Where your funds go

Every donation to the Heart Foundation helps in the fight against heart disease, which is the number one killer of people living in Australia.

For more than 66 years the Heart Foundation has worked hard to ensure the money entrusted to us is used as efficiently and effectively as possible. Your support helps us to have a maximum impact by enabling us to: 

• fund world-leading research 
• support high quality care for people living with heart disease 
• develop care guidelines for health professionals 
• help people in Australia to live healthier lifestyles 
• advocate to government and industry for initiatives to improve heart health.

Where do we get our money?

The Heart Foundation relies on the generosity of people throughout Australia. In 2025, more than 84% of our funding came from your support. Other sources of income included grants for programs and research, as well as investment income.  

Where our funds go

For every dollar you donate:

	26 cents was invested in the fight against heart disease, including health programs and public education.
	35 cents was invested in life-saving research.
	27 cents was invested in expanding the reach and depth of our fundraising efforts.
	7 cents was invested in communications and administration.
	5 cents was invested in future health programs.

In 2025, the Heart Foundation spent over $36 million to prevent heart disease and improve the heart health and quality of life of all people living in Australia.

Through health programs and public education, we are making a difference to the heart health of all people living in Australia. In 2025 we invested more than $15 million (25% of our income) in these activities.

Research has the potential to save thousands of lives. In 2025, we invested $21 million (35% of our income) to fund critical life-saving cardiovascular research projects. 

Since 1959, we have invested the equivalent of over $900 million towards research into the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of heart disease.

Whilst our work has had a major impact on the survival rates of those suffering a heart attack and those living with heart disease, we will not be satisfied until the health of every heart is improved. Coronary heart disease is still one of Australia’s leading killers, taking 79 lives every day.

You can find out more about the research we fund here.