FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 16TH, 2024
Plan Institute Announces Grant from TD Bank Group
in Support of the Registered Disability Savings Plan
Vancouver, British Columbia
Plan Institute is pleased to announce it will receive $140,000 in funding between November 2023 and October 2025 from TD Bank Group (TD), through its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment. This funding will support Plan Institute’s work on the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) as well as other projects that support the disability community throughout Canada.
“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to TD for their generous support through the TD Ready Commitment,” said Franceska Grantzidis, Interim Executive Director at Plan Institute. “This grant signifies a joint commitment to enhancing the financial futures of individuals with disabilities nationwide. This initiative is particularly crucial as people with disabilities often face disproportionate challenges, including higher rates of poverty. Together, we aim to foster greater financial security within the disability community by increasing awareness and access to financial supports like the Registered Disability Savings Plan that can help make a meaningful difference in the lives of many.”
TD’s support will help address two of Plan Institute’s main objectives
- Promoting the use of financial planning tools, including the RDSP, within the disability community.
- Empowering individuals and families impacted by disability by providing the information and support they need to make informed decisions about their financial futures.
The RDSP was established to address the disproportionate rate of poverty experienced by people with disabilities by providing a vehicle to save for a more secure future. Plan Institute has been involved in the RDSP since its inception and continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring its accessibility to people with disabilities across Canada. It is one of Canada’s most generous savings plans, with the potential for up to $90,000 in government contributions. It is also one of the only plans of its kind in the world. However, despite the considerable benefits offered by the RDSP, only 31.5% of those who are eligible to register have opened an RDSP. [1]
This grant will help increase visibility and awareness of the RDSP program and encourage eligible individuals to register. It aims to improve the financial security of people with disabilities while supporting the creation of more accessible and inclusive communities.
“At TD, we want to help people improve their feelings of financial security by helping them gain the skills and support they need to feel confident about their financial health,” says Robyn Small, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group. “That’s why, through the TD Ready Commitment, we’re proud to support financial literacy programs like Plan Institute’s RDSP that promote equitable opportunities and align to our commitment to helping make the world a better, more inclusive space.”
Funding from TD will support several programs currently offered by Plan Institute, including:
- The Disability Planning Helpline, which provides one-on-one support on a range of financial planning topics for people with disabilities, including the RDSP;
- Monthly RDSP workshops, which offer basic and more advanced information on the RDSP and the RDSP resources that are available;
- RDSP.com, a comprehensive website that provides information and resources about the RDSP, including the RDSP Calculator which allows users to assess the potential of opening and contributing to an RDSP; and
- Advocacy projects that promote more inclusive practices and policy change.
[1] Statistics Canada. (2020). Survey on Savings for Persons with Disabilities.
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About Plan Institute
Plan Institute is a national non-profit and social enterprise based in Vancouver, BC that supports people with disabilities and their families. They provide educational materials and resources, collaborate on community-based projects, and engage with a variety of partners to host innovative initiatives for change and policy reform
For further information, please contact:
Alissa Segal
Communications Manager, Plan Institute
asegal@planinstitute.ca
604-439-9566
Click here to download a PDF version of the Press Release.