NEW YORK — Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and mega-billionaire, along with his wife, former news anchor Lauren Sánchez Bezos, have pledged $5 million to the creator of a network supporting neurodivergent students. This gesture acknowledges the remarkable efforts of students driving a burgeoning movement towards more inclusive educational settings.

“There’s a prevailing notion that our small actions are insignificant,” remarked David Flink, CEO of the Neurodiversity Alliance. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. This acknowledgment is proof that the everyday efforts in our work have resonated with individuals like Lauren and Jeff.”

Flink is one of the five recipients of this year’s Bezos Courage & Civility Award. Presented annually since 2021, this grant honors trailblazers who unite people around innovative solutions to often overlooked issues. The prize money, free of restrictions, supports the honorees in advancing their charitable missions as they see fit.

The Neurodiversity Alliance started over 25 years ago as a peer mentorship initiative for students with diverse learning and developmental needs, including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Today, the nonprofit engages with more than 600 high schools and colleges, promoting educational environments that accommodate students whose cognitive processes differ from the norm.

The couple, who recently married in a grand ceremony in Venice that sparked protests over wealth disparity, have not provided a statement explaining their choice to support this cause. According to Forbes, Bezos has an estimated net worth of $240 billion, ranking him as the fourth richest individual globally.

Bezos has previously shown an interest in early childhood education through his nonprofit network of tuition-free preschools inspired by the Montessori model.

Sánchez Bezos grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia. She told “Good Morning America” last year that her children’s book, “The Fly Who Flew to Space,” is for “the 8-year-old me who was told I wasn’t smart.” She credited a college professor, who recruited her to the school newspaper despite her insistence that she could not spell, for encouraging her to get tested.

The selection of Flink marks a departure from the award’s previous higher-profile recipients. Past honorees include CNN political commentator Van Jones, World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés, actor-director Eva Longoria, and country superstar Dolly Parton. The shift reflects a desire to get the money closer to the ground rather than let well-known figures distribute money to the nonprofits of their choice.

The smaller scale approach differs from many of Bezos’ ultra-wealthy peers, according to an Indiana University professor emeritus in public affairs and philanthropic studies. Leslie Lenkowsky said that today’s entrepreneur-philanthropists — Bill Gates, for example — tend to focus on systemic change in the realms of health or education.

“Rather than trying to change the system, what they’re trying to do is provide funding to individuals or communities to deal with important issues,” Lenkowsky said of the Bezoses. “It really is a much older model of philanthropy.”

The award’s size is also smaller this year. Five winners are equally splitting a $25 million pot, whereas past awards have totaled as much as $100 million.

Flink said the money will help the alliance meet its goal of reaching more than 2,000 sites by 2028. He promised to invest in growing the mentorship program, telling more stories that challenge negative narratives about neurodiversity, and expanding the national network of student leaders who get training to sustain their schools’ clubs.

He said this support is especially important when “the demand has never been greater,” and they’ve witnessed “some oscillation” in the resources that schools receive.

The Trump administration’s dismantling of the Education Department has included mass layoffs at the agency charged with addressing complaints that students with disabilities are not receiving adequate support from their schools. Earlier this month, the department brought back dozens of Office for Civil Rights staffers, saying their help is needed to tackle a growing backlog of discrimination complaints.

Kala Shah, an attorney whose 24-year tenure at the Department of Education included enforcing protections for students with disabilities, said that neurodivergent students depend on that oversight.

“This is an especially critical time for private foundations and philanthropy to help fill the gap in resources that’s been created by the current federal climate,” she said.