BGS Foundation Pillars

The BGS Foundation celebrates the transformative power of strengths, interests, and talents. Our work is guided by these core pillars:

• Advancing Quality and Equity: Elevating the standard of education for all
• Supporting Human Diversity: Championing the extraordinary variety in how we learn
• Cultivating Knowledge: Promoting diverse worldviews and intellectual curiosity
• Leading the Way: Assuming active leadership roles in the 2e (twice-exceptional) and neurodiversity space.

Advocacy and Action

The BGS Foundation: A home for promoting awareness, advocacy, and action for cognitively diverse, bright, and creative individuals.

Bridges Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the primary mission of administering three programs: a Certificate, a Masters degree and a Doctorate. The licensed and accredited school became Elmbridge University. The Graduate School continues there. While the school has a new home, the heart of our mission remains with us: The BGS Foundation. We are proud that the original non-profit corporation has transitioned into a philanthropic organization, now operating as The BGS Foundation.

Our New Leadership and Direction

The Foundation is embarking on a refined journey. Henry (Hank) Nicols has been appointed Executive Director. The Board of Trustees continues. Together they are working on updating the bylaws and the mission to pivot our focus from institutional administration to dedicated philanthropy.

Visionary Projects on the Horizon

The Foundation’s plan for the future is ambitious and designed to make a tangible difference. The BGS Foundation is proud to support the next generation of leaders through a targeted annual giving and fellowship program. To ensure we can give every proposal the attention it deserves while remaining a small, focused organization, we operate on a single annual cycle.

We distribute approximately $150,000 annually across a select limited number of qualified applicants.

Applications are accepted exclusively from January 1 to March 31.

Submissions received outside of this window will not be reviewed. We aim to notify all applicants of our decision by May 1.

We value your time as much as our own; please review our Eligibility Criteria before applying to ensure your project aligns with our mission.