About Inspirit

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Vision

We envision a more inclusive and pluralist Canada where our differences are valued and engaged, and everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive both socially and economically.

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Mission

We advance racial, social and economic justice by investing our assets and funding media and arts for change.

Narrative builds power for people, or it is not useful at all

Rashad Robinson

Our Work

Inspirit Foundation is a public foundation based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

Inspirit works to enable the creation of new narratives that advance pluralism—narratives that challenge discriminatory structures of representation and multiply the array of stories and people we see reflected in television, film, the arts, and journalism.  

We are guided by an aspiration to generate meaningful impact through supporting narrative changemakers and leveraging our investment portfolio. Our granting and programming are funded by the financial returns earned through Inspirit’s investment of its endowment assets. Inspirit’s commitment to a 100% impact portfolio is critical to our ability to execute our mission in a holistic manner and advance our vision for pluralism and inclusion.  

The asset base for the Foundation comes from proceeds of the sale of the license for Vision TV, a multi-faith, multicultural television channel licensed in 1987. Inspirit has charitable status and is governed by a Board of Directors, with a majority of members at arm’s length from one another. 

Pluralism and Narrative Power

A pluralist society is one in which people of different beliefs and backgrounds can participate equally, coexist peacefully, and thrive together. Pluralism ensures that we all feel like we belong. It requires equitable access to resources so that people and systems can actively engage with diversity, seek understanding across lines of difference, and challenge and change existing power structures.  

Pluralism is advanced when we see ourselves reflected in all our diversity and multiplicity. It suffers when the narratives and values that underpin our dominant social, cultural, and economic structures—the very structures that also dictate whose stories are funded and told—leave out or cause harm to those of us who belong to racialized, ethnic, and religious minority communities. 

At Inspirit, we support communities and organizations that build narrative power and challenge the systemic barriers that have traditionally dictated which voices and communities count. We fund to enable greater participation in arts and media, as this is vital to pluralism.