What Nurses on Boards Coalition does

Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) is a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit coalition founded in 2014 to increase nurse representation on corporate, governmental, nonprofit, and advisory boards across the United States. The organization emerged from the Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as a response to the 2010 Institute of Medicine report "The Future of Nursing." NOBC operates a national database of nurses who serve or aspire to serve on boards, and runs a matching service ("Find a Nurse") that connects healthcare organizations, hospitals, corporations, and nonprofits seeking nurse board members with qualified candidates filtered by governance expertise.

NOBC's product surface is built around its database and matching infrastructure rather than proprietary technology. Core offerings include the national nurse registry, the Honor Roll recognition program, a Speakers Bureau, board readiness and serving resource libraries, and the recently launched "Language and Communication in the Boardroom" micro-credential developed with the National League for Nursing. In December 2025, NOBC partnered with Humana to launch the Mentoring for Success program, which matches nursing students with Humana nurse mentors and signals a shift toward more structured programmatic delivery. The coalition is governed by a Board of Directors composed of representatives from 28+ national nursing organizations, including the American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nursing, AARP, National League for Nursing, and others.

NOBC funds its operations through a hybrid of tiered membership dues from national nursing organizations and healthcare leadership organizations, grants from healthcare and philanthropic funders (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Humana, AARP Foundation), individual donations via the Honor Roll program, and modest earned revenue from paid educational programming. Core services (database registration, matching, mentorship, and most educational resources) are provided free of charge. As of 2026, the database tracks 30,000+ registered nurses and has documented 10,591 cumulative board seat placements, surpassing NOBC's original 2020 goal of 10,000 nurses on boards.

Name

Nurses on Boards Coalition

Legal name

Nurses on Boards Coalition

Website

https://nursesonboardscoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nurses on Boards Coalition is a US nonprofit coalition founded in 2014 that operates a national database and matching service connecting nurses with corporate, governmental, nonprofit, and advisory board opportunities, serving 30,000+ registered nurses and 28+ national member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Membership Dues: NOBC generates revenue through membership dues from national nursing organizations and healthcare leadership organizations. Founding strategic partners pay tiered fees ($250,000+ for Tier I, $100,000-$250,000 for Tier II, $10,000-$100,000 for Tier III, $2,500-$10,000 for Tier IV). Healthcare leadership organizations pay $2,500-$10,000 based on affiliate count.
2. Grants and Program Funding: NOBC receives grant funding from healthcare organizations to support specific programs. For example, Humana provided $110,000 in first-year funding for the Mentoring for Success program with continued support at $90,000 annually. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has historically provided funding support.
3. Donations: NOBC accepts donations through their website and Honor Roll program, where individuals can donate to honor nurses who serve on boards or recognize their own board service.
4. Educational Programs: NOBC offers paid educational programming including the 'Language and Communication in the Boardroom' micro-credential program developed with the National League for Nursing, priced at $95 per student with group discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NOBC operates a national database and matching platform that connects registered nurses with board service opportunities across corporate, governmental, non-profit, and advisory bodies. It delivers board-readiness educational programming (including a micro-credential with the National League for Nursing), mentorship initiatives such as Mentoring for Success, the Honor Roll recognition program, Find a Nurse matching service, and a curated Speakers Bureau, all designed to increase nurse representation on boards.

