Course: Impact Investing for Finance Professionals

Interest in impact investing is growing rapidly worldwide. In this one-day intensive course you are introduced to how impact investors intentionally pursue positive social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. You’ll learn how impact can be defined, targeted and managed throughout the investment process. The program provides an understanding of impact investing concepts, frameworks and tools.

During this course you:

• see examples of clear, meaningful and realistic impact objectives for investments;
• learn how impact investors generate their impact;
• learn about a theory of change as a backbone for an impact investment strategy;
• see examples of how impact investors deal with the trade-off between impact and financial performance

After completion:

• you are better equipped to discuss impact with internal and external stakeholders and to manage expectations;
• you understand key concepts and frameworks used in the impact investment field;
• you understand impact investment strategies;
• you can form an opinion about the governance of impact investors.

This course is suitable for:

• finance and investment professionals;
• professionals at foundations, NGOs and family offices who manage investment portfolios;
• corporate executives responsible for sustainability investments or corporate impact funds.

Recommended prior knowledge: basic understanding of finance and investing concepts. No mathematical or statistical finance background is required.

Lecture 1: Impact Goals, Financial Returns, and the Theory of Change

• What makes impact investing different from ESG-integration and responsible investing?
• What is known about financial returns on impact investing?
• What is a theory of change and how is it used to structure an impact investment strategy and communicate with stakeholders?

Guest Lecture: Perspectives from the Field

• Insights from a practitioner active in impact investing: translate impact ambitions into investment decisions
• Q&A and discussion

Lecture 2: Governance and Instruments

• How is impact intention embedded within the organization of impact investors?
• What approaches are applied to manage impact progress?
• What are common impact investing instruments?

Workshop: Applying Impact Concepts in Practice

• Work on a case study based a real-life situation.
• Assess how an investment opportunity contributes to impact goals

The content aligns with the latest developments in impact investing. You work with a current practical case and apply knowledge from your own experience and that of fellow participants.

Please note: the course language is English.

This course takes places on Friday 2nd of October 2026.

The sessions take place in Utrecht city centre. The exact location will be announced later. This course is offered on location only.

The experts who provide education for professionals from Utrecht University are substantively well-versed and actively involved in relevant, current research within their field. They combine academic depth with a sharp insight into practice, enabling them to understand the reality of participants well.

The teaching skills of our experts are specifically tailored to how professionals learn: practice-oriented, interactive and applicable. Moreover, they attach great value to collaboration and create a learning environment in which dialogue, knowledge exchange and co-creation are central.

Great that you’re interested in this course! You can enroll via the button.