CEO Update | June 2026

Read Inspirit’s latest CEO Update by Sadia Zaman, as originally published in Inspirit’s Summer 2026 newsletter.

Many of my colleagues in leadership are just as overwhelmed as I am by information overload around AI risks and governance. As I wade through the reports, join the webinars, and hear informal conversations, it’s clear that the place to act is where the Foundation has some control. We have implemented a policy on the use of AI and are beginning to examine our portfolio for ‘ethical’ AI in all our investments, two very pragmatic and necessary steps for internal guardrails and values alignment.

But then there are the sectors we work in; media, art and culture. How do we understand the role of AI in the books we read, the music we listen to, the shows we watch, the art we experience, and the journalism we consume. These endeavors are by-products of bearing witness, of sense-making, of observing the human condition, and of capturing personal experiences of pain and trauma and joy. They rely on human intelligence. Organizations around the world are collaborating to help preserve the attributes that make us uniquely human in debates about AI. Journalism organizations globally are developing standards and protocols for AI use of their work. At the same time, Indigenous thinkers are beginning to articulate what AI means for cultural sovereignty.  

The tensions are also resonating with non-profits and charities. I was not expecting that impact to show up around trust of charities and nonprofits. Donors, as well as the communities that charities and nonprofits work with have questions.  At Inspirit, we know we must grapple with these issues, well beyond the mantra of trust-based philanthropy.  

As we manage increased demand for funding, and a budget that is committed to multi-year support for existing grantees, we have made the difficult decision to close our grant portal to general applications for the rest of the year. We began to provide more multi-year grants in 2020 with the intention of building longer-term relationships with our partners. Most are smaller, underfunded organizations who are still growing and finding their feet. Their ongoing development requires unrestricted multi-year funding. While we are still partnering with new organizations, this will be limited and by invitation for the rest of the year. 

However, we continue to collaborate with other foundations to pool resources for impact, especially through the Journalism Futures Fund (JFF). Several weeks ago, we were thrilled that U.S.-based Press Forward made a contribution to the JFF through their Global Catalyst Funds, to support coordinated philanthropic action for healthy local news. The JFF will launch its second round on June 17th. Joining us in time for this is Program Coordinator Tendisai Cromwell. Tendisai brings depth of experience across multiple arts and media sectors and has been engaged with the Foundation’s work for many years, starting as a grantee. We are thrilled to welcome her.

While this addition to the team brings new possibilities, we also said goodbye to a longstanding member of the team. After ten years with Inspirit, Jory Cohen has moved on from his role as the Foundation’s Director of Finance and Impact Investment to launch his own consultancy. I choose to see this as another beginning as the broader sector will be able to benefit from his many skills around impact investing. In his decade at the Foundation, Jory led that work here and he has captured the learnings in our latest report. It’s a journey of firsts, of false starts, and ultimately the Foundation’s commitment to total impact, and the staff, leadership, and board members who were willing to walk down a road that had no map. We will continue to work with Jory through Silk Pin Capital as one of his first clients. Congratulations, Jory. 

As I continue to try and understand the implications of a future that includes AI, there is deep wisdom in turning to the past. June is National Indigenous History Month and as we move closer to June 21st and Indigenous People’s Day, I’m reminded of the Honourable Murray Sinclair’s words:

“Innovation isn’t always about creating new things. Innovation sometimes involves looking back at our old ways and bringing them forward to this new situation.”

Dr. Sinclair’s words are a poignant reminder to center what we already know, as we navigate this complex and changing terrain.

Sincerely, 
Sadia Zaman, CEO