Product overview

The Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) is a coalition organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its offerings center on a mission-driven platform of programs, resources, and services designed to increase nurse representation on boards. The core infrastructure includes a national database that tracks over 10,000 nurse board seats and connects nurses with board opportunities. Supporting offerings include the Honor Roll recognition program, Find a Nurse matching service, and the Speakers Bureau. Educational products include the Language and Communication in the Boardroom micro-credential (developed with the National League for Nursing) and the Empowering Nurse Leaders video module series. The coalition also provides comprehensive board readiness and serving resource libraries, the Mentoring for Success program (in partnership with Humana), and the PFACs initiative with AARP. The 2026-2028 Strategic Plan guides all offerings under Connect, Transform, and Impact pillars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NOBC Database / Be Counted Registry
• Find a Nurse Service
• Language and Communication in the Boardroom Micro-Credential
• Mentoring for Success Program
• NOBC Honor Roll
• Speakers Bureau
• Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) Initiative
• Empowering Nurse Leaders to Impact the Community through Board Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 board seats filled by nurses as of 2020, surpassing original goal
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• HumanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025Humana partnered with NOBC to launch the Mentoring for Success program, providing $110,000 in first-year funding with continued support at $90,000 annually. The program matches 50 nursing students with 50 Humana nurses as mentors, starting in early 2026. Humana gains founding partner status with a leadership seat on the program's advisory board. The initiative aims to address nursing shortage while developing nurse leadership skills and building a pipeline of qualified nurses across the healthcare field.
• AARPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAARP is a founding partner of NOBC and provides support for the Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) initiative. NOBC represents national and state efforts supported by AARP Foundation and AARP in building healthier communities through nurse board service.
• National League for Nursing (NLN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOBC collaborated with NLN to develop the 'Language and Communication in the Boardroom' micro-credential program. NLN hosts the course on its platform (ondemand.nln.org) and provides continuing education units (0.5 CEUs) for participants.
• AARP (PFAC Initiative)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOBC partners with AARP on a Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) initiative that emphasizes including volunteer nurses on PFACs to improve care quality, communication, and patient safety, particularly for older adults.
• Sigma (Honoring Nursing Excellence)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigma Theta Tau International is listed as a Tier IV founding sponsor ($10,000-$24,999) and has collaborated with NOBC on customized board leadership workshops for organizations.
• Chamberlain UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamberlain University is a Tier I founding strategic partner ($250,000+) of NOBC, providing significant financial and strategic support to advance the coalition's mission.
• American Academy of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Academy of Nursing is a founding member organization of NOBC and shares the strategic goal of positioning nurses as leaders through appointments to boards, commissions, and councils.
• American Nurses AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Nurses Association (ANA) is a founding member organization of NOBC and has been instrumental in the coalition's formation and ongoing mission to increase nurse representation on boards.
• American Hospital Association (AHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAHA Trustee Services works with NOBC on content related to the value of nurses on hospital and health system boards, including published articles and research.
• Campaign for ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, initially brought nursing organizations together as part of their collaborative effort to implement the IOM report recommendations. NOBC was publicly announced in 2014 as part of this partnership.
• Memorial Hermann Health SystemmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorial Hermann partnered with Aldine Independent School District and Bloomberg Philanthropies on the HEAL (Health Education and Learning) High School program to develop future healthcare talent and create pathways for nursing leadership.
• Texas Healthcare TrusteesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'Empowering Nurse Leaders to Impact the Community through Board Service' educational module in partnership with NOBC, drawing on their expertise as a statewide hospital and health system trustee association.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National League for Nursing (NLN): Premier nursing education organization and NOBC's partner on the 'Language and Communication in the Boardroom' micro-credential. NLN shares the nurse leadership development mission and hosts continuing education that overlaps with NOBC's educational product line.
• American Academy of Nursing (AAN): Fellowship organization recognizing nurse leaders for their contributions. As a NOBC founding member organization, AAN's Fellows program intersects with NOBC's board-readiness pipeline and represents an overlapping nurse-leadership cohort.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): The largest U.S. nursing professional organization, with a broad advocacy, credentialing, and membership mandate. As a founding NOBC member, ANA represents the institutional scale NOBC operates adjacent to and could theoretically absorb some of NOBC's matching function.
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL): Nurse executive leadership organization affiliated with the American Hospital Association. AONL focuses on nurse leaders in healthcare systems — a closely overlapping population with NOBC's board-track nurses and a NOBC partner on governance content.
• Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma Nursing): International nursing honor society and leadership organization. As a NOBC Tier IV founding sponsor, Sigma is a direct overlapping peer in nursing leadership development and offers comparable board-readiness programming for top-tier nurses.

Direct peers

• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on nonprofit board leadership, leadership development, and board recruitment. Like NOBC, it operates a mission-driven matching/education platform connecting individuals to governance roles, but across all sectors rather than nursing specifically.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, education, and resources. Operates a similar coalition-of-members model as NOBC but across all nonprofit causes; useful structural benchmark for coalition economics and value delivery.
• Independent Sector: National membership coalition of nonprofits, foundations, and corporations championing the charitable sector. Another structural analog to NOBC's coalition model with overlapping leadership development, research, and policy advocacy functions.

Others

• Campaign for Action (Future of Nursing): AARP Foundation/AARP/RWJF initiative that initially convened nursing organizations and spawned NOBC in 2014. The Campaign for Action is the closest parent/effort-level peer and continues to drive the policy mandate NOBC operationalizes.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Founding NOBC member and historical funder. While primarily a philanthropic foundation rather than a service provider, RWJF is the upstream policy/funder peer whose strategic priorities directly shape NOBC's scope and direction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NursesonBoards
• Facebookfacebook.com/NursesonBoards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nurses-on-boards-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nurses on Boards Coalition