The Florence Nightingale Foundation

What The Florence Nightingale Foundation does

The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Reg No. 229229; Scotland SC044341) founded in 1934 as a memorial to Florence Nightingale, headquartered in London with 11–50 employees. Its stated mission is to develop nursing and midwifery leaders at every career stage and across all health and care sectors in the UK and internationally, enabling nurses and midwives to stay, thrive, lead, and transform care. Core products include the FNF Academy Learning Hub (a WordPress-based online learning management platform with login portals, achievement tracking, and course completion), flagship Leadership Programmes (Windrush, Mary Seacole, Fellows, and regional cohorts), and prestigious band 7+ Leadership Scholarships. Supporting products are the Policy and Influence Think Tank, FNF Global (including work in Kenya, USA, and Canada), Social Care Nursing Programmes, the Internationally Educated Nurses and Midwives (IENM) Programme, the Green Healthcare Leadership Programme with Nuffield Health, and free open-access modules such as Allyship Uncovered and Neurodiversity by SSHINE.

FNF monetises through a hybrid charity model with four streams: donations and fundraising (e.g., a £90,000 90th-anniversary campaign), government grants from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (funding Windrush, IENM, SCNAC, and social care nursing work), annual organisational membership subscriptions, and multi-year commissioned leadership programmes from NHS trusts and ICBs. Most programmes are free for individual participants; organisations pay subscription or commissioned fees. GTM is community- and event-led: the annual Florence Nightingale Commemoration Service at Westminster Abbey, Students' Day, Member Symposiums, and partner channels through NHS England, Royal College of Midwives, NAME UK, INMAs, and member trusts drive acquisition and retention.

Name

The Florence Nightingale Foundation

Legal name

The Florence Nightingale Foundation

Website

https://florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Florence Nightingale Foundation is a UK charity that develops nursing and midwifery leaders across the NHS, social care, and global health through scholarships, programmes, an Academy learning platform, and policy work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC)

Keywords

• Nursing leadership development
• Midwifery leadership programmes
• Healthcare workforce development
• Nursing scholarships UK
• Healthcare policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: FNF generates revenue through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising campaigns. The organization ran a 90th anniversary campaign targeting £90,000 and encourages legacy giving through wills.
2. Government Grants: FNF receives funding from NHS England, Department of Health and Social Care, and other government bodies for specific programmes such as social care nurse development and internationally educated nurse support.
3. Membership Fees: Healthcare organizations pay for FNF membership which provides access to leadership programmes, webinars, resources, and networking benefits for their nursing and midwifery staff.
4. Commissioned Programmes: NHS trusts, ICBs, and healthcare organizations commission FNF to deliver customized leadership development programmes for their workforce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Florence Nightingale Foundation develops nursing and midwifery leaders across the UK and globally through Leadership Scholarships (free to Band 7+ nurses and midwives), cohort leadership programmes (Windrush Leadership Programme, Mary Seacole Programme, Green Healthcare Leadership Programme, IENM Programme, Social Care Nursing Programmes), commissioned workforce programmes for NHS trusts and ICBs, organisational membership with access to webinars and the FNF Academy, the FNF Policy and Influence Think Tank, and the FNF Global international initiative. The FNF Academy Learning Hub serves as the central online platform delivering courses and tracking achievements.

