Unclaimed Assets into Community Investment
Unlocking Dormant Capital: A National Strategy for Channeling
Vision:
To transform Canada's dormant financial assets—funds forgotten in accounts, estates, and institutions—into a powerful, perpetual engine for social and economic justice. We envision a future where every dollar left behind is reclaimed for community good, funding affordable housing, climate resilience, Indigenous entrepreneurship, and social innovation.
Why This Matters Now:
Across Canada, billions of dollars sit unclaimed in dormant bank accounts, insurance policies, trusts, and estates. While provinces like BC have begun redirecting some of these assets toward social outcomes (via BC Unclaimed), there is no cohesive national strategy to identify, aggregate, and deploy this capital for public benefit. Meanwhile, communities face urgent funding gaps for social finance initiatives. This is a solvable problem with replicable models from the UK (The Access Foundation), Australia, and the US proving that unclaimed assets can be responsibly mobilized to fund social infrastructure and economic inclusion.
Who We Are:
Scale Institute Society is an innovative charity focused on piloting and educating in social finance and social economic development, rooted on Vancouver Island and extending nationally. Through our SETSI model (Social Economy through Social Inclusion), we don’t just run projects—we shift narratives, change policies, and build community wealth.
Project Overview: A National Discovery & Design Initiative
This project will systematically map, measure, and model how Canada can unlock unclaimed and underutilized assets for social finance. We will:
Map the Landscape
Identify all significant sources of unclaimed assets in Canada (e.g., financial institutions, court-held funds, real estate deposits, insurance policies, non-profit endowments) and “flow-through” funds held by foundations (e.g., Real Estate Foundation of BC, Law Foundation of BC).Size the Opportunity
Estimate the total national market of unclaimed/dormant assets available for potential social reinvestment—both currently held and annual inflows.Learn from Global Leaders
Produce compelling case studies (up to 5) from jurisdictions like the UK, Australia, and US that successfully redirect unclaimed assets into social investment, affordable housing, or community enterprise.Diagnose the System
Document provincial/federal regulations governing unclaimed property, identifying barriers, policy gaps, and immediate “low-hanging fruit” for asset mobilization.Build the Case for Change
Deliver a final report and policy roadmap outlining how Canada can establish a unified framework—inspired by models like BC Unclaimed—to redirect unclaimed capital toward social finance and social economy objectives.
Key Activities & Deliverables:
Asset Source Inventory – Comprehensive list of Canadian unclaimed asset pools.
Market Sizing Report – Data-driven estimate of unlockable capital.
International Case Studies – Actionable insights from global best practices.
Barriers & Opportunities Analysis – Clear pathways for advocacy and action.
National Summary Report & Roadmap – A compelling case for stakeholders, government, and media.
Why Partner With Us?
Scale Institute operates at the intersection of research, storytelling, and systems change. We don’t just study problems—we prototype solutions and build coalitions to implement them. This project will provide the evidence, narrative, and strategy needed to turn dormant dollars into lasting community benefit.
Join Us in Unlocking Canada’s Hidden Community Wealth.
For collaboration, funding, or more information, contact:
Maat at maat@setsi.ca