As President of the Mensa Foundation and a Trustee, it's with great pleasure that I support the Foundation in observing its 40th year. It's because of the hard work of those who are serving and those who came before us, because of our shared belief in supporting intelligence, and because of the camaraderie of Mensa members worldwide that we celebrate this momentous event in 2011.

I recall fondly Dr. Michael Jacobson's request in 1996 that I serve as Controller and Chair of the Foundation's Finance Committee, my first introduction to volunteering for the Board of Trustees. Since that time, we've been honored to see the Foundation's donations grow as new programs are developed, including our first Web site in 1999 and the Mensa For Kids site (www.mensaforkids.org) in 2007. We now have the Walk of Minds leading up to the home of both the Foundation and American Mensa; our Conversations with Mensa podcast series (www.mensafoundation.org/conversations) highlights the work of the Foundation to the general public; and our Colloquiums (www.colloquium.us.mensa.org) continue to bring fresh content and new insights to Mensa members and the public.

At each step in the Foundation's progress, we've honored and rewarded individual achievement in regard to human intelligence. Our Awards for Excellence in Research; Lifetime Achievement, Copper Black, Distinguished Teacher, and Intellectual Benefits Awards; and scholarship programs each encourage and commend deserving individuals at all levels of society.

The Mensa Research Journal, one of the backbones of our research efforts, regularly recognizes and distributes the latest and best in international research into all aspects of giftedness and intelligence.

The Mensa Foundation has truly become an international organization as we've extended our awards and scholarship programs internationally, and the Mensa Research Journal is now appreciated throughout the international Mensa community. Its subscribers extend from Nigeria to Norway, from Serbia to Malaysia and beyond.

As we celebrate our 40th year, you'll note that we're "helping make dreams come true." It is because of you, our donors and supporters, that we can make this claim. It's because of you that the Foundation continues to grow and evolve. And it's because of you that we can aid people like scholarship winners Darby Jones and Ethan Boyles.

"I can't begin to thank you enough for the scholarship," Jones said. "It will help so much in reaching my final goal of being a pediatric physical therapist."

"I hope to someday work as a police officer," Boyles said. "Thank you very much for giving the time, energy and resources to encourage students and help make their dreams come true."

I truly hope that all of you who support our work continue to do so for the next 40 years. Please make your celebration donation today.

For 40 years, one of the Foundation's stated goals has been to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity, and part of this effort involves encouraging research into the characteristics and uses of intelligence. Over the years, various programs have been established to recognize this research and to publicize its results, as well as nurture intelligence overall. Your generous donation to the Foundation helps continue the work of programs like these:

The free podcast series Conversations with Mensa discusses facets of intelligence as covered in the Mensa Foundation's programs, the Mensa Research Journal, and Mensa Colloquiums. Further, the series provides the opportunity to expand our social intelligence by examining a multitude of topics, thus enhancing our intelligence "horizontally." Listen to Conversations with Mensa here: www.mensafoundation.org/conversations.

The Copper Black Award is given to a Mensan for a specific creative achievement that has been demonstrated to be of practical value, or for an innovation that has been implemented, at least in part, to the advantage of persons other than the nominee. See past winners here: www.mensafoundation.org/copperblack.

The Distinguished Teacher Award recognizes a teacher, professor or instructor at any educational level who has had an especially positive influence on the education or life of a Mensa member or a dependent. See past winners here: www.mensafoundation.org/distinguishedteacher.

The Awards for Excellence in Research are given internationally for outstanding research on intelligence, intellectual giftedness and related fields. See past winners at www.mensafoundation.org/excellenceinresearch.

The Foundation underwrites several programs in support of gifted youth. These projects include the Mensa For Kids Web site and funding for Young Mensans' groups within Mensa. For more, visit www.mensaforkids.org.

The Intellectual Benefits Award recognizes the application of a Mensan's intellectual abilities that have resulted in a tangible benefit to society. To see past winners, visit www.mensafoundation.org/intellectualbenefits.

The Foundation's international programs include the international scholarship program and two awards created to recognize the intellectual achievements of Mensans around the world. To find out more, visit www.mensafoundation.org/internationalprograms.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented each year in recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the field of intelligence and related subjects. The award alternates between international and U.S. nominees each year. To see past winners, visit www.mensafoundation/lifetime.

The Foundation's scholarship program bases its awards solely on essays written by the applicants. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program or financial need. In 2009-2010, the Foundation awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships to selected students. For more information, visit www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships.

