The “Getting Started” series is a foundational set of educational resources designed for advisors with limited to no exposure to impact investing. This introductory-level series provides the essential knowledge and tools to help advisors initiate informed conversations with clients who may also be new to impact investing. Through clear, practical guidance, the series empowers advisors to confidently introduce and navigate impact investing strategies, beginning with the fundamentals.
Impact investing is a powerful way for families to align their financial goals with their personal values, seeking not only monetary returns but also positive societal and environmental impacts. As an advisor, you have the unique opportunity to guide your clients on this journey. This first piece in CapShift’s “Getting Started” series, explores effective strategies for the first client discussion. Our hope is to help you initiate a meaningful dialogue with your clients about their values and goals beyond the financial aspect, setting the stage for alignment between their investments and values.
Understand your client’s values
The most essential step to start the conversation is to uncover what your clients care about. Build trust and deepen your understanding of their values, as this will pay long-term dividends and allows you to better support their financial and impact goals.
We recommend open-ended questions that invite your client to reflect, such as:
- “Are there any social or environmental issues that really speak to you or feel especially important?”
- “When you think about the future, what kind of legacy or difference would you like to be remembered for?”
- “Are there any groups or causes that you volunteer with or have supported financially? Can you please tell me more about why their work is important to you?”
- “If you could affect one big change in the world, what would you want that to be?”
- “Would you like to see some of the values you’ve talked about today reflected in how you invest?”
These types of questions create space for meaningful dialogue and give you insight to decide if impact investing might be a solution you should explore with this client.
If a client has already mentioned priorities such as addressing climate change, supporting small businesses and communities, or advocating for racial justice these questions will help you clarify interest areas so that you can bring aligned impact investing solutions to the client.
Guide the discovery process
To help your clients articulate their goals, it’s important to explore both their impact objectives and financial requirements. Questions like “Do you want to invest locally or support global issues?” or “Are there situations where you are interested in taking on more risk or earning less in pursuit of a social outcome?” Understanding these priorities early lays the foundation for a customized, values-aligned impact strategy.
Recognize signals of interest
Most clients will not use the term “impact investing.” Be attentive to keywords or expressions that indicate interest in values-aligned strategies. Clients who talk about “giving back,” “making a difference,” or “sustainable investing” may already be inclined toward impact. Some clients may mention that they serve on a nonprofit board or would like to bridge funding gaps for social causes — these are strong indicators of interest.
Similarly, if clients express concern about issues like clean energy, education equity, or economic empowerment, they may already be aligned with impact investing principles. Your role is to help translate these values into actionable investment strategies that can drive both impact and financial performance.
Starting with values leads to stronger relationships
The first discussion with a client about their values is more than a financial check-in — it’s an opportunity to uncover what your clients care about most and build strategies around those values. Ask thoughtful questions and listen for key values and priorities so you can craft approaches that reflect each client’s unique vision. Regardless of whether these questions lead you and your client to explore impact investing, they will give you deeper insight into your client’s values and long-term goals beyond their portfolio — and help you serve them better over time.
Stay tuned for future entries in the “Getting Started” series, where CapShift will provide examples of ways to integrate impact investing solutions into your practice.
Ready to begin?
At CapShift, we have curated answers to frequently asked questions to help advisors effectively deliver impact investing solutions to their clients. To learn more, explore our Advisor’s Guide to Impact Investing.
Liz Sessler is president, COO and co-founder of CapShift.
Advisors’ Corner is a content partnership between ImpactAlpha and CapShift. CapShift’s impact investing platform empowers financial and philanthropic institutions — and their clients — to invest in their vision for a better tomorrow. All content is solely for informational purposes and should not be used as the basis for investment decisions.
