Kaleido: 60 years dedicated to helping young people reach their full potential
Today Kaleido, a pioneer and specialist in education savings, is celebrating 60 years of helping families achieve educational success for their children.
In the beginning: a foundation dedicated to promoting university studies
Founded in Quebec City as the brainchild of a small group of Université Laval students, the non-profit organization – then called Universitas – was initially aimed at encouraging parents to start saving for their children's university studies. The rest, as they say, is history: Kaleido contributed to the creation of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) in Quebec, and to the introduction of the Quebec Education Savings Incentive (QESI), a grant now available to all Quebec children with an RESP.
Kaleido then quickly expanded to the four corners of Quebec and New Brunswick, increasing access to educational assistance payments to encourage as many young people as possible to pursue their post-secondary studies. Today, the organization continues to bring its mission to life for the benefit of over 236,000 children, helping them to reach their full potential, wherever their path may take them.
In addition to education savings, the company has also been involved in its community from the outset, supporting organizations that promote staying in school, academic engagement and educational success. Over the years, Éducaide, founded by Kaleido executives, has collected and distributed over $3 million in perseverance scholarships to young people from less privileged backgrounds. Other examples include Forces Avenir, the Literacy Foundation and Alloprof.
Customer-focused digital transformation
A few years ago, having been in business for just over half a century, Kaleido embarked on an ambitious modernization project in order to better meet the expectations of parent savers, offer a first-rate customer experience and maintain its leadership in helping families save for their children's education.
And so, in 2019, a new brand identity were chosen and the company was renamed Kaleido. The image of the kaleidoscope, a toy that produces infinite combinations of colourful patterns, represents the multitude of paths open to our children as they pursue their post-secondary education.
In 2022, this change resulted in the discontinuation of group product distribution and the introduction of the new IDEO+ line of individual RESPs, which are more flexible and specifically tailored to each investor's needs. The company is also a pioneer in sustainable investment, and since 2020 has entrusted all its assets under management to portfolio managers who are signatories to the UN's Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The addition of complementary services for families since 2020 also supports Kaleido's commitment to supporting parents throughout their children's education.
In 2023, Kaleido continued this transformation when it launched a corporate package, the only one of its kind on the market. Kaleido's Corporate RESP allows Quebec employers to distinguish themselves with a turnkey savings solution that makes life easier for employees, promotes their well-being at work by reducing financial stress, and supports them in their desire to support their children in their future projects.
Finally, to mark the occasion, this fall Kaleido launched the MORE for the schoolyard contest, in which a school or daycare can win $25,000 to improve its outdoor playground.
"This is an opportunity for us to thank not only our customers for their trust, but also our partners and employees," said Isabelle Grenier, President and CEO. "The future looks bright for Kaleido and the hundreds of thousands of young people who will benefit from education savings solutions that will serve as a springboard to help them invent the society of tomorrow. "
About Kaleido
The Kaleido Foundation, a pioneer in education savings since 1964, is a non-profit organization that has paid out over $1 billion in education assistance payments and savings refunds over the years. Kaleido has over $1.8 billion in assets under management, serving more than 236,000 young people.
Kaleido helps families in Quebec and New Brunswick reach their children's full potential. Nearly 200 employees and representatives work hard every day to offering education savings and family support solutions that will serve as a springboard for our young people to invent the society of tomorrow. For more information, check out www.kaleido.ca.
Information:
Patrick Pedneault
relationsmedias@kaleido.ca