Client Type: Credit Union
Primary Values: Time Savings, Ease of Use, Customer Support
Use Case: Scholarship Program Management
In 2021, when Apple Federal Credit Union's nonprofit foundation arm dissolved, their legacy scholarship program needed a new home. This well-established program, which awards twenty-five $3,000 scholarships annually for a total of $75,000, naturally fell under the credit union's community engagement efforts.
Katie Knight, who manages Apple FCU's community initiatives, suddenly found herself responsible for administering a substantial scholarship program despite having no prior experience managing grants or scholarships. With approximately 800 applications started and over 200 completed submissions each year, the program represented a significant administrative challenge.
Apple FCU continued using SmarterSelect, the platform already implemented by their foundation. Although they evaluated other options for due diligence, SmarterSelect's existing program framework made the transition seamless.
The platform allowed Katie to copy and modify previous years' programs with minimal technical knowledge. Despite having no background in programming or web design, she was able to adapt the scholarship application process and evaluation criteria to meet Apple FCU's needs.
When encountering technical challenges with the platform, particularly with the multi-layered evaluation process, Katie relied heavily on SmarterSelect's customer support team, who provided personalized assistance through scheduled calls and real-time troubleshooting sessions.
"I'd never run anything like a grant or scholarship program. I had zero qualifications to do it. SmarterSelect made it pretty easy to just copy and paste from the former years and make slight tweaks."
– Katie Knight, Community Engagement Officer, Apple Federal Credit Union
Significant Time Savings
Compared to managing the program manually through spreadsheets, SmarterSelect has dramatically reduced the time required to administer Apple FCU's scholarship program. The platform's automation features help manage the high volume of applications efficiently.
Exceptional Customer Support
When faced with technical challenges or the need to implement complex evaluation criteria, SmarterSelect's support team provided personalized guidance. From fixing mistakes in real-time to helping set up new programs, the support team has been instrumental in the program's success.
Katie said, "The fact that somebody will sit on a Zoom and either do it for you or guide you step by step on what you need to do next is so helpful because it's not like I've got somebody here at the office who's going to do that with me."
Improved Applicant Experience
The platform provides a streamlined application process for high school seniors seeking financial assistance for college. The online system allows applicants to easily submit their materials, improving accessibility to educational funding opportunities for credit union members.
Easy Annual Redeployment
Even though Katie only uses the platform once per year, she finds it increasingly easier with each iteration. The ability to copy and modify existing programs means she doesn't have to start from scratch each scholarship cycle.
Katie told us, "SmarterSelect met me every time and held my hand. We get about 800 applications started and usually more than 200 finish and fully submit. There's a lot of local knowledge of the program, and I was concerned that I was going to screw it up. But, SmarterSelect was there every step of the way."
Like Apple Federal Credit Union, your organization can efficiently manage scholarship opportunities for your members, fulfilling your mission of improving lives and supporting education in your community. Book a demo today to see how SmarterSelect can help your credit union implement a successful scholarship program with minimal technical resources.