Paths/Social Entrepreneurship: Building Ventures for Impact/Financing Social Ventures: Grants, Impact Capital, and Blended Finance
Module 6.175 min

The Capital Spectrum + Matching Capital to Reality

Wrong capital is worse than no capital. It forces bad decisions.

Learning Outcome

Choose financing strategies aligned to your return profile, stage, and risk.

Core Teachings

Key concepts with source texts

Grants → recoverable grants/PRIs → concessionary → market-rate impact → commercial.

From the Source Texts

"Impact investments are investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return."
GIIN definitionTranslation: thegiin.org (definition widely reproduced)

Commentary

Intent + measurement alongside return. If you can’t measure, you’ll struggle with serious investors.

Practice This

Write your ‘capital fit’ statement: stage, use of funds, return potential, and impact proof plan.

Study Materials

Primary sources with guided reading

Additional Resources

GIIN resources (impact investing basics)optional

Use as a reference hub for impact investing language and norms.

AI Bridge Notes

Bridge notes help connect the resources and show how they relate to the learning outcome.

AI-generated notes synthesize the lesson outcome and resource summaries. Human-reviewed before publishing.

Knowledge CheckTest your understanding

A venture can repay but likely can’t produce venture-scale exits. Best-fit capital?