New projects consistent with the Foundation's mission and strategic goals are considered for development. These projects may include, but are not limited to, new types of scholarships or awards and projects in support of gifted education. The Foundation does not fund individual research projects.

To make a donation in support of one or more of these programs, visit www.mensafoundation.org/donate.

The Mensa Foundation is saddened to report the passing of long-time member Joe Zanca. Joe died at home after a lengthy illness. A life member of Mensa, Joe was known as "Wine Jelly Joe" in the early days, later as the man behind the infamous $5 bill auctions and the Mensa Boutique. Joe served on the American Mensa Committee as Regional Vice Chair from 1989-1995 and was an active supporter and fundraiser for the Foundation. Joe was one of two Honorary Trustees of the Foundation.

A scholarship has been set up in Joe's name. To donate to this scholarship, visit www.mensafoundation.org/joezanca.

In honor of its anniversary, the Mensa Foundation is producing a video featuring interviews with Mensa members, photos of past Foundation presidents, an overview of how the Foundation started, where it is now, and a look into the future. The video will be presented at this year's Annual Gathering in Portland, Ore.

The following presidents will be highlighted in the video:

Herb Jacobs: March 1971-November 1972

Sander Rubin: November 1972-September 1973

Stuart Friedman: October 1973-October 1984

L. Martin Miller: October 1984-November 1986

Henry Noble: November 1986-November 1992

Francis Cartier: November 1992-November 1995

Michael Jacobson: November 1995-August 2002

Greg Timmers: August 2002-present

Past Foundation presidents Stuart Friedman and Sander Rubin (also founders of the Foundation) are interviewed on the video, providing insight into the history of the Foundation. Greg Timmers, current President, will talk about the future of the Foundation.

To learn more about the Mensa Foundation and its Trustees, visit www.mensafoundation.org/trustees.

This spring, the Mensa Foundation is launching several new programs to help support the education of gifted youth across the country.

In April, the Foundation will present "The Year of Living Poetically" to coincide with National Poetry Month. The program has 12 selections that are explained for young readers and includes activities for memorizing each of the poems, as well as resources for further extension.

May features the Reader Reward Program, an extensive program that will reward kids with Mensa Foundation certificates and other small prizes for completing lists of classic works recommended by the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information on the spring programs, visit www.mensaforkids.org.

Additionally, the Mensa Foundation supports gifted youth in the following ways:

Free lesson plans on www.mensaforkids.org. New additions include the Heroes lesson plan for high-schoolers, "Probably Probability" for 6th graders, and other lesson plans for grades K-12. Upcoming topics include ecosystems and hurricanes.

Parent and teacher resources are available on www.mensaforkids.org.

Gifted-kid appropriate, free online games are also available at www.mensaforkids.org.

The Foundation provides funding to Mensa Local Groups to help pay for activities for gifted youth in their areas. For example, a grant was just given to a group in Arizona for a presentation by a children's author.

Funding scholarships to students and educators of the gifted.

The Foundation has sponsored speaking engagements at gifted education conferences across the United States. There, Mensa's Gifted Education Specialist shares helpful resources and trains teachers on the best practices in the teaching of the gifted.

Resource Guides on accelerating high school and chemistry. More of these will be available in the near future. If you would like a copy of the latest resource guides, send a request to giftedyouth@mensafoundation.org.

A list of resources on a variety of subjects is sent out three times a month to parents and educators of the gifted. This list is made available through the BrightKids elist; subscribe at Brightkids@lists.us.mensa.org.

For more information on gifted youth programs, visit www.mensaforkids.org. To support these programs, visit www.mensafoundation.org/donate.

Sponsored by the Mensa Foundation, Conversations with Mensa takes the new ideas and fresh insights shared through the Foundation's activities and brings them to members and the public in an easy-to-use format.

Our newest Conversation, "Understanding and Appreciating Introverted Advantages," will help listeners both within and outside Mensa understand the wonderful gifts that introverts have to offer and to make sense of the frequently confusing and uneasy feelings that introverts experience. A Life Member of Mensa, Dr. John Sheehan discusses introversion with Dr. Marti Olsen Laney, one of America's foremost authorities on the topic. Dr. Laney will also be a featured speaker at the Annual Gathering in Portland this year (www.ag.us.mensa.org).

To hear this Conversation and others, visit www.mensafoundation.org/conversations.
The series is also available on iTunes; search for "Mensa" via the iTunes store or visit our page directly at http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=317327876.

If you enjoy the series, we hope you'll take the time to rate or express your opinions on future podcasts to conversations@mensafoundation.org.

To support this program, visit www.mensafoundation.org/donate.