The Mensa Foundation is committed to utilizing the talents of gifted people and making the significance of giftedness more visible to society.
We do this, among other things, by encouraging exceptional achievements: since 2013, we have presented the Mensa Foundation Awards every year. A token of appreciation for people or organizations that make a difference for the gifted. Who played an important role in recognizing, acknowledging, and using giftedness in society and contributed to a positive image of giftedness.
Three types of Mensa Foundation Awards
There are three types Mensa Foundation Awards:
a. an Impact Award for a long-term and/or in-depth contribution. This prize is awarded by the jury to the person or organization that has made a long-term and/or profound contribution to the combination of giftedness and society. There are no nominations here, the jury independently determines which person or organization in the field of highly giftedness is eligible for this.
b. an “Uitblinker Award” (Excellence Award) for a person or organization that has contributed to a positive image of and social opportunities for gifted people. Anyone can recommend candidates. From all recommendations, the jury will select three nominees and the winner.
c. a Popular Award, for people or organizations that have helped the gifted in the field of work, education, society or otherwise. Anyone can recommend candidates. The jury selects three nominees. The public, everybody, can then vote and the nominee with most votes is declared winner of the Award.
General criteria awards
A Mensa Foundation Award can be awarded to an individual, a team or an organisation. There are three spearheads that are of great importance for the granting of a Mensa Foundation Award:
a) making visible the significance of high general intelligence for society;
b) support best practices to make the most of very high intelligence, and
contributing to a positive image of giftedness and social opportunities.