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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 and midwifery 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.

Nurse smiling

Hardship grants

Hardship grants are one-off payments of up to £500, delivered alongside a holistic signposting service to support you through life’s unexpected challenges

Nurse at desk

Education grants

Apply for a professional development or student grant.

male nurse with pen

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.

Resident doing puzzle with HCSW

Make a donation

Donate online and support nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers facing financial hardship

Leave a gift in your will

Leave a gift in your Will

And support nursing and midwifery teams for generations 

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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. 

Deepa and Nicola

Celebrating 15 years of the RCN Foundation!

RCN Foundation Director, Deepa Korea, and RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Nicola Ranger, welcomed staff in celebrating the incredible impact of the RCN Foundation since it was founded in 2010.

IWD 2025

Confronting inbuilt inequalities

Deepa Korea, RCN Director, reflects on International Women's Day on her career, looking at how we begin to confront the inbuilt inequalities that face us

Learning disability image

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