The Green Brief: Social Impact Edition

💡 Thinking about a career in social impact? Here’s where to start.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move into work that matters — whether that’s sustainability, inclusion, or systems change — you’re not alone.

A growing number of professionals are looking to apply their skills in purpose-driven roles. The good news? There’s never been a better time to do it. 🌍

1️⃣ Top 5 Skills & Certifications to build credibility and confidence in social impact (this is not an exhaustive list, by any means- just to get you started!)

Top 5 sustainability-related skills

Impact strategy & design
Cross-sector collaboration
Monitoring & evaluation (M&E)
Community-centered approaches
Policy literacy

Certifications that can help you stand out:

Acumen Academy Fellowships
Theory of Change Certification
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Training
UN SDG Training (UNITAR or UN CC:eLearn)
Social Innovation & Systems Change (Oxford or IDEO U)

2️⃣ Leading Thinkers shaping the future of business as a force for good

Bill Drayton — Founder & Chair, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. A pioneer of the modern “social entrepreneurship” movement; his organization identifies and supports social entrepreneurs around the world.

Shiza Shahid — Co-founder and global ambassador of the Malala Fund; works on girls’ education, gender equality.

Scott Harrison — Founder of charity: water, an NGO focused on clean water access. Recognised for high-impact social entrepreneurship and fundraising.

Nemonte Nenquimo — Indigenous leader from the Ecuadorian Amazon. Known for leading a landmark legal case to protect ancestral lands from oil extraction and promoting Indigenous rights.

Julia Skupchenko — Entrepreneur / innovator connecting social entrepreneurs, experts and companies in sustainable business initiatives; initiatives like Lockdown Economy.

Jacqueline Novogratz –Founder & CEO of Acumen, a pioneer in impact-investment and social enterprise that aims to build dignity & economic opportunity for low-income populations. Author of The Blue Sweater and Manifesto for a Moral Revolution, engaging both practical investment and moral leadership in social impact.

Tsitsi Masiyiwa — Philanthropist and social impact leader (esp. in Africa) focused on education, health, gender equity, youth empowerment.

3️⃣ Organizations to Follow and Learn From

The DotGood World 200 SGOs- a curated list of the top 200 social-good organisations globally (SGOs = Social Good Organisations) and is worth following
Ashoka
Acumen
Impact Hub
B Lab (B Corp Movement)
Skoll Foundation
Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
Grameen Foundation
Global Impact
BRAC International

But skills and inspiration are only half the journey. Experience and networks make the real difference.

If you’re looking to test the waters, explore skills-based volunteering — MovingWorlds connects you with global social enterprises that need your expertise.

And if you’re ready to go all-in, check out the On Purpose London Associate Programme:
💼 A year-long, paid leadership programme
🌱 Designed to help you transition into a purpose-led career
🤝 Build the skills, experience and network to make the change stick

✨ Because building a better world starts with building better careers.