Propel Impact Investing Fellowship

Learn to manage a local impact investment fund.

Raise capital. Build community networks. Make investments in local organizations. See the impact.

Applications will open again in February 2025.

Who is it for: undergraduate students (across all disciplines) in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, London, Kingston, Ottawa, and Montréal
How long is it: 1-2 years depending on location

Our Local Chapters

Victoria
Vancouver
Calgary
London
Kingston
Ottawa
Montreal
Learn by doing: real investments with real stakes.
You and your teammates will be given the responsibility of managing your own impact investment fund. Along the way, you'll be supported by our Propel Impact team and have access to extensive tools and training.
Make a tangible impact in your local community.
Your job is to invest in organizations that are creating deep local impact. Your focus is on supporting creative and innovative organizations developing solutions to pressing community challenges. You'll see your impact: on the faces of founders and on your walk home.
Connect with inspiring people.
We expect you to develop deeply rooted community ties. To listen and learn from founders and community members. To build crucial partnerships and understand how your fund fits into the local ecosystem. The most meaningful relationships are forged in collaboration.

Who you'll get to fund

How it all works

March: Submit an application
Make sure you're eligible and submit an application to one of our local funds.

You need:
• To have at least two years remaining in your undergraduate degree
• To have 10 hours a week
• To be passionate about making the world better through finance
• To be a leader in your community

You don't need:
• To have prior investment knowledge
• To be in a business program
• To have working experience (although this is certainly helpful!)
May: Onboarding
You'll join Fellows across the country for a (virtual) onboarding. It's mandatory—but we also think it's super fun!
July - August: Investing Competition
Apply what you've learned to a real impact venture: you'll conduct due diligence, analyze the venture, and present your recommendation to a panel of expert industry judges.
Spend your summer as a paid Summer Analyst
As a Fellow, you'll be first in line for our Summer Analyst Program: where you’ll spend 80% of your time working as a paid Analyst in one of our partner organizations and 20% of your summer working with Propel Impact.
March: Interview Process
You'll be interviewed by the Fund Managers leading the specific Propel Impact Fund you've applied for.
May - June: Training
Throughout the summer, you'll spend 10 hours/week learning through workshops and online assignments.
September - April: Learn the fund as an Associate
For the next 8 months, you'll participate actively in your local fund: meeting social enterprises, researching, working on investments, and building community connections. In this time, you'll have the mentorship and guidance of Fund Managers: people who were Associates last year. Peer learning is key here.
Year 2: Run your fund as a Fund Manager
Now is your time to run your local fund (alongside your teammates, obviously). You'll be taking the lead on deals, partnerships, and internal operations. You'll also get to pass on knowledge to new team members.
“There are so many takeaways from my time with the Montreal Propel Impact Fund. To start: the importance of diversity - not only gender and ethnic diversity - but academic diversity. Beyond that, I found myself surrounded by incredibly smart, talented, and passionate people who challenged my ideas but with the utmost respect.”
- Mathilde Laporte (Infrastructure and Natural Resources Analyst, CDPQ; Fund Manager @ Montreal Propel Impact Fund)
“The biggest learning from the Calgary Propel Impact Fund for me has been to be bold, live outside your comfort zone, trust in yourself, and know that you are knowledgeable enough and you can learn as you’re going through the process. Find joy in the struggle that comes with ambiguity and don’t be fearful of the risks.”
- James Dick (Sustainable Investment Analyst, Genus Capital; Co-Founder and Fund Manager @ Calgary Propel Impact Fund)
“The Vancouver Propel Impact Fund was my first real-world investment experience. It not only prepared me for the work I would go on to complete in social finance, but it was also ultimately the qualification I needed to land my dream job out of university.”
- Chloe Fu (Investment Analyst, Trill Impact Ventures; Co-Founder @ Vancouver Propel Impact Fund)

As you run your fund, you'll have training and support:

Training • Personal and Professional Development

Training

Principles
The values at the root of effective, thoughtful, and compassionate change-making.

• Anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices
• Reconciliation and decolonization
• Community engagement
Knowledge & Frameworks
The mental models that you need for effective impact projects.

• Systems thinking
• Theory of change
• Stakeholder mapping
Technical skills you need for a successful career in social innovation and impact investing
Social Innovation
• Market research
• Feasibility assessment
• Impact measurement
Social Finance
• Investment evaluation
• Due diligence and analysis
• Financial modelling
• Deal structuring
• Fundraising

Personal and Professional
Development

Community Building
• In-person socials in communities across Canada
• Coffee chats with peers and Propel Impact alumni
Personal Development
• Mentorship from impact professionals (investors, entrepreneurs, consultants)
• Weekly coaching from Propel Impact Investing Manager
Network Building
• Speaker series featuring practitioners from various fields in social innovation and social finance
• Support from your local Investment Committee

Meet Our Fellows

Funds in the Press

FAQ

I have already finished my undergraduate degree and am completing post-graduate studies. Do I still qualify if I have two years remaining?
The Impact Investing Fellowship is currently open only to undergraduate students in either Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, London, Kingston, Ottawa, or Montréal. Our Impact Consulting Fellowship is open to anyone between the ages of 18 - 30.
What type of tasks can I expect to be doing over the two years?
You will take on all the responsibilities of running a real impact investment fund. Your team will be responsible for raising funds from your community, sourcing deal flow, conducting investment due diligence, pitching to your Investment Committee, portfolio management, and impact reporting.
I’d like to explore the opportunity of opening a fund in the community where I study. What does that process look like?
We have some new funds in the works! If you're interested in bringing a Propel Impact Fund to your community, connect with our team at info@propelimpact.com.
What do I need to apply?
No need for a resume or cover letter! You’ll submit responses to four questions within your online application. After a successful application screening, you will go through the interview phase which will include one or two interviews with existing members of the fund you are applying to join.

Get in
touch

We thrive on feedback. We want to learn how we can best support you. We love connecting. So, get in touch.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.