Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by nurses for nurses in 1912, and since then, the organization has awarded over 1,500 scholarships to support the pursuit of advanced degrees in nursing. NEF’s named scholarships, created with a minimum donation of $50,000, honor and memorialize nurse leaders, from Isabel Hampton Robb to Thelma Schorr to Susan Bowar-Ferres.
NEF Mission
NEF's mission is to promote leadership and health equity through scholarship support for professional nurses seeking master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing education, practice, and research.
NEF Vision
NEF's vision is to be a national leader in supporting graduate education for nurses who champion sustainable change to improve health and healthcare.
NEF Values
- Advocacy: We advocate for the advancement of nurse leaders through graduate scholarships.
- Collaboration: We collaborate with academic and healthcare organizations, NEF scholars, and other partners to achieve common goals.
- Equity: We seek to advance health equity by providing resources to support graduate nursing education.
- Innovation: We provide scholarships to advance visionary leadership in nursing practice, education, and research.
- Integrity: We embody the highest ethical standards and demonstrate consistency in actions and values to achieve our mission.
- Mentorship: We develop and maintain relationships with our scholars to support their leadership goals.
NEF Board of Directors
NEF’s Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from the nursing, education, and business communities, donating their time and talent to the advancement of the nursing profession. NEF operates with exceptionally low overhead, with only two part-time employees. Over the years, NEF’s scholarship funds have gradually increased in number and value as a result of the efforts of the volunteer board members.
100% of donations help to keep NEF scholarships funded in perpetuity; organization expenses are covered by prudent management of NEF’s investments.
NEF Community
Over the years, contributions to Nurses Educational Funds have been made by:
- generous individuals who support the advancement of nurse leaders
- nursing schools, such as Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Lienhard School of Nursing, College of Health Professions at Pace University, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Penn Nursing, and The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing
- medical centers, such as New York City Health + Hospitals, NYU Langone Health, and the Mount Sinai Health System
- healthcare organizations, such as VNS Health and Wolters Kluwer Health, publisher of the American Journal of Nursing Company
- nursing associations, such as the National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA);
- nursing school alumni associations, such as the Columbia University – Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association Inc., the Freedmen's Hospital School of Nursing, Alumni Clubs, Inc. and the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, New York Alumnae Association
- foundations, such as the Conroy Family Charitable Foundation and The Denver Foundation
- corporations from other industries, such as Gotham Companies, and pharmaceutical companies
Support Nurses and Donate Today
Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. depends on donations to advance our mission. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, contributions to NEF are fully tax-deductible. We offer several convenient ways to provide your support.
You may designate your gift to a specific scholarship, contribute to the NEF General Fund, or make a donation in honor or memory of a loved one or colleague.
- Online donations can be processed via credit card, PayPal, or Venmo.
- Give via ACH or Zelle bank transfer or by mailing a check to reduce NEF’s processing fees.
- Click here to learn about more ways to contribute to NEF.
