The entire online course spans 8 weeks and follows a specific framework, covering the main challenges along the entire "lifecycle" of a social enterprise from a financing perspective – from defining the theory of change via securing investment until managing post-investment activities. A major focus of the course lies on raising social entrepreneurs' confidence and ability to successfully attract investors.
Week 1:
You will get an overview about the entire process of raising impact investment as well as insights into the financing model (including hybrid financing) to find out if impact investment is an option to finance your scaling.
Week 2:
You will gain an important understanding of how the social finance ecosystem is currently structured and where you can find the relevant supporters for your organization. You will also receive insights how to effectively manage and communicate your impact to stakeholders by using the "I-O-O-I" framework.
Week 3:
You will understand and evaluate the level of your organization's investment readiness.
Week 4:
You will learn how to identify your organization's financing needs by using the cost-income profile and projecting your future cash flows. In addition, you will gain an important understanding about the basic interdependencies between legal forms and options for financing. You will also receive insights into hybrid models and how they may help social enterprises to find a tailored financing solution.
Week 5:
You will learn how to evaluate various financing instruments from the point of view of their suitability for your organization. You will expand your horizon by being introduced to hybrid financing models and a concrete example, the revenue sharing agreement.
Week 6:
You will develop a structured plan for researching, selecting and contacting potential investors for your organization and learn how to tell your story in a convincing and structured way.
Week 7:
You will learn what a typical due diligence process involves and how you can effectively prepare yourself to answer all investor questions in a timely, structured and efficient manner. You will understand how you can use this process for getting important information about your potential future investors and how to stay on top of the continued process by coming up with a draft term sheet.
Week 8:
"After the fundraising is before the fundraising": You will learn best practices to maintain excellent relations with investors and engage them long-term by using effective communication tools and reporting instruments. You will understand how to preserve your mission in challenging times and approach a potential future financing or exit situation in a responsible, mission-aligned way.