Smartsaver Community

SmartSAVER has made it easy for organizations across Canada to bring the education savings story home. Using the Take-Up Map located on our Community Website, organizations can quickly quantify the Canada Learning Bond opportunity that exists in their location.

It’s as simple as typing in the name of your city or town or even a postal code. Within seconds the search result provides a snapshot of the take-up rate in that location. It also makes it easy to compare take-up rates in adjacent locations.

Take a look at the snapshot.

I searched the take-up rate in Grimsby near Niagara Falls. Take-up there is listed at 33.6%. You see the blue ‘pin’ in the centre of the gold highlight on the map.  By zooming out a notch or two, it’s easy to see at a glance the rates in all the communities immediately surrounding Grimsby from Burlington to Niagara on the Lake.

In fact, the take-up map shows that the whole region offers a terrific opportunity to community builders who see the value of getting free government grants into the hands of local kids. Using available postal data, I can see that there are almost 700 eligible kids in Grimsby. If each were to get the maximum CLB benefit available that would be $1.4 million in education savings!

Once you’ve used the map to establish the local take-up rate, please reach out to me and I can help you get the actual number of CLB-eligible kids in the area.

For more information about the Canada Learning Bond opportunity in your area, call 416 966-1418.

To simplify access to our online RESP starter and Canada Learning Bond (CLB) application, a number of our partners have created their own CLB web pages and are embedding the application directly into their own websites. Embedding the application on your website not only cuts down on the number of steps a family must take to access the application, but also allows them to complete the process without leaving your website. It’s a great way to capitalize on the web traffic your organization’s website already receives and offers one more tool to encourage people to visit your website.

Partners who have launched their own CLB webpage have seen up to a threefold increase in the number of parents who are completing applications compared to sending them to SmartSAVER.org directly. The key to this success is trust! Families already access your website for trusted information. By placing information about the CLB with a link to the application on your website, you show the families who trust you that you trust SmartSAVER. When your custom web page indicates that RESPs and the CLB can be accessed for free through the online application, parents will believe it.

Check out these great examples!

1. Toronto District School Board (TDSB) RESP and CLB web page

The TDSB used our template to create their own RESP and CLB webpage. Accessed through their own website at www.tdsb.on.ca/SmartSAVER , this provides TDSB parents with a warm introduction to the application process along with the most important information they need to get started. When visitors click the green ‘Start My FREE RESP’ button, a unique URL tracks the completed applications sent from their page.  

Our webpage template is available in PSD format. You can adapt it to your organization’s web layout, colours and add details relevant to your campaign or audience.

2. Momentum Embeds SmartSAVER’s Application

Momentum Calgary used SmartSAVER’s simple iFrame code to embed the CLB application directly into their own website www.momentum.org/startsmart . This allows visitors to complete the application without ever leaving Momentum’s website.

Request SmartSAVER’s iFrame code for your organization! Applications generated by your organization can be tracked using a unique URL.

3. CLB Promoter Buttons

Not ready to create a CLB page? Add one of our promotional buttons to your organization’s homepage. This will help ensure the visitors to your site are encouraged to learn more about RESPs and apply for the CLB. The buttons are available in different sizes. Request one from SmartSAVER today.

Here are some more examples of unique CLB webpages!

• Region of Waterloo Community Services
• Prosperity Roundtable Chatham Kent

By Joe March.