Hardship grants
Hardship grants are one-off payments of up to £500, depending on your circumstances and the number of applications we receive.
The RCN Foundation is an independent charity and we are not linked to any trade union activity. Our purpose is to support and strengthen nursing, midwifery, and social care to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. We do this by:
- Providing grants to nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers for hardship and education
- Providing research and innovations grants to organisations
- Our grants are accessible to all nursing and midwifery professionals - you do not have to be a member of the RCN to receive our support.
Meet the nurses we support
We provided a hardship grant to Lily, a single mother and qualified nurse who was made homeless by her landlord. Hear Lily's story, in her own words:
Our grants
The RCN Foundation are here to help.
Education grants
Apply for a professional development or student grant.
Research & practice development grants
We invest in the nursing and midwifery professions and improve patient care.
How you can support us
The nursing and midwifery community needs your support now more than ever. Your generosity will help us care for those who care for us at a time when the nursing and midwifery community need us most.
Make a donation
Donate online and support nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers facing financial hardship
Leave a gift in your Will
And support nursing and midwifery teams for generations
Fundraise for us
There are endless ways to fundraise and support nursing and midwifery professionals across the UK. However you’d like to fundraise, we'll support you all the way
Recent news and events from the RCN Foundation
Sign up to the RCN Foundation email newsletter and get all the latest news from events and fundraising to available grants and funding.
The economic contributions of learning disability nurses
LSE were awarded funding to undertake a study exploring the economic case for investing in building the Registered Nurse for Learning Disability (RNLD) workforce capacity
UHNM are recipients of prestigious Michelle Cox RCN Foundation Anti-Racism Award
The project aims to combat racism by monitoring workplace practices, identifying barriers to career advancement, and promoting equity
Ulster University and LUHFT are respective recipients of nursing mental health and well-being grant
After a high calibre of applications, two grants were awarded in 2024. Read on to learn more about them.