Canadian Nurses Foundation

What Canadian Nurses Foundation does

The Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF) is a registered Canadian charitable foundation established in 1962 and headquartered in Ottawa. It is the national vehicle for nursing-focused philanthropy in Canada, administering nursing scholarships, research grants, and educational awards to support nursing students, researchers, and the broader nursing workforce. The foundation awards more than 100 scholarships and grants annually, accepting roughly one in five applicants, and operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees.

CNF's programs are funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and signature fundraising events. Its corporate partner ecosystem spans pharmaceutical and consumer health companies (Tylenol Canada, Johnson & Johnson, SANOFI), senior care providers (Extendicare), and national and provincial nursing associations (CNA, CNSA, WeRPN). Its flagship fundraising initiative, MaskerAide, generated approximately $250,000 in 2021 alongside 68+ million media impressions, demonstrating the foundation's capacity to leverage PR-driven events for both revenue and brand reach. The foundation has also launched the Healing Healthcare campaign to broaden its programmatic positioning.

The business model is a typical charitable foundation structure: CNF does not sell products or services for a profit, but instead raises tax-deductible contributions, allocates them to scholarships and grants, and reinvests in fundraising capacity. Strategic emphasis under CEO Robert Gottschalk (effective January 2022, announced December 2022) appears focused on diversifying funding sources, expanding programmatic scope, and deepening corporate partnerships across the Canadian healthcare value chain.

Name

Canadian Nurses Foundation

Legal name

Canadian Nurses Foundation

Website

https://cnf-fiic.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Canadian Nurses Foundation is a national charitable foundation that funds nursing scholarships, research grants, and awards across Canada through donations and corporate partnerships, supporting nursing students and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Education Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Nursing scholarships
• Research grants
• Nursing education funding
• Charitable foundation services
• Healthcare workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CNF generates revenue through individual and corporate donations. The organization runs various donation campaigns including Giving Tuesday (with matching partners like Meazure Learning and The OTUS Group), general donations, and specific fund campaigns such as the CNF COVID-19 Fund for Nurses.
2. Annual Gala and Special Events: The organization hosts annual fundraising events including the MaskerAide gala, which raised nearly a quarter million dollars in 2021. Revenue comes from sponsorships, auction items, table sales, and attendee donations.
3. Legacy Giving and Planned Gifts: CNF accepts legacy bequests and planned giving arrangements from donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Canadian Nurses Foundation is a charitable foundation that provides financial scholarships and awards to nursing students, funds nursing research through grants, and runs awareness and wellness programs (e.g., Healing Healthcare, Nurses' Voices, National Nursing Week). It also operates fundraising activities including the MaskerAide annual gala and corporate sponsorship programs to fund these initiatives.

Product overview

Canadian Nurses Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1962 that supports nursing excellence in Canada through three main pillars: scholarships and awards (offering 100+ financial support programs for nursing students), nursing research grants (funding research initiatives and researchers), and awareness campaigns (including National Nursing Week, Healing Healthcare initiative, and the annual MaskerAide Gala). The organization does not offer a software product or platform but rather serves as a funding and advocacy organization for the nursing profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarships and Awards Program Financial support program offering 100+ scholarships and awards to nursing students across Canada at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Supports approximately one-in-five applicants annually, with criteria covering academic excellence, financial need, and diverse nursing specialties.
• Nursing Research Grants Funding program supporting nursing research across Canada, including grants for researchers and funding opportunities for clinical studies in mental health, Indigenous health, diversity in nursing, and healthcare equity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ scholarships and awards provided annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of biennial conference events including 'From Shift to Spotlight: An Evening of Inspiration & Impact'. CNF researchers and scholarship recipients participate in CNA events.
• Canadian Nursing Students' Association (CNSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CNSA Education Award, CNSA Diversability/Diversity Award, CNSA Mental Health Award, CNSA Indigenous Health Award, and multiple other CNSA-branded awards supporting nursing students.
• Canadian Nurses Foundation - Nurses Voices SeriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVideo and audio series hosted by Gail Donner and Mary Wheeler, launched June 2021, amplifying nurse voices and stories.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Major US health-focused philanthropy funding nursing leadership, research, and workforce initiatives. At much greater scale than CNF; relevant as a north-star benchmark for trajectory, partnerships, and program sophistication.
• Canadian Nurses Association: The national professional body representing Canadian nurses. Listed as a core strategic partner of CNF; broader and not primarily a grantmaker, but adjacent as the institutional umbrella for nursing in Canada.

Direct peers

• Sigma Foundation for Nursing: Grantmaking arm of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, funding nursing research and scholarships globally. Highly comparable in offering structure (research grants + scholarships) to CNF.
• Canadian Medical Foundation: Canadian registered charity supporting medical students and physicians through scholarships and bursaries. Closest Canadian structural peer — same charitable registration model, similar scholarship-and-bursary focus, but for medicine rather than nursing.
• American Nurses Foundation: The philanthropic and charitable arm of the American Nurses Association. Directly comparable to CNF as a national nursing-focused grantmaking foundation providing scholarships, research grants, and nurse-wellness programs.
• CMA Foundation: Canadian Medical Association's philanthropic arm funding medical scholarships, research, and health-system initiatives. Strong structural comparator to CNF's scholarship-and-research grant model within the Canadian healthcare-philanthropy space.
• The DAISY Foundation: US-based nursing recognition charity honoring nurses via awards, grants, and J. Patrick Barnes Grants for nursing research. Comparable mission (nurse recognition and funding) and a near-identical awards-program model.
• Florence Nightingale Foundation: UK-based charity providing scholarships, research grants, and leadership development for nurses. Direct peer operating the same grantmaking-and-recognition model in a different national market.
• Burdett Trust for Nursing: UK grantmaking charity funding nurse-led healthcare projects, scholarships, and research. Comparable as a focused nursing philanthropy with a similar grantmaking + scholarship structure.

Regional players

• Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario: Provincial nursing professional body in Ontario offering Best Practice Guidelines and limited scholarships/grants. Comparable on the nursing-community side, but regionally scoped and not primarily a scholarship grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/theCNF
• Facebookfacebook.com/cnf.fiic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-nurses-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/canadiannursesfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Nurses Foundation