EagleFeatherNews

Indspire exceeds target for matching campaign for Indigenous education, raising $24 million

EFN Staff | May 28, 2015

Indspire announced today that it has exceeded its $20 million fundraising target for the Building Brighter Futures Campaign, raising over $24 million for bursaries and scholarships for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis students. Through the campaign, donations to Indspire from corporate, provincial, and private partners were matched through a commitment from the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013. More than 8,000 bursaries and scholarships were awarded to Indigenous students.

The campaign was driven by a high-profile cabinet of Canada's corporate leaders, led by co-chairs David Tuccaro, Indspire board chair and President and CEO of Tuccaro Inc.; Joseph Dion, Indspire board member and Chairman and CEO of Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp.; and Steve Williams, President and CEO of Suncor Energy Inc.

"We would like to thank our many corporate and government partners and individual donors for their tremendous support and for taking a leadership role in closing the gap in Indigenous education," said Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire. "When Indigenous youth get the financial support they need to complete their education, they thrive personally, enrich their communities, and contribute to Canada's overall economic and social well-being."

Through bursaries and scholarships, Indspire disburses funds to Indigenous youth across Canada to help them complete their post-secondary education. Indspire's financial awards provide support for a wide range of student needs, from textbooks and tuition to childcare and daily living expenses.

A report released recently by Indspire showed that 93% of Indigenous students who receive funding for their education earn post-secondary credentials, and 82% of those graduates find work, many in roles that directly serve Indigenous populations.

About Indspire:

Indspire is an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources with the goal of closing the gap in Indigenous education. Through the K-12 Indspire Institute, it provides resources to educators, communities, and other stakeholders who are committed to improving kindergarten to grade 12 success for Indigenous youth. Since its inception in 1985, Indspire has disbursed almost $65 million through close to 20,000 scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous students, making it the largest funder of Indigenous education outside the federal government. Each year, the organization presents theIndspire Awards, a gala celebration of the successes achieved by Indigenous people that is broadcast nationally.