Annual Impact Report

It is with great pride that I present the Chairperson’s overview. I am pleased to report that the Board remains steadfast in its commitment to strong, effective governance and the long-term sustainability of the Heart Foundation.

This year, we welcomed two new directors to the Board, further enhancing our capability with a broader range of perspectives and expertise. Professor Dr Matire Harwood and Dr Raewyn Fisher bring a wealth of experience and have made a significant contribution already.

Sadly, we lost a much respected and admired Board member, Associate Professor Malcolm Legget, who passed away in November 2024. He had served on the Board since 2016 and is greatly missed by Board members and the wider Heart Foundation family. In his honour, fellow cardiologist and Heart Foundation Chair of Heart Health, Professor Rob Doughty, cycled the length of the South Island raising funds to establish a new overseas training fellowship – the Malcolm Legget Overseas Training and Research Fellowship.

Our Chief Advisor Pacific, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, was made a Professor at the University of Auckland making him one of two of the world’s only Niuean professors. Meanwhile, Dr Matire Harwood became a Professor at the University of Auckland’s School of Medicine, and Heart Foundation Hynds Senior Fellow, Dr Andrew Reynolds, became an Associate Professor at the University of Otago.

For me personally, a highlight this year, was a reception hosted by our patron, Her Excellency the Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House to celebrate the heart research community. The researchers we fund continue to push the boundaries of science, and it was a memorable occasion to acknowledge them alongside a number of our generous donors who enable this important work.

The organisation remains in a strong position. The senior management team continues to make solid progress against the strategic plan introduced this year, delivering on key priorities. The partnership between the Board and management remains positive, providing continued momentum in achieving our purpose. Looking ahead, we remain focused on the long-term success and sustainability of the organisation.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our senior management team, our dedicated staff, and our many donors, partners and stakeholders for their continued trust and support. Together, we are building a healthier future for all New Zealanders.

Mike Tomlinson, Chairperson

This past financial year, the first year of our refreshed strategy, saw the culmination of two strategic initiatives that have been several years in the making, both of which have significantly advanced our ability to deliver on our charitable purpose.

In October 2024, we welcomed the Government’s decision to make permanent the legislation allowing charities to operate fundraising lotteries online, providing long-term certainty for the Heart Foundation Lottery. A month later, following advocacy from the Heart Foundation, a major milestone was achieved with Pharmac’s decision to fund a heart failure medication that benefitted more than 18,000 New Zealanders this year alone. The medication will give someone with the condition an extra six years of life, on average.

Investment in heart research remains at the core of what we do. This year, we invested $4.9 million into life-saving heart research and specialist training to advance the heart health cause. As a member of the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum, we announced a new international research challenge focused on transforming the understanding and treatment of women’s cardiovascular health.

Across the country, our teams engaged directly with New Zealanders. From fostering heart healthy habits in tamariki (children) to delivering heart health education at workplaces and community events, our teams are out in communities, having thousands of conversations with New Zealanders. This year, we made it easier for people living with heart disease to access information and support from us through the launch of Heart Line, an 0800 helpline, and our Heart Help Live sessions on Facebook, which continue to attract strong engagement.

High blood pressure affects one million New Zealanders and is the single biggest risk factor for heart disease. In May 2025, we launched a nationwide blood pressure awareness campaign designed to encourage New Zealanders to get their blood pressure checked. Our teams undertook blood pressure checks across the country, and an advertising and media campaign supported this activity.

We stepped up efforts to improve the food supply through our Food Reformulation Programme. It was expanded to include non-alcoholic sugar-sweetened beverages, including energy drinks, soft drinks and flavoured water.

Despite economic headwinds, we have been able to engage the people of New Zealand in fundraising for our life-saving work and donors have given generously. A highlight of the year was celebrating a milestone with our long-standing partner Jennian Homes – they completed their 100th Heart Foundation Lottery home build.

Looking ahead, I am excited by the opportunities before us – to deepen our impact, extend our reach, and continue to engage with communities across the country.

