• Study: Social Return on Investment (SROI) Analysis of the Vollpension Project
  • Conducted by: NPO & SE Competence Center at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (Verena Burger, Olivia Rauscher)
  • Published: June 2016 | Year analyzed: financial year 2015
  • Key result: SROI 1.53
  • Read the study: Full final report on wu.ac.at (PDF, in German)

Every euro invested in Vollpension creates social value worth 1.53 euros. That is not a claim we make about ourselves. It is the result of an independent scientific analysis by the NPO & SE Competence Center at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.

 

What is an SROI?

The Social Return on Investment measures the value an organization creates for society beyond its economic success. All effects, such as additional income, new social connections or public welfare payments saved, are translated into monetary terms and compared with the investments made. An SROI above 1 means: more value is created for society than was put in.

 

How was it calculated?

The WU Vienna researchers examined our financial year 2015 using qualitative interviews with seniors and employees, a survey of 57 guests, and document analyses. For eight stakeholder groups, impact chains were mapped, quantified and monetized using recognized benchmark values.

 

The results in detail (year analyzed: 2015)

  • Investments: 321,481 euros
  • Total monetized value created: 492,788 euros
  • Largest share of value: our seniors (33.9 percent): additional income, increased self-esteem, social connections
  • Guests (23.3 percent): around 19,000 visits, homemade Viennese cakes and pastries, dialogue between generations
  • Employees (18 percent): income, sense of purpose, new skills
  • Public sector (13.9 percent): taxes, social insurance contributions, unemployment benefits saved

And today?

The analysis captures the impact of our founding years: in 2015, 17 seniors worked at one location. Today, Vollpension creates 67 jobs for seniors across two locations (as of 2025), each earning 400 to 500 euros of additional income per month. How our impact has grown since then is documented every year in our Impact Report 2025.

Or, in the words of one of our seniors from the study interviews: “It doesn’t feel like work, it feels like family.”

 

 

Source: Burger, V. / Rauscher, O.: Social Return on Investment (SROI) Analysis of the Vollpension Project. NPO & SE Competence Center, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, final report published June 2016.