Level up your impact investing knowledge
Whether you are a beginner in impact investing or a seasoned pro, Impact United Academy has courses and knowledge products for you to continue your education in social finance and match your money with meaning.
Peer-to-peer learning opportunities
Online and In-person Class Offerings
Impact United Academy is an impact-driven, practitioner-focused education initiative featuring online course offerings guided by industry leaders and subject-matter experts. Through workshops, forums, case studies, and guest speakers, the Academy aims to provide course participants with a robust educational experience that provokes thoughtful discussions and equips participants with the necessary tools to strategize, manage, and measure impact.
Current Course Offerings
We are pleased to offer a broad range of courses and programming focused on supporting Canadian impact investors. The courses are interactive, peer-driven, and led by subject matter experts. More courses to come — keep an eye on this space!
— registration now open
Activating Your Theory of Change
Led by Evita Zanuso, Katapult Foundation
Course participants will learn how to refresh, update, and create an actionable Theory of Change. Key learning outcomes include creating an updated Theory of Change that is a Theory of Action, and cementing an approach to impact learning rather than impact justification. Work alongside your peers to review your theory of change, analyze its strengths and weaknesses, and define its most important outcome.
— Registration now open
Investing for Climate Action
Led by Amr Addas, Concordia University, Stephanie Tsui, Genus Capital Management, and Vishal Banè, AGF Investments Inc.
Through three overarching modules that explore the risks and opportunities around climate change, the climate finance ecosystem, and the low carbon transition in practise, this course will equip participants with the necessary tools to strategize, manage, and measure impact surrounding climate investing. Each module consists of two workshops: one knowledge based and the second a hands-on application of each topic.
— Coming soon
Fundamental of Impact Investing
Led by Basma Majerbi, University of Victoria
Through five modules, course participants will be equipped with a comprehensive set of tools to set their impact strategies, analyze impact investment opportunities and manage the impact created through their capital on people and the planet. Individuals will have the opportunity to create portfolio strategies and identify appropriate frameworks aimed at addressing specific social and environmental problems with measurable outcomes.
Activating your Theory of Change
Whether you already have a Theory of Change or are looking to create one for the first time, this course will help you pen down your vision for a better world before you make it happen.
Registration is open now until October 19th 2022. Save your seat!
Instructors
Alison Fort
Instructor
Katapult Foundation
Evita Chiang Zanuso
Instructor
Katapult Foundation
Olga Cruz
Annabelle White
Date: October 26, 2022
Time: 1:00PM — 3:00PM EDT, 10:00AM — 12:00PM PDT
Format: Online workshop
Price: CAD$195
Who should attend: Individuals, next generations, family office members and/or wealth holders who want to allocate money to impact investing and create real, tangible change in the world.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Do you have a Theory of Change or are looking to create one for the first time? Participants in this course will be equipped with the tools to design, refresh, and fine-tune an actionable Theory of Change: your vision for a better world. A ‘Theory of Change’ encourages us to reflect on our aims, implement them, and execute them to drive real impactful change. Key learning outcomes include creating an updated Theory of Change that is a Theory of Action, and cementing an approach to impact learning rather than impact justification. Work alongside your peers to strengthen your Theory of Change, analyze its strengths and weaknesses, define its most important outcome, and how to make it actionable in the real world. Deep-dive into enterprise and investor contribution and spectrum of capital as two Canadian family office leaders (TBA) walk us through their own Theory of Change — from theory to practice.
For those creating a new Theory of Change:
- Read and work through a Theory of Change case study.
- Work through NPC’s 10 Steps to TOC to help you create your own Theory of Change.
- Perform a situation analysis.
- Identify your target groups. Who are the people you can help or influence the most?
- Measuring impact. Think about the sustained or long term change you want to see.
- Predicting outcomes. What shorter-term changes for your target group might contribute to impact?
- And more…
For those looking to optimize their Theory of Change:
- Read and work through your existing Theory of Change.
- Revisit 10 Steps to TOC.
- Identify what worked and what didn’t. What can actually be measured and tracked?
- Identify important components of a plan versus what is nice to have.
- Understand what can be tested and iterated.
- Producing an overall more granular Theory of Change and including target setting.
Key learning outcomes
- Learn about Impact Management Project framework of impact management and measurement
- Learn what is a Theory of Change, how to create one or update what you have to make it really actionable
- How to manage and evaluate impact using the 5 dimensions of impact
- Learn the mindset of impact learning rather than impact justification
Investing for Climate Action
Climate Investing 101: Better investments for a better world.
We are pleased to announce that this course offers a Syllabus Day. On November 7th at 1 pm ET, join us for a FREE 30-min info-session to deep-dive into the Impact Investing for Climate Change course, what the course offers, learning outcomes, what you will get out of it, and how you can bolster your investment strategy geared towards real climate action.
Participants will receive the first week of the course, Module 1 – Climate Change Primer: Risks & Opportunities for FREE (value of $695). Last day to register is November 11th, 2022. Sign-up here.
Thank you to AGF for their support of this course.
Instructors
Amr Addas
Instructor
Stephanie Tsui
Review Session Facilitator
Vishal Banè
Review Session Facilitator
Sophie Endl
Review Session Facilitator
Date: November 15 – December 8 (Tuesdays and Thursdays), 1:00pm-2:15pm ET
Format: Online workshop
Who should attend: Asset owners, financial advisors, investors beginning their climate investing journey, investors interested in expanding their climate investment portfolio.
Book now to reserve your seat for all three sessions. Module 1 is free and Modules 2 and 3 are open for registration now at the introductory price of $495 (value of $695).
COURSE DESCRIPTION
To fight climate change, financial resources and solid investments are needed to reduce carbon emissions and build sustainable resilience. Investors will need the tools, research, and solutions to help accelerate this economic transformation.
Featuring three overarching modules that explore the risks and opportunities around climate change, the climate finance ecosystem, and the low carbon transition in practice, this course will equip participants with the necessary tools to strategize, manage, and measure impact surrounding climate investing. Each module consists of two weekly 90-minute sessions: one knowledge-based and lecture-style facilitated by Amr Addas, Adjunct Professor in Sustainable Finance at Concordia University and supported by Vishal Bane, Associate Portfolio Manager at AGF Investments.
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FREE: Tuesday, November 15, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET (Lecture) Module 1: A climate change primer: risks & opportunities.
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FREE: Thursday, November 17, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET (Review Session)
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Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ET (Lecture) Module 2: The climate finance ecosystem.
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Thursday, December 1, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ET (Review Session)
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Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ET (Lecture) Module 3: The low carbon transition in practice.
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Thursday, December 8, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ET (Review Session)
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CLASSES
Class Formats
Lectures
In-Person Convenings
Peer-to-Peer Discussion Groups
Case Studies
For Individual Investors
Whether you invest personally as an individual or a family or more formally as a family office, the Impact United Academy provides you with opportunities to increase your knowledge of and confidence in deploying your capital for social and environmental impact, alongside financial return.
For Foundations & Institutions
As a staff member or member of an Investment Committee for a foundation or other institution, you will benefit from Impact United Academy courses and workshops that provide you with professional development and opportunities to connect with your peers.
For Advisors
Wealth management advisors and financial planners will be able to apply investor-focused discussions and topics to their own conversations with their clients about how to align wealth with values.