Cardiovascular disease (CVD) — including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke — is New Zealand's leading cause of death. Māori and Pacific communities have significantly higher rates of CVD. Grants fund prevention, cardiac rehabilitation, research, and community heart health programmes. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Heart Foundation NZ is the primary heart health charity:
- Research grants: Cardiovascular science and clinical research
- Community programmes: Heart health education and prevention
- Cardiac rehabilitation: Support for cardiac rehabilitation services
- Prevention: Heart-healthy lifestyle programmes
- Advocacy: Policy for cardiovascular health
Heart Foundation is the primary non-government heart health funder.
Health system heart health:
- Coronary care units: Acute cardiac care — catheterisation labs, stent placement
- Cardiac surgery: Open heart surgery and valve replacement
- Cardiac rehabilitation: DHB-funded exercise and education programmes
- Heart failure services: Community heart failure nurse support
- PHOs: Cardiovascular risk assessment and management
Pharmac funds cardiac medications:
- Statins, blood pressure medications, anticoagulants
- Cardiac devices including pacemakers and defibrillators
- Heart failure medications
Gaming trusts fund heart health community programmes:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community health programmes
- Grassroots Trust: Community health and wellbeing
- Pub Charity: Community health
- Lion Foundation: Community health
Gaming trust heart health applications:
- Community cardiac rehabilitation programmes
- Heart-healthy cooking and lifestyle workshops
- Defibrillator (AED) purchase and placement
- Community heart health screening events
Automated External Defibrillators are a major grant category:
- Gaming trusts: AED purchase and placement
- Heart Foundation: AED programme grants
- Councils: Public AED placement
- Community trusts: Sports clubs and community centres with AEDs
An AED costs $1,500–$3,000 — gaming trusts are a primary source for sports clubs and community centres.
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation:
- DHBs: Hospital-based cardiac rehab
- Heart Foundation: Community cardiac rehabilitation support
- Green Prescription: Physical activity for cardiac patients
- Gaming trusts: Community cardiac rehab equipment and programmes
CVD equity:
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori cardiovascular health
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Pacific cardiovascular health
- Hauora Māori: Māori health providers delivering heart health
- Pacific health providers: Pacific community heart health
Māori and Pacific communities have 2-3x higher rates of heart disease — targeted investment is available.
Cardiac research:
- Health Research Council (HRC): Cardiovascular science and clinical research
- Heart Foundation: Applied cardiovascular research
- University cardiology departments: Clinical and translational research
- MBIE: Health technology including cardiac devices
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Population served: Cardiac patients by age, gender, and ethnicity
- Prevention: Risk factor reduction — smoking, physical activity, diet, blood pressure
- Cardiac rehabilitation: Exercise and education outcomes
- Equity: Māori and Pacific communities with highest CVD burden
- AEDs: Defibrillator placement in high-risk or remote areas
- Community engagement: Reaching people who don't currently access services
- Research: Evidence-based cardiovascular interventions
- Carer support: Family and carer wellbeing alongside patient care
Tahua's grants management platform helps heart health organisations manage grant applications across Heart Foundation NZ, Te Whatu Ora, gaming trusts, and community funders, tracking prevention, cardiac rehabilitation, and equity outcomes.