Deloitte Canada commits $175,000 annually for three years to Indspire to invest in Indigenous education

Toronto, February 15, 2022 – Today, Deloitte Canada announced its first multi-year sponsorship agreement with Indspire, committing $175,000 annually for three years to the only Indigenous-led organization in education providing scholarships, training, and curriculum from coast to coast.

Equitable access to educational opportunities, training, and jobs is considered the most impactful way of ensuring social and economic prosperity for Indigenous peoples. Indspire’s vision is that within a generation, every Indigenous student will graduate high school and have the opportunity to attend post-secondary education — breaking the cycle of unemployment, social marginalization, and poverty experienced by a disproportionate number of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth today.

“We’re happy to work with Deloitte as they continue to take a leadership role in corporate Canada towards reconciliation,” said Dr. Mike DeGagné, President & CEO of Indspire. “Their support will have a significant impact for Indigenous students and communities by allowing us to build educational capacity, help strengthen Indigenous youth identity, and in the long term, increase economic sustainability and prosperity.”

The sponsorship supports the commitments made by Deloitte Canada under its Reconciliation Action Plan. In alignment with the Truth and Reconcililation Committee’s Call to Action #92, Deloitte is placing a strong focus on building respectful and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, investing in education and training, and working towards becoming a trusted partner and employer for Indigenous businesses and professionals.

“We have made firm commitments toward investing in the education of Indigenous youth and building a talent pipeline for all Canadian organisations,” said Anthony Viel, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Canada. “We believe that full Indigenous participation in all aspects of our economy is key to a resilient and prosperous Canada and we see education and sponsorship as the path towards achieving that goal.”

Kicking off with the Brighter Futures scholarship program in 2017, Deloitte has had the privilege of participating in several events and youth gatherings. In 2020 and 2021, Deloitte was proud to sponsor the Indspire awards. Building deeper, more dynamic connections with students that include mutual learning experiences and mentorships is a priority for the firm. From a dollars and cents standpoint, Deloitte continues to support the Youth Soaring Gathering, the annual Indspire Awards, and scholarships for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students across Canada to assist them in completing their post-secondary education.

The next scholarship application deadline is August 1, 2022, with additional annual submission dates on November 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023 (visit indspire.ca for more information).

To learn more about Deloitte’s Reconciliation Action Plan, including how to develop and implement one of your own, please visit: https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/public-sector/articles/indigenous-impact-report.html.

About Indspire
Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire provides financial awards, delivers programs and shares resources so that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students will achieve their highest potential. In 2019-2020, Indspire provided more than $17.8 million through 5,553 bursaries and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada.