Where Nurses Are Giving Back This Giving Tuesday: 12 Nurse-Focused Nonprofits
- Nurse-focused nonprofits provide critical support services tailored to nurses and healthcare workers, including mental health resources, crisis intervention, educational access, scholarships, and financial aid.
- These organizations address key nursing challenges like burnout, workforce shortages, education access, and mental health stigma to sustain workforce wellbeing and resilience.
- Giving Tuesday offers a vital chance for nurses and supporters to strengthen the profession through donations, advocacy, and volunteer efforts that support the healthcare system.
This Giving Tuesday, many of us are looking for ways to uplift our profession and support nurse-specific wellbeing. But here’s the thing: while there are lots of organizations out there supporting healthcare workers, nurse-specific nonprofits often don’t get the visibility they deserve.
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that encourages people to support organizations making a meaningful impact in their communities. For nurses and healthcare workers, it is also a chance to uplift nonprofits that focus on mental health, education, crisis relief, and professional support.
Below are twelve reputable nonprofits making a difference in nursing and healthcare, along with direct links to learn more or donate.
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Debriefing the Frontlines
Debriefing the Frontlines provides trauma-informed debriefing, mental health support, and education for nurses and frontline clinicians. Their programs are designed to reduce the emotional weight of crisis exposure through structured, evidence-based support. This year they are rallying to raise $10,000 to provide 200 Scholarship Debriefing Sessions in 2026 for Nurses in need of mental health.
WeCare Boxes
WeCare Boxes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce through thoughtfully curated subscription boxes and modern wellness education. Each monthly box is created by licensed healthcare professionals and features science-backed products that address common pain points among clinicians, along with 1 AMA/MMA CME credit. All profits directly fund WeCare’s mission to provide retreats, workshops, and resources that strengthen whole-person wellbeing for caregivers. With a focus on uplifting healthcare-professional–founded brands and offering meaningful gifts for oneself or others, WeCare Boxes serves as both a wellness tool and an expression of appreciation for those who care for our communities.
Nurses With Purpose
Nurses With Purpose is a nonprofit organization focused on delivering sustainable preventive and primary healthcare to underserved communities around the world. The organization partners with local groups to support long-term, community-driven solutions rather than temporary relief efforts. Their mission centers on building continuity of care, improving living conditions, and supporting children’s enrichment programs while strengthening existing systems rather than replacing them. With a growing network of volunteer nurses across specialties, Nurses With Purpose works collaboratively to address health needs in a way that is culturally respectful, grounded in measured outcomes, and designed to support the wellbeing of communities for generations to come.
Don’t Clock Out Foundation
Don’t Clock Out is a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis support for healthcare workers, particularly nurses. The organization provides free, confidential peer-led support groups, a 24-hour peer crisis line, and emergency financial assistance for clinicians in acute distress. Through advocacy campaigns and education on moral distress, Don’t Clock Out works to amplify the voices of frontline workers and build networks of community-based support. Their mission is grounded in solidarity and the belief that caring for patients begins with caring for ourselves and one another.
Operation Scrubs
Operation Scrubs is a national nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and supporting nurses through year-round recognition programs. The organization hosts large-scale appreciation events, delivers “thank-you” initiatives to hospitals, and coordinates community partnerships that highlight the essential work nurses provide across every specialty. Their programs focus on boosting morale, decreasing burnout, and making nurses feel seen, valued, and appreciated in meaningful ways. Operation Scrubs also leads the annual National Nurses Month Thank-A-Nurse Challenge, which rallies the public to honor nurses through acts of gratitude, donations, and community engagement.
Project HOPE
Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian organization that supports healthcare workers during disasters, conflict, and major public health emergencies. With more than 1,000 employees operating in over 25 countries, the organization partners directly with local clinicians and health systems to deliver training, medical supplies, and on-the-ground clinical support. Their mission is grounded in the belief that health is a human right and that strengthening the global healthcare workforce creates long-term, sustainable impact. In moments of crisis, Project HOPE focuses on restoring hope, improving access to care, and building resilient communities around the world.
