Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders: From Funding Initiative to National Organization

• 2000: The John A. Hartford Foundation established the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program in partnership with the American Academy of Nursing.
• 2009: Current and past Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees formed an alumni organization.
• 2012: The Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program moves to the Gerontological Society of America organization, evolving into the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence.
• 2013: The Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Alumni formally established the Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL) Organization to impact gerontological science, practice, education, and policy.
• 2015: Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL) voted to merge with the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, completed during the academic year 2015 – 2016.

In 2000, the John A. Hartford Foundation established the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program initiative, acknowledging nursing's key role in the care of the growing population of older adults. This program has supported 249 nurse scientists with pre- and postdoctoral awards. As a result of the program's success, several Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees formed an alumni organization to continue to advance the quality care of older adults. This group of Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees joined others receiving support from the John A. Hartford Foundation nursing initiatives to grow a formal organization, the Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL). The purpose of this article is to present the development, accomplishments, and challenges of the HGNL, informing other professional nursing organizations that are experiencing similar accomplishments and challenges. This article also demonstrates the power of a funding initiative to grow an organization dedicated to impact gerontological health and health care through research, practice, education, and policy.