Redefining Social Impact at Sovereign Wealth Funds

On May 12, 2025, the Jain Family Institute (JFI) and the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) hosted a high-level workshop in New York City titled “Measuring and Monitoring Social Impact: Best Practices for Sovereign Wealth Funds.” The event convened sovereign investment professionals, academics, and industry leaders to explore how sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) can enhance their contributions to sustainable development.

A key session focused on “Measuring Financial Additionality,” where Drew Johnson, Associate Director at IE University’s Center for the Governance of Change, participated as a panelist. Drew presented the Sovereign Impact Initiative (SII), IE University’s flagship effort to unlock SDG-aligned investments through sovereign wealth funds in Africa, discussing case studies of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and their role in crowding-in private capital for sustainable development.

The panel also featured Nick Ashmore, Director of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), and Luciana Costa, Director of Infrastructure, Energy Transition, and Climate Change at the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). The discussion was moderated by Paul Katz, Senior Vice President for Special Projects at the Jain Family Institute.

This workshop built upon discussions from the 2024 IFSWF Annual Meeting in Muscat, Oman, and aimed to provide practical insights and frameworks for SWFs to measure and communicate their impact to stakeholders, including governments, investors, and the public. Topics covered included advancing social impact in uncertain global climates, strengthening social impact measurement and reporting, and defining the next generation of impact metrics for SWFs.