Foundation for Academic Nursing (AACN)
The Foundation for Academic Nursing supports the future of the profession by investing directly in nursing students, faculty, and academic leaders. Through scholarships, leadership programs, and grants for nurse educators, the foundation works to strengthen nursing education at a time when faculty shortages continue to limit program capacity nationwide. Donations on Giving Tuesday help fund scholarships for students facing financial barriers, expand opportunities for aspiring nurse educators, and support initiatives that advance diversity, equity, and innovation in nursing academia. Contributing to this foundation directly supports the next generation of nurses and the educators who shape them.
Washington State Nurses Foundation (WSNA)
The Washington State Nurses Foundation invests directly in the future of the nursing workforce by providing academic scholarships, NCLEX support, and professional development grants for both new and current nurses. Their Giving Tuesday campaign focuses on expanding financial assistance for students entering nursing programs, supporting diversity in the profession, and helping working nurses access continuing education that keeps their skills current. By donating, supporters help reduce financial barriers for aspiring nurses at a time when Washington and the nation face critical workforce shortages.
The Research Foundation – Nursing Student Emergency Fund
Based in Kansas City, this foundation provides crucial emergency financial assistance to nursing students who experience unexpected hardships such as transportation issues, housing insecurity, childcare challenges, or difficulty affording basic essentials. Their Nursing Student Emergency Fund is specifically designed to keep students in school during moments when financial strain might otherwise derail their education. By offering rapid-response support, the foundation helps reduce attrition, stabilize vulnerable students, and ensure more nurses can successfully enter the workforce.
OneFuture Coachella Valley
OneFuture Coachella Valley supports students preparing for nursing and allied-health careers through scholarships, mentorship, and career-readiness programs. The organization partners with local schools, hospitals, and community leaders to build a strong healthcare pipeline in a region facing significant provider shortages. Their Giving Tuesday efforts help fund tuition assistance, certification fees, and training resources for students from underserved communities, ensuring more future nurses and healthcare workers can enter the workforce and remain in the valley they call home.
Operation Happy Nurse
Operation Happy Nurse is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of nurses through community, resources, and peer support. The organization offers free support groups, wellness challenges, mental health education, and stress-relief programs designed specifically for the unique pressures nurses face. Their mission is to create a safe, stigma-free space where nurses can connect, decompress, and access tools that support long-term resilience.
The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation
Created in memory of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide in 2020, this foundation is dedicated to protecting the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers nationwide. The organization leads policy advocacy aimed at removing barriers to seeking mental health care, including stigma and punitive licensing questions. It also funds research, education, and hospital-based initiatives focused on burnout prevention, safe workplace culture, and workforce retention. Donations help advance legislative efforts like the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act and support programs that make mental health care more accessible for clinicians.
Why Giving Tuesday Matters for Nurses
Nurses continue to face high levels of burnout, staffing challenges, and emotional strain. Supporting organizations that invest directly in nurse wellbeing strengthens the entire healthcare system.
These nonprofits provide essential services including:
- Mental health support
- Crisis intervention
- Educational access
- Scholarships and grants
- Global and community health outreach
Giving Tuesday is a chance to support organizations that make a real difference in the lives of nurses and healthcare workers. If any of these nonprofits align with your values, take a moment to explore their work or get involved in a way that feels meaningful to you. Giving can be financial, but it can also look like raising awareness, sharing resources with colleagues, advocating for systemic change, or volunteering your time. Every contribution, big or small, helps strengthen the workforce that cares for everyone else. Supporting nurses strengthens the entire healthcare system, and even a small step can create a ripple effect of care and impact.
🤔Nurses: Which of these organizations resonates with you most, and why? Do you have any others you recommend supporting this Giving Tuesday?
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