Spirit, Inc. was an ecumenical youth group organized in 1970 by Thomas A. Downs, a religious education coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. Although the group was inspired by the non-profit organization Up With People, Spirit, Inc. was Downs’ own invention. At the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s, Spirit, Inc. had between 70 and 80 members with a waiting list. The current membership is reported to be in the 20s.
Founder Tom Downs began several similar groups, including a young Indiana-based vocal ensemble known as The We Together Singers, who released an album on the Staff record label around the same time Spirit, Inc. released their "Alive" LP on the same label. Several other offshoot groups were organized by people who borrowed Downs’ idea. Spirit, Inc. appears to be one of the few such groups which is still active.