Product overview

The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) operates as a charity focused on developing nursing and midwifery leaders across the UK and globally. Its primary product is the FNF Academy Learning Hub, an online platform providing access to leadership programmes, scholarships, online courses, member portals, and alumni resources. The core offerings include Leadership Programmes (Windrush, Mary Seacole, Fellows, and regional programmes) and FNF Leadership Scholarships for band 7+ nurses and midwives. Supporting products include the Policy and Influence Think Tank for policy engagement, the FNF Global international initiative, Social Care Nursing Programmes, and the Internationally Educated Nurses and Midwives (IENM) Programme. The FNF Academy also offers free open-access modules including Allyship Uncovered and Neurodiversity Module by SSHINE. The Membership Programme provides access to benefits, webinar recordings, and the Rising Leaders Programme. All offerings are designed to develop nurse and midwife leaders at every career stage to improve health and care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FNF Leadership Scholarships Prestigious once-in-a-lifetime leadership scholarship opportunities for nurses and midwives working at NHS Agenda for Change Band 7 and above, featuring experiential learning, individual assessments, experienced mentors, and access to fellow scholars. Free of charge to qualifying individuals.
• Windrush Leadership Programme Leadership programme for nurses and midwives from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, developed in response to WRES data showing poorer career progression. Over 300 nurses and midwives have graduated since inception.
• Mary Seacole Programme Named leadership programme honouring Mary Seacole, part of FNF's suite of leadership development offerings for nurses and midwives. Free for individual participants, funded by NHS England and partners.
• Green Healthcare Leadership Programme Co-created by Nuffield Health and FNF, this programme develops sustainable healthcare leadership skills for nurses and health professionals, with a focus on environmental impact reduction in clinical settings.
• Internationally Educated Nurses and Midwives (IENM) Programme Online leadership programme supporting and developing the leadership potential of internationally educated nurses and midwives, providing benefits for services and patient outcomes. FNF's supporting research surveyed 1,500+ IENMs.
• Social Care Nursing Programmes Leadership development programmes for social care nurses, including programmes for nurses from ethnic minority backgrounds and for Chairs of Social Care Nursing Advisory Councils (SCNACs), supported by the Department of Health and Social Care.
• FNF Membership Programme Membership programme for organisations providing access to member benefits, webinar recordings, free online modules, the FNF Rising Leaders Programme, and FNF Academy resources for staff of member organisations.
• FNF Policy and Influence Think Tank Policy and influence initiative bringing the nursing and midwifery voice to major health and care issues, providing members opportunities to influence policy priorities, engage in policy work, and develop political knowledge and influencing skills.
• FNF Global International initiative strengthening nursing and midwifery leadership globally, including partnerships in Kenya for nursing and midwifery leadership development.
• Commissioned Workforce Leadership Programmes Customised cohort leadership programmes commissioned by NHS trusts, ICBs, and healthcare organisations for their nursing and midwifery workforce. Tailored to organisational needs with negotiated multi-year pricing.
• FNF Academy Learning Hub Online learning management platform hosting leadership programmes, scholarships, online courses, member portals, and alumni resources. Includes login-based access, achievement tracking with badges and points, and course completion certificates.
• FNF Rising Leaders Programme Leadership development offering within FNF membership designed for emerging nurse and midwife leaders at member organisations.
• Student Councils Toolkit Toolkit created in partnership with Health Education England to tackle student nurse and midwife attrition by empowering students to create councils and develop future leadership skills.
• Sandra Charitable Early Career Programme Early career leadership programme for nurses and midwives requiring a Quality Improvement Project submission as part of the application.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 nurses and midwives have graduated from the Windrush Leadership Programme since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NHS England (NHS College of Leadership & Management)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026FNF played a central role in developing the NHS Leadership and Management Framework as part of a four-partner consortium. FNF will continue working with the new NHS College of Leadership & Management to implement the framework across the NHS in England.
• Burdett Trust for NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026FNF joined the Burdett Trust for Nursing's 'Stronger Together' partnership programme as one of six nursing charities working together to support nursing, midwifery, and health visiting. FNF's contribution focuses on a 12-month executive leadership programme to strengthen maternity services across the UK, enhancing the partnership between Chief Nurses/Executive Directors of Nursing and Chief Midwifery Officers/Directors of Midwifery.
• NAME UK (Nursing and Midwifery Excellence)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2024FNF and NAME UK announced a partnership to drive forward nursing and midwifery leadership for excellence internationally. The partnership combines FNF's leadership development expertise with NAME UK's membership reach and expertise in achieving exemplar professional excellence. A series of webinars for FNF Academy members began in October 2024.
• The DAISY FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2023FNF entered into a partnership with The DAISY Foundation to recognize extraordinary nurses and midwives. The partnership provides FNF members with access to the DAISY Award programme and Nurse Leader Awards. The DAISY Foundation was created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes and is recognized globally with nearly 5,900 healthcare organizations in 38 countries committed to honouring nurses.
• Department of Health and Social CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Department of Health and Social Care supports FNF's social care nurse leadership programmes, including the programme for nurses from ethnic minority backgrounds and the SCNAC Chair development programme.
• NHS England (formerly Health Education England)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018FNF partnered with Health Education England (now NHS England) in 2018 to launch the Windrush Leadership Programme to address career progression inequalities for nurses and midwives from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds. The programme has since graduated over 300 participants.
• NHS England - International Nursing and Midwifery AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNF administered small grants programme funded by NHS England to support internationally recruited nurses and midwives in England. Grants advanced pastoral support, health and wellbeing, professional support, and INMA leadership development.
• Royal College of MidwivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal College of Midwives is part of the Expert Stakeholder Group for FNF's Burdett Trust partnership programme on strengthening maternity services leadership.
• Nuffield HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNF co-created the Green Healthcare Leadership Programme with Nuffield Health for nurses and health professionals to develop sustainable healthcare practices and leadership skills.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNF worked with NHS England on the Phillips Ives Review to explore digital transformation of care and optimization of data. Also collaborated on student councils initiative and various policy projects.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The King's Fund: Independent charitable foundation working on health and care leadership, policy, and workforce development in the UK. Larger incumbent with overlapping leadership development and policy influence work targeting NHS leaders.
• Health Foundation: Major UK health charity funding workforce, innovation, and policy research across the NHS. Larger incumbent that funds nursing and midwifery-related programmes and competes for government and philanthropic partnership dollars.
• Royal College of Nursing: UK's largest nursing professional body and trade union, offering career development, learning resources, and policy advocacy for nurses. Significantly larger than FNF with overlapping member benefits and leadership development content, though broader in scope.
• Royal College of Midwives: UK professional body for midwives, providing education, professional development, and policy influence. Already a strategic partner of FNF but also a broader incumbent in midwifery leadership development.

Emerging players

• The DAISY Foundation: Global foundation honouring nurses through recognition awards, partnered with FNF since 2023. Partial overlap in nurse recognition and member engagement, with a more global footprint but narrower programme scope.
• Council of Deans of Health: UK membership organisation for university faculties delivering nursing, midwifery, and allied health education. Adjacent peer addressing leadership pipeline earlier in the career journey, with overlapping audience of nurse and midwife educators.

Direct peers

• Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI): UK charity dedicated to improving nursing care in the community, including leadership development for community nurses. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and charitable model, with similar focus on workforce development and policy influence.
• Foundation of Nursing Studies (FoNS): UK charity focused on nursing practice, leadership development, and innovation in care. Directly comparable as a small-to-mid charity serving nurses with leadership and practice development programmes similar to FNF's portfolio.
• NHS Leadership Academy: The official NHS body for leadership development across England, offering programmes for nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals. Direct competitor in nursing and midwifery leadership development with similar target audience and content overlap with FNF's scholarship and leadership programmes.
• Burdett Trust for Nursing: UK grantmaking charity dedicated to supporting nursing through grants and partnerships. Direct peer in the grantmaking nursing charity space and current Stronger Together partner with FNF, making it both peer and collaborator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FNightingaleF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@florencenightingalefoundat5686
• Facebookfacebook.com/florencenightingalefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florencenightingalefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/florencenightingalefoundation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 The Florence Nightingale Foundation