Business Strategies for Social Impact

When is it good business practice to invest for social good? What are the most innovative and effective business strategies for developing positive social impact around the world? Designed by renowned Wharton professors Katherine Klein and Chris Geczy 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. You’ll learn how to become a leader who cultivates purpose and inspires change, measure societal impact through evidence-based models, and invest in ventures effectively and meaningfully. By the end of this course, you’ll have a deep understanding of the realities of leading an organization with purpose, and be able to build successful strategies that bring impactful change to the world.

None

Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Module 1: Purpose-Driven Leadership
In this module, you’ll learn how to define your purpose and develop a plan to cultivate purpose for your organization. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the critical importance of purpose-driven leadership in a successful organization and why businesses can and should pursue a larger social or environmental purpose. You’ll also analyze the five models of social purpose, from generous contributors to impact investors. Through close examination of case studies such as Daily Table and TOMS shoes, you’ll learn how to test your assumptions and find the winning situation for your investors, employees, and customers. By the end of this module, you’ll have a more clearly defined understanding of the purpose your organization wants to pursue and how to prepare for successful implementation.
Week 2
Module 2: How Business Drives Social Impact
What is the relationship between impact and financial performance? Does it pay for a company to drive impact? In this module, you’ll learn various methods businesses use to create social and environmental impact. You’ll identify the different components of impact measurement: valence, focus, depth, breadth, and cost-effectiveness. With Nick Ashburn, Senior Director of Impact Investing of Wharton Social Impact, you’ll discuss real-life examples such as Starbucks, Campbell’s Soup, and Warby Parker, and the impactful decisions they made in employment, operations, and investment. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to refine the method in which your business can reduce environmental challenges and/or ensure fair and equal opportunity, and create a plan for your company to drive both impact and financial performance.
Week 3
Module 3: Impact Measurement
In this module, you’ll examine the criteria and standards of evidence developed to measure the true social impact of your organization. You’ll identify the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Environmental Social and Governance Criteria (ESG) to be able to better answer the question “What is the Impact of X?” By examining the Nesta Foundation Framework and its standard of evidence, you’ll explore the different levels of rigor for each logic model using real-life examples and learn to accurately assess your organization’s inputs, outputs, and impact. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to calculate the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of your enterprise and be able to strategize an effective plan for your business.
Week 4
Module 4: Impact Investing
This module was designed to introduce you to the basics of impact investing. By analyzing global trends on Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), classic models of impact investment such as microfinance, and actual research data, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the current models of impact investment and which model would work best for your organization. Through exploring other benefit corporations and the UN Principles of Responsible Investment, you’ll discover how NGOs, government, and shareholders and their roles in impactful investments. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to gauge the risk and rewards behind impactful investments, and be able to navigate these issues effectively while exerting sustainable and meaningful impact.

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

Some concepts were a bit complex for an online course or needed to be more interactive, mainly the las module

This course gave a great insight on Strategies related to Social Impact, just loved the concepts and techniques discussed.

Awesome courses with great lecturers. It takes commitment and discipline to complete an online course. The lecturers really helped in keeping my interest alive.

I really enjoyed the methodology. Very student-friendly while also challenging my current state. I got tons of insights ready to implement.