Inspire Foundation

06/10/2026

29/09/2026

This is our biggest round yet!

At our recent grantee event, we had the pleasure of hearing from some of the incredible talent we’ve supported.

It was a great event and a reminder of why we do what we do - backing talented New Zealanders and giving them the support and opportunity to take their next steps.

Hearing directly from our grantees about where their talent and hard work have taken them is always a highlight, and it was fantastic to celebrate their achievements together.

This year, we’ve received more grant applications than ever before, meaning we’re also welcoming our biggest group of grantees yet. We can’t wait to see where this next group takes their talent. 🙌

25/09/2026

2 silver. 2 bronze.

That's what Team New Zealand brought home from the International Biology Olympiad in Lithuania - with Inspire grantee Ericsson Ye in the team.

But ask Ericsson what the best part was and he doesn't mention the medals at all:

"The best part was definitely meeting people from around the world."

Four medals, and he leads with the friendships. That tells you everything.

21/09/2026

The part of Shanna's message that stopped us wasn't about London at all.

It was this:

"I'm excited to encourage others back home to get involved in theatre, and Shakespeare specifically."

She's just performed at Shakespeare's Globe. She's currently in Belgium at an international youth festival. And what she's thinking about is the kids back home who haven't found it yet.

That's the whole point. We invest in talented young people - and they invest right back into their communities.

18/09/2026

Shanna sent us her update from Belgium.

She's there right now for the Louder Together Youth Festival - an international gathering of young people using their voices to shift things.

Two continents, one season, one grantee. Some people don't wait for permission to go and do the thing.

16/09/2026

Most people see the race. Almost nobody sees this bit.

Tegen has landed in Santa Fe, Argentina for the World Junior Open Water Championships - and before a single competitive stroke, there's four more days of it:

"Lots of double training days and many km still to come."

Double sessions. On the other side of the world. In a pool nobody's filming.

That's the part that makes the race possible.

04/09/2026

Every year, Inspire Foundation grantees take New Zealand talent to the world.

They stand on international debating stages, compete in sporting arenas from snow-covered mountains to tropical coastlines, perform in world-class theatres, and represent Aotearoa in stadiums across the globe. They're proving that passion, dedication and talent can take you anywhere.

But getting there isn't always easy.

For many young people, the biggest hurdle isn't ability - it's opportunity. Flights, accommodation, entry fees and travel costs can put life-changing experiences just out of reach.

That's where Inspire Foundation comes in.

Through the generosity of our supporters, we're helping remove those barriers so extraordinary young New Zealanders can say "yes" to opportunities that shape their futures.

Because the ticket that gets them there?

Your support.

31/08/2026

A Grantee Story:

Inspire grantee Hamish Giddens was heading home from the Royal Ballet School - freshly cleared from a concussion - when a classmate got injured minutes before that night's show at the Linbury Theatre. Could Hamish step into his role? In a contemporary piece he'd never even seen?

He got a 10-minute run-through at 6:50pm, ran from the school to the theatre, and nailed it.

"Any chance to get on stage is my favourite thing."

That's the end of his first year at one of the world's great ballet schools - with the Royal Opera House still to come.

We love hearing these inspiring stories, showing the depth of talent these grantees have.

Leave Hamish a 👏 below.

Read Hamish's Inspire story: https://www.inspirefoundation.co.nz/grantees/hamish-giddens

27/08/2026

Half a second. That's all that separated our grantee Stella Crossan and her K4 crew from a medal at the Junior & U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Canada.

But here's what that 4th place actually means: it's the highest placing a New Zealand junior K4 has EVER achieved - and the first time a junior women's K4 has made the A final in 12 years. She backed it up with 7th in the world in the K2.

"It's always a privilege to race at such a high level."

The privilege is ours, Stella.

Read Stella's Inspire story: https://www.inspirefoundation.co.nz/grantees/stella-crossan

25/08/2026

What happens when you put 100+ extraordinary young people in one community? They start building things for each other.

Inspire grantee Charlotte Price - PhD researcher, and our Director of Grantee Wellbeing - has built an interactive world map plotting every journey Inspire grantees have taken with grant support.

Competitions in Canada.
Ballet in London.
Research in Prague.

Every pin is a door that opened.

Explore it here: https://charlotteprice-blip.github.io/inspire/inspire-world-map-live.html

Which pin surprises you most? Tell us below. 🌏

Read Charlotte's Inspire story: https://www.inspirefoundation.co.nz/grantees/charlotte-price