact [£37 GBP] [20 hours]
Designed to help individuals, organizations, and investors bring about societal change, this course introduces the fundamentals of impact investing, and developing a business strategy that drives social impact.

GIIN – Impact Measurement and Management [£750 GBP] [2 days]
This in-person course is hosted at locations around the world and aimed at investment professionals wanting to include impact in their reporting. “IMM gives investors the tools and guidance needed to develop an impact measurement practice that fits their unique operational and strategic context. Investors who complete this course will walk away with a refined impact proposition that clarifies their impact purpose and goals; an increased ability to design a low-cost IMM practice that creates tangible business value; and increased awareness of leading practices for using impact data to improve product development and distribution, portfolio company engagement, and investment decisions.” See the link for the next scheduled course.

GIIN – Guide for Impact Investment Fund Managers [Free] [6 hours]
This online, self-guided curriculum advises fund managers on developing a fund structured, managed, and marketed to effectively deliver on impact and financial goals, and appeal to today’s impact investing LPs.

Oxford SAID – Impact Investing Program [£6000 GBP] [5 days]
On this pioneering programme, you will develop a deep and broad understanding of the impact investment sector and understand how to make more targeted investment decisions. You will learn how to: work effectively as an impact investment practitioner, develop an effective strategy and plan, measure and assess your impact. You will study in a dynamic learning environment, supported by our community of highly experienced academics, guest speakers and partners from all over the world. On completion, you will have the skills and knowledge to play your role as a key participant in community-based global change and the impact investing profession.

Middlebury – Frontier Market Scouts Certificate [$4000 USD] [14 days]
Award-winning program that provides intensive two-week certificate trainings that prepare participants for careers in the fields of social enterprise and impact investing. Through the combination of lectures and actionable projects, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the key players in the impact sector, how to design an innovative impact-focused business model, and what it takes to implement and scale a social venture.

UK Industry Focus

The two courses below are not focused on Impact Investing but useful for MBAs wanting to work in investment in the UK – perhaps at an impact investing fund or in an intermediate role on the path to impact investing.

CII – Discretionary Investment Management [£265 GBP] [1 hour]
This J10 unit of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Diploma in Financial Planning covers various aspects of investment analysis and portfolio management.

CFA – Investment Management Certificate [£700 GBP] [1 hour]
The benchmark entry-level qualification into the UK investment profession. It delivers the threshold competency knowledge required by investment professionals involved in portfolio management, research analysis, and other front office investment activities. The examinations cover the key content areas appropriate for these roles including economics, accounting, investment practice, regulation, and ethics.