CEO Update | April 2025
Read Inspirit’s latest CEO Update by Sadia Zaman, as originally published in Inspirit Foundation’s Spring 2025 newsletter.
Three times a year, the process of writing this message inevitably begins with a blank screen. Writing is so much about sense-making in your own brain first and then moving that jumble of thoughts onto a screen in a way that is coherent. Usually, the screen is not blank for long, and the flow of ideas eventually takes over. However, in this moment, making sense of the world seems like an impossible task. So I do what most of us do in times of chaos; I focus on what is within my control.
Work falls in that category. In the first quarter of this year the Foundation was busier than usual with two ‘firsts.’ We launched the New Narratives Fund, an initiative that harnesses the power of pop culture to amplify the work of Muslim artists and content creators. And then we were involved in the first transfer of units to a cultural land trust in Canada. More than a year in the making, the intricate conversations with multiple stakeholders, legal advice, and great timing led to the deal that saw cultural spaces preserved for artists. All of this was skillfully shepherded by my colleague Chris Lee.
The other big focus in the first quarter was our work on equitable journalism. We have been working in this area for more than six years, and this past quarter we began to see some real progress. Colleague Ana Sofía Hibon has masterfully woven together the strategic and the tactical into a tangible initiative that we are excited to share in the months ahead. The Foundation understands that independent journalism and democracy are intertwined. This stark reminder from Sara Hudson, Interim CEO & Editor-in-Chief of Nonprofit Quarterly has stayed with me:
“In 2025, we must draw a clear line: Journalism that makes our institutions more vulnerable to authoritarian attacks increases collective risk. The measure of journalism in authoritarian times is not neutrality but courage—courage to defend the most vulnerable people in the crosshairs of those with the most power.”
The other variable within our control is how we show up for grantee partners. As a small team with a broad mandate, it’s easy to get pulled in many directions, both strategically and geographically. Despite that, the tiny team remains steadfast in our efforts to provide meaningful supports: share our philanthropic sector knowledge with grantees, bring foundations and grantees together where priorities overlap, and just listen to the experiences of grantees, many of whom are at the forefront of ongoing efforts to ensure our arts and media sectors represent the diversity of our country.
Uncertainty and chaos have also created a period of market volatility. It’s a challenging time for investments with social and environmental mandates. But we remain committed to the long term, and our focus on impact investments. We will continue to invest in what we believe in, initiatives like the Raven Indigenous Outcomes Fund, a first-of-its-kind Indigenous outcomes-based product. The investment will fund projects to improve outcomes in Indigenous communities, specifically in the areas of health, climate adaptation, and workforce development.
So while the daily chaos of a shifting reality is a new norm, I go back to what is within my control. Recently I invited a group of women, many of us friends for about 20 years, to an interfaith iftar at our home. Nine women of colour, all from different faiths, all understanding implicitly that beyond the food and conversation, and beyond the focus on personal resiliency, the antidote to the fear is much bigger. It is community.
Sincerely,
Sadia Zaman, CEO