MehtaCognition Pays It Forward (And Back...)

I’ve had incredible Who-Luck in my life, people who took a chance on me when I wasn’t so sure of myself, mentors who took time and attention to guide me, peers and teachers who made me a better person, teacher, and leader of others. At each step, I’ve found the people I need who believed in me, and over the last two decades, I’ve tried to do the same for others any chance I could. We stand on others’ shoulders, peeking over the fence, checking the horizon, setting our goals and ambitions for even higher ground. When I started MehtaCognition, I wrote this note as a reminder to myself of its going purpose:1

What is MehtaCognition? We are a platform for leaders. We build capacity in those who are driven by purpose and impact. We elevate those difference-makers and impact-doers every chance we get, and we help them expand their canvas.

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Today, we take one more step in the fulfillment of this mission.

Beginning this spring, MehtaCognition will financially sponsor leaders and educators in independent schools to avail themselves of any professional development they require to grow their canvas and elevate their influence and impact in their schools.

How are you able to do this?

Towards the end of 2023, I took a percentage of our net profits for the year and created a donor-advised fund (DAF) whose sole purpose will be to identify and support individuals and teams in our schools who have dreams and aspirations for growth but lack the resources in their professional development budget to support them.

Will you do this every year?

Yes! At the end of each calendar year, I will take a percentage of our net profits and transfer those funds to the DAF.

Why are you doing this?

All of us on the team feel grateful to do work we love in an industry that has invested countless times in us as people and professionals. And, every few weeks we hear frustrations from deserving and talented educators and leaders because their schools do not have the funds to send them to conferences or institutes, bring in speakers and facilitators, invest in a leadership coach, buy summer reading books for their faculty, and more. But independent schools, and the leaders within, do not have the same access to foundations and grants outside of those already supporting their annual funds and endowments.

Many associations, and even some consultancies, now provide a few scholarships or reduction in fees towards their programs, but for many schools that scholarship or reduction still isn’t enough. And, even with the scholarship, like tuition discounting, the fees go to that organization; you do not get the actual funds in your hands and the consequent choice to direct your own development and growth. This impact fund we’ve set up releases you from those constraints and puts the choice back in your hands; we don’t tell you or choose for you; only you do.

When does this all begin?

This spring, we will share details about the application process, including deadlines for submission. Decisions will be made by early summer with notifications going out soon after. Funds will be allocated for use within the 2024-25 school year. The process will repeat each spring.

This sounds unusual… and awesome! But what’s the catch?

There’s no catch! This is not a trick. The funds are already set aside in a DAF and cannot be used by the team or me for any other purpose. There is no assumption or expectation of fees or repayment, nor is there an expectation that you or your school is obliged to MehtaCognition for any service or support. This fund is expressly for opportunities that do not have anything to do with us!

There will be expectations around sharing with us and your school on how you’re using the funds to grow your leadership muscle and expand your impact. You will also need to procure your head’s support (or your board chair’s, if you’re the head) and show appropriate need for the funds and ways it will benefit you, your team, and your school.

How many do you expect to fund in this first year?

It’s hard to say without knowing the details of who will submit and for what amounts, however, we expect at the very least to be able to support 3-5 individuals and schools during the 2024-25 school year.

What if you receive more applications than you can support? Who will make the decisions?

I hope to share more details about the selection committee and grant application process with you no later than early March.

Can I nominate someone?

Yes! We will accept nominations and inform the individual, encouraging them to apply.

I have many more questions. Who do I ask?

That’s great! You can write to us at impactfund@mehtacognition.com.

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I’ve believed for a long time now that if I do good, I will do well. And if an individual can do good, then so can entire companies. There are plenty of such examples of philanthropies, foundations, and donor-advised funds set up by corporations, CEOs, and company leaders. So why can’t we do the same for our schools? MehtaCognition can do a lot of good by sharing its profits with the larger independent school industry that has sustained me, and others on our team, for so many years. Our success can help many more; yes, we must reinvest in the team and our services, but we can also invest in others and enable the same “Who-Luck” for them. This impact fund is our own small contribution, and an extension, of our going purpose and our desire to pay it forward, and build the current and next generation of school leaders.

With gratitude for so many things today,

Nishant Mehta

Founder / President, MehtaCognition