ROSSI™ Calculator
Return on Social Sustainability Investment
Translate social equity outcomes into the financial language decision-makers use. Model project-level and portfolio-level impact in less than 20 questions.
Return on Social Sustainability Investment
(ROSSI™) Report
Project
Sample Project
Prepared for
Your Organization
Increased profit
$560
Increased loyalty
$63,900
New customers
$6,431
Reduced turnover
$1,020
Increased productivity
$13,000
Decreased cost of capital
$0
Total gain
$84,911
ROSSI
431%
Social sustainability drives both business and societal success, but quantifying the financial impact has always been the hard part. Investors ask for numbers. Boards ask for projections. Insurance underwriters ask for risk models.
ROSSI bridges that gap — connecting social equity strategies to financial performance so you can make the case with data, not just conviction.
Increased profit
Based on the 2024 Gallup Q12 Meta-Analysis (11th Edition), which found a 23% median increase in profitability between top- and bottom-quartile organizations. Results show high generalizability across industries.
Increased loyalty
Based on the 2024 Gallup Q12 Meta-Analysis finding a 10% median increase in customer loyalty and engagement for top-quartile organizations. Correlations were consistent across different organization types.
New customers
Based on the 2023 McKinsey report on growth, profit, and sustainability. Companies that outperformed peers in ESG increased revenues at 1.4 percentage points above the median — proving you can do well while doing good.
Reduced turnover
Based on the 2023 Mercer Turnover report (17.3% average) and 2024 Gallup Q12 data showing 21–51% lower turnover for top-quartile organizations. The reduction depends on baseline turnover rate.
Increased productivity
Based on the 2024 Gallup Q12 Meta-Analysis finding a 13–17% median increase in productivity for top-quartile organizations. Results indicate high generalizability across different industries and contexts.
Decreased cost of capital
Better ESG scores translate to roughly 10% lower cost of capital. ROSSI models this based on the 2020 McKinsey report finding that over 2,000 academic studies show a positive relationship between ESG scores and financial returns.
Studies reviewed
We examined hundreds of studies, whitepapers, and reports on the direct relationship between social sustainability and financial performance. All research from 2019 to 2024.
Stern ROSI foundation
ROSSI builds on NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business's ROSI™ Methodology — the framework used by corporate leaders and investors to bridge sustainability and financial performance.
Financial dimensions
While NYU ROSI covers all ESG factors, ROSSI focuses specifically on social factors — modeling increased profit, loyalty, new customers, reduced turnover, productivity, and decreased cost of capital — making results directly actionable for certification decisions.
Free for everyone. Less than 20 questions.
Developers and owners
Model the business case for SEAM Certification before committing. Walk into investor and board conversations with a directional picture of what social equity investment returns, in numbers.
Capital providers
Translate social performance into financial terms for diligence and internal reporting. ROSSI helps acquisition teams and ESG officers move from “this is the right thing” to “this is what the numbers look like.”
Property managers
Build the internal case for expanding social equity work. ROSSI gives operations teams a directional model of what social performance contributes financially, the kind of evidence ownership conversations need.
Consultants and APs
Include ROSSI modeling in client proposals and certification scoping. Financial projections strengthen the business case for SEAM engagement.
Is ROSSI free to use?
Basic ROSSI access is available to everyone while all organization member tiers (Standing, Ladder, and Arc) receive coaching and analysis of their report.
How long does it take to complete?
Yes. The core calculator takes fewer than 20 questions, and most users complete a project model in a single session.
What data do I need to get started?
Basic property information: building size, occupancy type, tenant count, and current social equity programs. The calculator guides you through each input — no financial modeling expertise required.
How does ROSSI relate to GRESB?
ROSSI translates social equity performance into financial terms. It isn’t currently mapped to GRESB social indicators, but the underlying SEAM Certification is recognized by GRESB as a green building certification, which means a SEAM Certified project can contribute toward the green building certification point in your GRESB assessment.
Can I use ROSSI results in investor presentations?
Yes. ROSSI generates a report covering a number of dimensions. It’s built to support investor decks, board presentations, and acquisition proposals.
Is the methodology peer-reviewed?
ROSSI is built on peer-reviewed research from 2019 to 2024 and extends the NYU Stern ROSI methodology. The SEAM advisory council reviews and updates the underlying research base annually.
Social equity has a return on investment
See your estimated return across six financial dimensions.