Thank you to our generous donors, dedicated volunteers, loyal supporters, event fundraisers and corporate partners. Together, we’re shaping the future of heart health for generations to come.

Clive Nelson, Chief Executive

Heart research is entering an exciting new era, one filled with innovation, possibility and hope. Advances in technology and techniques are progressing quickly, and our understanding and treatment of heart disease continues to improve year by year.

Artificial intelligence can now pinpoint problems faster and with greater accuracy, while cutting-edge techniques, tools and medications are enabling more tailored and precise treatments. We will continue to invest in research grants, both small and larger scale, as well as overseas training for the next generation of cardiologists, so we can offer world-class treatment here in New Zealand. At the Heart Foundation, we encourage researchers to be bold in their thinking.

This year we were proud to support a number of pioneering research projects. Among them, Dr Laura Joyce is trialling remote follow-up care for emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation, using a smartphone app. Meanwhile, Dr Nicola Scott is exploring whether inhibiting a key heart enzyme could help limit damage after a heart attack, and Dr June-Chiew Han, a leading cardiac energetics researcher, is studying how to improve heart energy efficiency to treat right-heart failure.

Two cardiology nurse specialists were awarded funding for advanced training as nurse practitioners, enabling them to provide a wider range of services for patients in their care.

Continued investment is essential. Funding heart research drives life-saving discoveries, enhances treatments and helps prevent heart disease before it begins. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, we are building a healthier future for all.

Medical Director Associate Professor Gerry Devlin
 

• A. H. Couch Trust
• Acorn Foundation
• AIA NZ
• Alma Milne
• Andrew and Jenny Smith
• Aotearoa Gaming Trust
• Betsy and Michael Benjamin
• Beverley Newton
• Blue Star Group (NZ) Ltd
• Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand
• Brian Wackrow
• Bruce McIntosh
• Claire Mulholland
• Dianne Aubin
• Dorothy Cutts
• Dr Peter and Mrs Jan Ruygrok
• Dr Peter Rothwell
• Dragon Community Trust
• E & W White-Parsons Charitable Trust
• Ernest Hyam Davis and Ted and Mollie Carr Legacies
• Fit Limited
• Four Winds Foundation
• G.R. Winn Trust
• Grace Alison Craston Charitable Trust
• Graeme Manson Charitable Trust
• Graham Still
• Gus and Premila D’Mello
• Hutt Valley Heart Trust
• Hynds Foundation
• Hynds Pipe Systems
• IntraCare
• J R Sime Memorial Charitable Trust
• Jennian Homes
• Jill Couch
• Jon and Deborah Turnbull
• Kathleen McPhillips Charitable Trust
• Kenneth Ronald Boyce Foundation
• Kingdom Foundation
• Kiwi Gaming Foundation
• Mainland Foundation
• Margaret Winn
• Margery and Douglas Bassett
• Meridian Energy Community Decarbonisation Fund
• Mike and Debbie Street
• My Food Bag
• N R and J H Thomson Charitable Trust
• Nanette White
• N H Taylor Charitable Trust
• Nova Charitable Trust
• One Foundation
• Pelorus Trust
• Perpetual Guardian
• Professor Rob Doughty
• R & A J Francis Charitable Trust
• Raizor – Insurance for Good
• Rano Community Trust
• RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group: Auckland, Bay and Pacific Radiology
• Room-Simmonds Charitable Trust
• Royston Health Trust
• Southland Medical Foundation
• The Dowdall Trust
• The Estate of Ian Munro Sexton
• The Estate of Nelson Alexander Moore
• The Estates of Ross Alexander Stevenson and Ralph James Tait
• The Hilda Curtis Charitable Trust
• The Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust
• The Lion Foundation
• The Lois McFarlane Charitable Trust
• The North and South Trust Ltd
• The Reed Charitable Trust
• The Trustees of the Ray Watts Charitable Trust
• The Trusts Community Foundation Ltd
• The Winton & Margaret Bear Charitable Trust’s Children’s Heart Health Care Trust
• Unichem and Life Pharmacy
• Verna Harley
• W N Pharazyn Charitable Trust