Impact Investing Certificate
The Impact Investing Certificate equips professional advisors with a practical understanding of impact investing. Designed for financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs, and philanthropic consultants who are new to this field or want to update their knowledge, the curriculum moves from core concepts through real-world implementation.
You will learn:
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essential terminology (yes, we'll decode all that impact investing alphabet soup!)
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how impact investing works across different asset classes
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key topics like greenwashing and impact measurement
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The program explores evolving market dynamics and regulatory considerations, empowering you to engage in informed discussions with clients about aligning investments with their values. Through case studies and multimedia engagement, you’ll gain practical tools to help clients explore impact investing while maintaining focus on their financial objectives. Advisors will also discover how impact investing can drive meaningful progress on critical community issues, highlighting how capital can be deployed strategically for maximum impact.
The future of wealth management extends beyond financial returns. By deepening their expertise in impact investing, advisors can confidently help clients pursue opportunities that drive profit and purpose. It’s about making this powerful approach accessible and actionable for everyone in the wealth advisory space.
- Allison Parker
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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Demonstrate understanding of fundamental impact investing concepts by defining key terms and explaining common investment vehicles used in the field.
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Analyze how impact investing can complement and enhance philanthropic strategies, including examining the relationship between financial returns and social impact.
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Identify appropriate situations and opportunities to explore impact investing conversations with clients.
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Evaluate and address common client concerns about impact investing performance, measurement, and greenwashing.
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Apply practical frameworks for incorporating impact investing considerations into existing client advisory relationships and investment strategies.
FACULTY
Allison Parker
Allison Parker, principal of Peake Impact, works directly with foundations ready to invest in constructive and crucial societal change. With 25 years of experience in the social impact sector, she excels at identifying investment opportunities that route capital to under-resourced communities where targeted investments can yield exponential results.
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Her professional journey includes a significant 16-year tenure at Seattle Foundation, where she served as Managing Director of Philanthropy Strategies. During this time, she led the development of a donor-advised impact investing program and directed a team responsible for the creation of over 40 new funds for the foundation and the investment of over $150 million annually.
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Allison is particularly passionate about women's issues, education, rural communities, and areas where industry has disappeared. At Sonen Capital, she led the Endowments and Foundations practice, connecting philanthropic audiences with investment strategies that delivered both social impact and competitive financial returns.
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Currently serving on the board of Heritage University—a unique institution on the Yakama Nation designated as both a Hispanic Serving and Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution—Allison is deeply committed to removing barriers to higher education. An active member of Seattle Rotary #4 and a previous board member, she was also named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal's "Forty Under 40."
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A University of Washington political science graduate and Evans Scholarship recipient, she was the first in her family to obtain a bachelor's degree. She holds a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation from the American College of Financial Services.
Dien Yuen
Dien Yuen is the CEO of Daylight, an innovative professional development platform that creates transformative learning experiences for advisors pursuing growth, service, and social impact. She also serves as lead faculty for philanthropy at Singapore’s Wealth Management Institute (WMI), where she was instrumental in launching Asia’s first professional philanthropic certification. She was inducted into the 2023 National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) Hall of Fame and recognized for her academic leadership with the Distinguished Faculty Award from WMI. Previously, Dien founded the Center for Philanthropy and Social Impact at The American College of Financial Services, where she also developed and taught courses as the Blunt-Nickel Professor in Philanthropy. Dien’s early career included senior roles in wealth management and global development organizations.