Everyone Can Make An Impact
Effective social and environmental impact requires an effective plan. That’s why we focus on key strategic priorities to help you focus on the most important levers to create change. These high-impact strategies will help you use your precious time and resources in the most effective way.
Clients
How We Can Help
An inside look into our services
foundations & corporations
We help you direct your capital to investment opportunities that tackle social and environmental challenges and promote the advancement of racial equity and inclusion (Women, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, people of color-led ventures, and rural communities) in alignment with your mission.
- Education and training on impact investing for board, trustees, and staff
- Investment Policy Statement development to align assets with mission
- Due Diligence on the financial and impact aspects of investments across non- and for-profit companies, intermediaries (CDFIs and other impact capital providers), funds, and funds of funds.
- Sourcing and Selection of impact investments that fit your strategic priorities
The Cogent Team was extremely helpful leading us through a process to find PRI opportunities in our region. They are very knowledgeable about who is doing what in the impact investing field. They gave us the clarity we needed to make to make informed decisions.
- CFO, a top 100 private foundationSOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
We help purpose-driven non - and for-profit companies scale through investor relation strategies. We do this by guiding your organization through the impact investing landscape, assisting you in your fundraising process, and equipping you with the tools and resources you need to connect with the right investors.
- Impact investing feasibility assessment
- Investor relation strategy including pitch deck and positioning plan for impact investors
- Growth, financial sustainability, governance, and operations consulting
Cogent helped us to focus on the necessary and fundamental steps to be ‘investor ready’. With their help, we got buttoned up for high-stakes conversations and organized our ‘asks’. The feedback we get on our pitch and materials is absolutely a credit to Cogent's contributions.
- Kate Mortenson, Founder, and CEO, iPondr
PLACE-BASED ECOSYSTEMS
We are a bridge between investors, intermediaries, and entrepreneurs. We bring these disparate communities together to help forge meaningful connections and engage in a way that is efficient, productive, and respectful. Investors need good investments and vice versa. A healthy impact investing ecosystem provides an environment for all to thrive.
- Ecosystem, mapping, needs assessment, gap analysis & strategy development for deep impact in your target market’s local, cultural context
- Partnership development support and development for local champions
- Community engagement tools, techniques, and plan
Susan Hammel and her team brought examples of best practices from across the country and led us in a process of discerning how best to build consensus and advance impact investing across our region.
- Matthew Illian, CFP®, former Executive Director of the Virginia Impact Investing Forumeducation & workshops
We offer a variety of coaching, training, and workshops. From everything from impact investing 101 through advanced level content, we will design a session to fit your needs: 90 minutes to ½ day to 2 days retreat customized sessions available on request.
Sessions available:
- Impact Investing 101, 201, 301.
- Social Impact Investing in Opportunity Zones
- Equity and Inclusion Impact Investing
- Place-based Impact Investing
Or request Susan as a speaker at your next event. She is a lively and engaging presenter and has presented at many national conferences and workshops.
Pro Bono Work
Our pro bono nonprofit partner is Impact Hub MSP, a social entrepreneur co-working space in Minneapolis and part of the international Impact Hub movement. We are 100% aligned with Impact Hub MSP’s mission to create a more inclusive, sustainable world. Every year we provide pro bono facilitation leadership of the Hub’s Impact Investing and Impact Reporting Communities of Practice. The value of this service is $12,000 on an annual basis. In addition, Cogent team members informally advise and mentor a diverse group of entrepreneurs as a service to the Twin Cities ecosystem.
Cogent team members also contribute their talents to many nonprofits. Susan Hammel, the CEO and Founder of Cogent Consulting, Is Finance & Audit Committee Chair of the Fresh Energy Board of Directors, an elected member of the Carleton Careers Alumni Board, and the Trillium Family Foundation Board.