The Nicki's Gift Foundation was created in October 2006 in memory of Nicole Diane Nye ("Nicki") to exclusively benefit children with special needs along with assisting those educators charged with teaching special needs children in the Kent City School System (KCSS). Nicki's Gift, in part is dedicated to promoting the concept of "inclusion" whereby children with special needs are included in the regular educational environment and culture in a variety of ways. As a onetime head of the department overseeing these children, Nicki originated and then advocated through her body of work the need to include these children into the regular classroom whenever possible.

Nicki's Gift provides direct support in two ways. First, Nicki's Gift provides grants to teachers to aid their efforts in advancing these children as they move through the school system and then on to graduation. Special attention will be given to those teachers requesting grants that address the concept of inclusion. Second, Nicki's Gift provides scholarships to select graduating seniors that have overcome these challenges to learning and consequently have the desire to seek additional education with a school of higher learning.