Silhouetted figures at a table backlit by tall windows overlooking a historic city skyline.

Who We Help

Pension Funds Create Social Value. We Prove It.

Pension funds turn working-life contributions into retirement security. That security creates social value - better wellbeing, less anxiety, stronger community participation, greater life satisfaction. Until measured, it stays invisible to boards, regulators, policymakers, and members. SVT quantifies pension fund social value member by member.

The Problem Pension Funds Face

Pension funds collectively manage trillions in assets and serve hundreds of millions of members worldwide. Most still do not recognise the full scope of what they already do.

Funds that operate without a social value framework risk:

  • Underinvesting in member wellbeing because the return is unmeasured
  • Failing to communicate their broader value to members and policymakers
  • Losing trust and legitimacy that long-term institutional sustainability requires
  • Missing the shift as social value reporting moves from optional to expected

The ICPM Social Infrastructure Blueprint (June 2026) is explicit: pension funds already function as social infrastructure providers. The question is not whether they create social value - it is whether they can demonstrate it.

What SVT Does for Pension Funds

Quantify the Social Value of Membership

We compare pension members with similar people who do not have pension membership, then estimate the difference in wellbeing over time. The result: a clear dollar value for what pension membership contributes to member wellbeing, beyond the payment itself.

Demonstrate Fiduciary-Compatible Social Return

Our evidence is structured for fiduciary contexts. It does not ask funds to pursue social goals at the expense of financial returns. It measures the social infrastructure that pension membership already provides - within the existing mandate.

Inform Board Reporting and Member Communication

Annual reports that show social as well as financial return. Member communications that articulate value beyond the monthly payment. Board-level dashboards showing social impact alongside investment performance.

Support Policy Advocacy

When regulators and governments ask what pensions contribute to society, funds with SVT evidence answer with specific numbers - not anecdotes.

Results

Retired OMERS members are 54% more likely to report higher life satisfaction than people with no pension - and the social value of OMERS membership reached an estimated $6.57 billion.

Source: OMERS Social Value Report, CANCEA, 2021.

Across any pension, people are 47% more likely to report higher life satisfaction. In Alberta, the social value of public-sector pension membership reached $1.2 billion - about $12,800 per retiree.

Sources: OMERS Social Value Report, CANCEA, 2021; Social Value Benefits of Public Pension Plans in Alberta, CANCEA, 2022.

These findings were produced using ONEMODEL - measuring social value across hundreds of topics together, person by person, in one connected model. They are now cited in the ICPM Social Infrastructure Blueprint, an international framework for pension fund governance developed by a working group of nearly 20 pension fund leaders from Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Chile, Denmark, and Australia.

Read the OMERS case study

Why ONEMODEL Matters for Pension Funds

Pension funds face particular scrutiny. Any social value claim must be:

  • Traceable - every result follows from a modelled pathway, not an assumed effect
  • Not double-counted - overlapping topics (for example security and life satisfaction) are tracked in one model, so the same benefit is never counted twice
  • Distributional - showing which members benefit most, and through what channels
  • Counterfactual - comparing member outcomes to what would have occurred without pension membership
  • Clear about assumptions - every valuation choice is stated openly and tested for sensitivity

ONEMODEL is built to do this because the topics are measured together, person by person, in one model. Double-counting and inconsistent definitions are easier to prevent and easier to audit.

The Cost of Not Measuring

When regulators and governments ask what pensions contribute to society, you answer with anecdotes while peers answer with numbers.

Members see only a monthly payment - never the wellbeing, security, and life-satisfaction value membership actually delivers - so loyalty and advocacy weaken.

As social value reporting moves from optional to expected, you adopt standards set by others instead of shaping them.

How to Start

1

Consultation

We assess your fund's context, member data availability, and evidence needs.

2

Scoping

We define the measurement framework: population, scenarios, data sources, timeline.

3

Modelling

ONEMODEL estimates how each member's wellbeing changes over time, compared with what would likely have happened without membership.

4

Reporting

You receive evidence you can defend: headline results, who gains and by how much, sensitivity, and limitations.

Common Questions

What is pension fund social value?
Pension fund social value is the measurable improvement in member wellbeing - beyond financial payments - that results from pension membership. It includes reduced financial anxiety, improved life satisfaction, greater social participation, and enhanced sense of security.
How is pension social value measured?
SVT estimates how each member's wellbeing changes over time using ONEMODEL. Members are compared with similar people who do not have pension membership. The difference is translated into a dollar value representing the social value pension membership creates.
Is this consistent with fiduciary duty?
Yes. This approach measures social value that pension funds already create within their existing mandate. It does not require pursuing social goals at the expense of financial returns. Canadian regulators have accepted that long-term social considerations are consistent with fiduciary duty when properly integrated.
What data is needed?
Member demographic and satisfaction data, administrative records, and access to Canadian population datasets to build the comparison case. SVT advises on data readiness during the scoping phase.
How long does a pension social value assessment take?
Typically four to six months from engagement to final report, depending on data availability and scope.

Ready to Quantify What Your Fund Already Delivers?

Schedule a consultation. We will tell you what evidence is possible.

Start a Conversation
Externally reviewed methodology, developed over 20+ years400+ engagements (CANCEA, 2002-2026)Featured in the ICPM Social Infrastructure Blueprint (2026)