Chris Lee serves as the Director of Programming at Inspirit Foundation — a national philanthropic organization committed to advancing pluralism in Canada — where he leads Inspirit’s grantmaking programs, evaluation and learning strategies, and social impact initiatives. Leveraging an array of financial tools, he works in partnership with communities and organizations to support justice, inclusion, and equity across multiple sectors, including arts, media, and screen-based industries, post-secondary education, finance, and government.
Prior to Inspirit, Chris spent a decade working in the nonprofit sector in British Columbia and Ontario, where he gained experience in frontline social services, youth leadership development, and cross-cultural community building.
A second-generation Canadian with Chinese-Surinamese and German roots, Chris has lived and studied on Canada’s east and west coasts; he now lives in his hometown of Toronto, the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. Chris holds a B.A. (Hons) from the University of King’s College and an M.Ed. from the University of British Columbia. He currently volunteers his time as a board member with Grassroots Grantmakers and the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto.