During the pandemic, a heightened awareness of the importance of nurses has been felt throughout our community.

Through the support of an anonymous donor, Manatee Community Foundation recently awarded $82,000 in scholarships to 22 students who live in Manatee County pursuing their BSN degrees or doctoral degrees.

This helped the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) more than double the financial support that had been available to nursing education students from other sources in previous years. SNAC was formed to address the need to increase BSNs in the four county area of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Desoto, increase percentage of working RNs with BSN or higher degrees, double the number of Doctorate and PhD prepared nurses with attention to diversity, encourage Nurse Residency Programs, and ensure nurses engage in life-long learning.

To make a gift to the Manatee County SNAC Scholarship Fund, contact Joan McCaw at Joan@ManateeCF.org.