Molly Bundschuh is the Youth Programs Manager for American Mensa and the Mensa Foundation. She develops and supports programs that provide engagement opportunities and meaningful connection for gifted children and their families
I remember a phone call I received from a parent earlier this year. She called the Mensa National Office and asked to speak with me because she had heard Mensa could be a good social outlet for gifted people.
Her son’s teacher had recently recommended he enroll in a social skills class at school. He struggles with making friends, the teacher said, and needs help learning how to connect with other kids.
“My husband wants to do what the teacher says,” the mother told me, “but he can socialize just fine when he’s talking to adults. I think he just needs to be around kids who are like him.”
She wasn’t wrong. Gifted kids often thrive when they’re with their people.
For many families, local Mensa youth events provide something rare: a space where gifted children can explore their interests, meet peers who think like they do, and feel understood. But those opportunities don’t happen by accident. They happen because volunteers build them — and because programs like the Mensa Foundation’s Gifted Youth Educational Mini-Grant Program help make them financially possible.
What Are Gifted Youth Educational Mini-Grants?
The Mensa Foundation offers $200 matching mini-grants to Mensa Local Groups to help fund educational youth programming. Local Groups contribute at least $200, and the Foundation matches it, creating a modest but meaningful budget boost. Each Mensa Local Group is eligible for one mini-grant per fiscal year.
The funds can be used for admission tickets, supplies, speaker fees, workshop costs, and other program expenses. The goal is to reduce barriers and help Local Groups deliver memorable enrichment experiences for youth members.
A Program on the Rise
In recent years, the Foundation noticed that the mini-grant program wasn’t getting as much use as it could. And since these grants are designed to help Local Groups offset the cost of youth programming, we knew there were likely volunteers out there who could benefit – they just might not realize the funding was available. So this past year, we made a focused effort to spread the word: reminding local leaders about the program, answering questions, and encouraging groups to apply if they had an idea for a youth event.
The response was immediate. Applications increased from just one or two every couple of years to a dozen in a single fiscal year, allowing more Local Groups to expand their youth programming and create meaningful Mensa experiences for gifted kids.
From Wildlife Sanctuaries to Robotics Workshops
The most exciting part of the mini-grant program is seeing what Local Groups create with it. Palm Beach Mensa used mini-grant funding to host a tour of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, described by Region 10 Gifted Youth Coordinator Julie Warriner as “a private, hands-on wildlife experience for our members, [who] came face-to-face with Florida native species while learning about conservation and rehabilitation efforts.”
Julie also noted the larger impact of the experience, emphasizing that Foundation support “didn’t just make a field trip possible — it created opportunities for our youth to make meaningful educational and community impact.”
Other groups took their youth programming in completely different directions. Southeast Michigan Mensa used their mini-grant to support a “design a mini-chair” workshop at the Cranbrook Art Museum and later, an electronics workshop. Central New Jersey Mensa used funding to host an afternoon at a VR arcade, giving youth members an opportunity to explore technology in an interactive environment. Tampa Bay Mensa was awarded a grant to get their kids outdoors and explore the city with an interactive scavenger hunt.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Mensa used their mini-grant to purchase theatre tickets, and the grant’s impact went well beyond the cost of admission.
Removing Barriers and Bringing Families Together
For Minnesota Mensa, the mini-grant helped create a youth event that was not only educational, but accessible.
“We very much appreciate the opportunity to make youth Mensa membership more valuable for families and offer exciting opportunities,” Gifted Youth Coordinator Angela Gotz said. With the grant and a deep group discount, the chapter was able to make a Les Misérables showing free for youth members.
“It has made theatre more accessible to more families,” Angela explained, adding that the event also helped reach youth outside of their immediate membership area. “Some attendees traveled from 2.5 hours north and 2.5 hours south to gather together.”
The event became more than just a show. With theatre tickets paid for with Foundation mini-grant funds, the Local Group’s Gifted Youth budget was available to cover the cost of lunch, giving the young Mensans and their guests the chance to socialize post-performance.
The Real Outcome: Connection
Youth programming may be built around enrichment, but volunteers and parents often say the biggest benefit is community. For gifted kids, Mensa events offer a chance to meet peers who share their interests and communication style. For parents, they provide something equally valuable: a support network of families who understand the rollercoaster of raising gifted children.
Erin Risch, who organized Central New Jersey Mensa’s VR program, said the best moment came after the event ended. “The older group were sharing contact information or social media after the event to stay connected.”
The impact didn’t stop there. “Everyone asked for more local events,” Erin added. “I hope this gives us momentum.”
And it has. Central New Jersey Mensa has since organized a trip to a local bowling alley and a board game exploration event. They’ve also received the first Mensa Foundation Gifted Youth educational mini-grant of the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Youth Tracks at Regional Gatherings
Several groups used mini-grant funding not for a single outing, but to strengthen their broader community programming.
San Francisco Regional Mensa, Metropolitan Washington Mensa, and Cincinnati Area Mensa all used mini-grants to offer youth tracks at their Regional Gatherings, helping ensure that gifted children had structured programming designed specifically for them.
These youth tracks not only enrich the Regional Gathering experience but also help make RGs more welcoming for families (and more likely to become traditions).
Why It Matters
The Gifted Youth Educational Mini-Grant Program exists because youth programming is one of the most direct ways Mensa supports gifted children and their families. It helps volunteers turn good ideas into real events, and it helps ensure that educational enrichment doesn’t depend solely on a Local Group’s budget.
Just as importantly, it reinforces something many families are searching for: a place where families of gifted children can feel like they belong.
Looking Ahead
This year’s growth is a sign of something wonderful: Local Groups have ideas, and youth members are eager for more opportunities. The Mensa Foundation is proud to support the volunteers who make these experiences possible, and with continued support, the mini-grant program can continue to grow and reach even more gifted youth nationwide.
For many gifted kids, these events are more than a fun afternoon. They’re a chance for them to neither stand out nor fit in but to belong. For parents, they’re a reminder that they aren’t navigating the challenges of raising a gifted child alone.
The Mensa Foundation is proud to support the gifted community through meaningful programs like these mini-grants. Our mission is to empower gifted individuals to thrive, and that begins by nurturing the next generation. These grants are a simple, practical way to support gifted youth where they are: in their local communities, through experiences that build curiosity, confidence, and connection.
Donations to the Mensa Foundation help fund educational enrichment and community-building opportunities like these across the country. When you give, you’re not just paying for supplies or admission tickets — you’re helping local volunteers create spaces where gifted children and their families can find their people.
If you believe gifted youth deserve more opportunities to learn and belong, please consider making a donation to support the Gifted Youth Educational Mini-Grant Program. Sometimes, it only takes $200 to unlock something much bigger.
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