Support & Services

JKBF uses social media to connect to the work of various organizations in the fields of mental health awareness and suicide prevention and we encourage you to follow us there for helpful links. The foundation primarily focuses its supports and services efforts on college student and young adult populations. We foster programs and initiatives that also connect with our science mission and our message that biology matters and mental health is not all in your head. All grants funded are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the James Kirk Bernard Foundation. Additional grant details by year can be found here.

Active Minds

Since 2010, JKBF has supported the work of Active Minds, the nation’s premier nonprofit organization for mental health awareness and education for students and young adults ages 14–25. JKBF grants have provided sponsorship of and student scholarships for the Active Minds annual conference; funding for online data sharing, webinar, and training platforms; and recent support for the preparation of evidence-based best practice guidelines for colleges based on an evaluation of Active Minds’ programs published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. In 2020 we advocated for and sponsored the inclusion of advice from sleep experts at the national conference.

Bard College

In recognition of Jamie’s attachment to his alma mater, Bard College, a liberal arts and sciences institution that inspires curiosity, a love of learning, idealism, and a commitment to civic participation, JKBF has provided annual grants to the college. These grants have supported a mental health oriented creative writing workshop: the Class of 2010 Scholarship Fund; the Let’s Talk counseling outreach program and peer counselors; and on campus guest speakers with relevance to mental health. Past speakers have included author Andrew Solomon (Noonday Demon) and clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison. Facilities grants have provided upkeep of the Bard Cemetery and expanded library resources, as Jamie’s favorite place on campus was the library.

Oberlin

Funding was provided to Oberlin College (Jamie’s brother Fred’s alma mater) in support of mental wellness activities and campus resources, speakers related to mental health and suicide prevention, and scholarships for attendance at the Active Minds Conference.