Donate to the Rheba de Tornyay Development Fund

The Rheba de Tornyay Development Fund, as the primary fundraising arm, houses all contributions made to the Academy. The Academy also offers donors opportunities to give to one of our restricted funds in support of the signature initiatives: the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, Edge Runners, and the Institute for Nursing Leadership.

Renamed in 2011, the Rheba de Tornyay Development Fund honors Dr. Rheba de Tornyay, a Living Legend, Founding Fellow, and First Board President of the Academy. Rheba de Tornyay dedicated her life to promoting research, training, and services for the healthy aging of adults while advancing the nursing profession. The Academy can think of no better way to honor her legacy.

What Your Donations Support

While this development fund elevates and supports a variety of the Academy's initiatives, including strategic partnerships and expert panel discussions, each dollar raised directly supports the Academy's mission of improving health and achieving health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science. The funding raised through the Rheba de Tornyay Development unrestricted fund goes towards supporting the organization’s policy work and membership activities, offsetting operational costs. The funds raised through the restricted funds support the Academy’s signature initiatives as well as their events and programming.

Become a Donor

The Academy encourages all Fellows and supporters to become a part of the organization’s culture of philanthropy. You can become involved today via an online donation or through one of the options below. You can make a gift in memory or in honor of someone who has inspired your nursing path. The Academy accepts one-time and recurring donations. Please contact Caroline Kane, Chief Advancement Officer, at ckane@aannet.org, to learn more about the Academy’s giving options.

Naming the American Academy of Nursing as a beneficiary in your will or living trust is one of the simplest ways to donate through estate planning. Doing so can also lower the amount of your taxable estate and any estate taxes. If you do decide to name the Academy in your estate planning, please let us know so we can recognize your planned generosity.

In order to donate stock shares to the American Academy of Nursing, please send a letter to your investment company noting the stock name(s), share quantities, etc. to initiate the transfer. Also include delivery information for the shares to be sent. Please also indicate the name associated with the donation and which Academy donation fund the gift should be applied to, Unrestricted or Restricted (CANS, Edge Runners, or INL). Contact Caroline Kane at ckane@aannet.org for more information.

Individuals can give up to $100,000 per year to charities from their IRAs, and the amount can count toward any required minimum distributions (RMDs). RMDs are distributions you're required to take from retirement accounts once you reach a certain age. Giving funds directly from your IRA is considered a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), allowing you to exclude the amount from your income so you don’t pay taxes on it.

Edge Runners is the platform for the nursing community to advocate for innovative and new models of care to improve health and care delivery. Through the Academy's recognition of nurse innovators, Edge Runners tell a powerful story: how nurses are creating new, transformational options that help people stay healthy in their communities and cope better with illness.

The Institute for Nursing Leadership (INL) was launched in 2014 and serves as the umbrella for the Academy’s leadership development. INL aims to prepare fellows for appointments on key national/international and state governing boards of health-related entities/systems, councils, commissions, and task forces.

The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS), advocates for increased support of nursing science to benefit all people and the good of society by enhancing communication among nurse scientists and the public, as well as supporting the development, dissemination, and utilization of nursing research.