Raising Impact Investment Capital is a practical, self‑paced set of courses available on Coursera that equips entrepreneurs, investors, and educators with the tools to navigate the impact investing marketplace. The series distills decades of field research, case studies, and practitioner perspectives into actionable learning for anyone seeking to raise—or deploy—capital for impact.
This course series is made possible through the generous support of
Across five concise, online courses, learners gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to:
- Understand how the impact investing ecosystem works
- Diagnose readiness for investment and craft a justifiable ask
- Build investor‑ready financial models that align capital with mission
- Evaluate and choose the right type of capital for your venture’s stage and goals
- Engage with investors, pitch effectively, navigate due diligence, and negotiate favorable terms
Course Map
Impact Investment Finance. Get behind the curtain of impact investing. Learn who the players are, how capital flows, and what investors really want when they look at social and environmental ventures. You’ll also hear directly from entrepreneurs and investors about what works—and what doesn’t—when raising capital.
Creating an Impact Investment Ask. Investors want to know one thing: what’s the next big milestone your venture will reach—and why do you need capital to get there? You’ll diagnose your venture’s readiness around growth and impact dimensions and then use that insight to begin crafting a clear, credible, and compelling “justifiable ask.”
Building Financial Models for Entrepreneurs. How much capital do you really need? This course takes you step-by-step through building a financial model with our guided template. You’ll calculate your funding gap, pressure-test your projections, and explore different financing scenarios—so you can confidently back up your ask with numbers your investors trust.
Financing for Impact Entrepreneurs. Not all capital is the same. This course introduces you to 12 types of impact capital—from grants to equity to innovative hybrid models—and helps you decide which fits your venture’s mission, stage, and growth goals.
Negotiating with Impact Investors. Once you’ve got investor attention, how do you turn interest into a deal that works? This course shows you how to build a cohesive investment story, prepare for due diligence, and negotiate terms that balance financial return with impact.
Featured Voices
The five courses in Raising Impact Investment Capital are taught by CASE Faculty Director Cathy Clark.
The courses also feature the advice, best practices, and lessons learned from a number of entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors. Thank you to the following members of the impact community who contributed insights through interviews featured in our course videos and contributions to resources and guides.
| Bernardo Afonso Code for All | Ineza Mutimura Conscious Advising |
| Zubaida Bai Grameen Foundation | Ashwin Naik Manah Wellness |
| John Berger Toniic | Pam Rothenberg Womble Bond Dickinson, LLP |
| Deborah Burand Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship, NYU Law | Paul Sansone TechCXO |
| KC Chandrasekhar Forus Health | Eric Savage Unitus Capital |
| Devin Chesney Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs | Shelley Saxena Sevamob |
| Maya Chorengel The Rise Fund | Laurie Spengler Courageous Capital Advisors, LLC |
| Jake Cusack CrossBoundary | Rotimi Thomas SunFi |
| Sasha Dichter 60 decibels | Alex Tourre Easy Solar |
| Michelle Egger Griffith Foods | Tony Wang Mission Law |
| Ka-Hay Law TELUS Global Ventures | Kyle Westaway Westaway Law Firm |
| Brian Mikulencak Blue Dot Advocates | Alden Zecha Xcelerate Impact |
| Bonny Moellenbrock Millbrook Impact |
Acknowledgments
We are deeply grateful to the global group of advisors – investors, enterprise leaders, legal experts, and more – who contributed their time, knowledge, and perspectives to this training. Their expertise, case studies, and best practices ensure these courses reflect the realities and opportunities of raising impact capital in today’s markets. Our advisory group included:
| Adelina Dasso Arana Accion | Ineza Mutimura Conscious Advising |
| Frank Aswani African Venture Philanthropy Association | Mark Newberg Stockbridge Associates |
| John Berger Toniic | Daniel Nowack WEF Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship |
| Allie Burns Village Capital | Kate Parker Acumen Academy |
| Devin Chesney Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs | Aunnie Patton Power Oxford University, Innovative Finance Initiative |
| Lauren Farello Blue Haven Initiative | Peggy Poon EQT Foundation |
| Nina Gené Jasmine Social Investments | Antony Randazzo US Development Finance Corporation |
| Sue-Ann Huong Centre for Impact Investing and Practices, Temasek Trust | Meg Rudy Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation |
| Nneka Kibuule Aligned Climate Capital | Kevin Tao Asian Venture Philanthropy Association |
| Ka-Hay Law TELUS Global Ventures | Natalie Vergara Mercy Corps Ventures |
| Andy Lieberman Miller Center for Global Impact | Tony Wang Mission Law |
| Eric Savage Unitus Capital |
Thank you to the generous support of Cilia Holmes Indahl, Matthew Guidarelli, and Sophie Bonvicsini-Bennett at EQT Foundation for making this course series possible.