Many wealth holders express a genuine desire to create positive change with their financial resources, yet struggle to translate that intention into a real investment strategy. Where to start? Who to trust? How to have these conversations with family, advisors, and wealth managers?
Impact Investing for the Next Generation was built to answer those questions. Over seven months, participants build the knowledge, tools, and peer network to move from intention to action, at their own pace, alongside others navigating the same challenges.
Founded in 2015 at the Initiative for Responsible Investment at Harvard Kennedy School, the program has guided over 270 wealth holders across 11 cohorts through a learning journey that is immersive, independent, and built entirely around the needs of private wealth holders.
This is not a lecture series. It's your operational blueprint for impact.
This program is built for next-generation wealth holders, typically aged 20 to 55, who want to create positive change with their financial resources but need a clear, conflict-free path to get there.
You might be exploring impact investing for the first time and feel overwhelmed by the options, the jargon, or the gap between your values and how your family's wealth is currently managed.
You might already be engaged but feeling stuck, unsure how to evaluate funds, talk to wealth managers about impact, or get family members on board.
You might be a couple, siblings, or cousins looking for a shared language and framework to start steering family capital together. We encourage family members to join as a group.
Whatever your starting point, the program meets you where you are and supports what comes next.
Build your capacity as an impact investor: Participants learn to differentiate between approaches to sustainable investing, understand what real impact looks like, and develop the skills to evaluate funds and hold wealth managers accountable.
Develop your own Investment Policy Statement "Through a structured "Listening Tour" of your family's wealth, you define your investment philosophy and create a tool to align your impact goals with the people who manage your money.
Join a global community of impact-focused peers: Participants join an exclusive alumni network of 270+ wealth holders worldwide. Many say the peer community is the most valuable thing they gained.
The program provided me with the initial vocabulary to structure conversations about impact investing and with the network and support system to ensure that these conversations actually help me achieve my impact investing goals.
Lara Lemann, Alum
This seven-month program combines intensive in-person learning with flexible online engagement, designed to fit the schedules of working professionals.
A welcome call to meet your cohort and get introduced to the faculty, followed by preparatory reading ahead of Module 1.
A one-day course covering the fundamentals of finance and investing, including asset classes, risk, returns, and liquidity. Designed for participants who want to build or refresh their financial foundations before the program begins.
A four-day immersive kick-off module featuring lectures, workshops, and networking. Participants are introduced to the sustainable investing toolbox, explore investor impact, and begin building impactful portfolios. This is also where the Fund Due Diligence group exercise and the Investment Policy Statement coursework are kicked off.
The core working phase. Participants work individually on their IPS through a structured "Listening Tour" and in groups of 3-4 on a real-world Fund Due Diligence exercise. Monthly cohort calls cover ESG ratings, philanthropy, impact management, innovative financing, and family dynamics. Approximately half a day per week.
A three-day closing module. Participants present their Due Diligence findings, refine their IPS, and hear from alumni on how they developed their strategies post-program. Deeper dives into impact in public equities, scanning the investment landscape, and available networks. Closes with a celebratory dinner open to alumni from previous cohorts.
Personal Development Module with four one-to-one coaching sessions, and internship placements at impact funds facilitated by CSP.
In 2023, an independent impact measurement was conducted with program alumni. Here's what they reported.
91 %
credited CSP for their increased confidence
93%
reported some or high confidence in impact investing after the program
92 %
eported increased engagement activities after the course
72%
said their family approved more impact-related opportunities
65%
made changes to their family's investment strategy
270+
alumni in the global network across 11 cohorts
Led by researchers, practitioners, and educators at the forefront of impact investing for over a decade.
Independent by design. A university-born, not-for-profit foundation. No funds to sell, no advisory services to pitch. Hosted in protected university environments with a strict non-solicitation policy.
Practical, not theoretical. A lab where participants build their own impact strategy, conduct real fund due diligence, and develop a personalized Investment Policy Statement they can use immediately.
Peer-only, protected spaces. Curated cohorts of wealth holders only (principals only). Discussions under the Chatham House Rule. The kind of trust and openness to share about family dynamics and wealth stewardship that simply isn't possible in mixed settings.
A community that lasts. 270+ alumni who continue learning together, sharing opportunities, and supporting each other's impact journeys for years after the program.
"MIT is proud to co-host this program because it's simply unique. There is no other mechanism for building a trusted learning community among prospective impact investors with this level of instruction, accumulated wisdom, and robust alumni community."
— Dr. Jason Jay, MIT Sloan
Over 270 wealth holders have completed this program. Their stories speak louder than anything we could write.
CHF 23,100 per participant. This covers onboarding, all online and in-person training sessions including meals and drinks, coursework resources, CSP staff support throughout the program, and access to the alumni community and resources upon completion. Transportation and accommodation for in-person modules are not included.
An Introduction to Finance day (CHF 1,000), a Personal Development Module with four one-to-one coaching sessions with CSP Senior Fellow Britta Gruenig (CHF 2,280 + VAT), Community Days following each module, and internship placements at impact funds and organizations.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis following individual interviews. The registration deadline for the 2026-2027 cohort is August 15, 2026.
We encourage siblings, cousins, couples, and spouses to take the program together. It's a transformative shared experience.
Bring a plus 1 and you'll each receive 15% off tuition.
The guide gives investors the tools and knowledge to make informed investment decisions that render positive impact.
October 26-29, 2026 At Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS), California, USA
Peer-led deep dive into the inner workings of impact family offices. A blueprint to integrate impact into your investment and governance model.
