Governance overview

The Heart Foundation Board is committed to ensuring that standards of good governance are realised openly and with integrity, commensurate with Heart Foundation’s broader objectives.

The Heart Foundation is a National Health Promotion Charity with offices in each state and territory. The National Heart Foundation of Australia (Heart Foundation) is a Company Limited by Guarantee. The national entity delivers our Connecting Hearts Strategy, with the delivery and collaboration of localised activities and events co-ordinated with the state and territory offices.  

The Heart Foundation effectively operates as a single unified national organisation, although each state and territory is a subsidiary entity of the Heart Foundation and each local entity is chaired by a national Board Member.  

Each state and territory may nominate two individuals to become members of the national entity. Each state and territory entity has a Local Advisory Board to support and advise the local CEO.  Members of the Heart Foundation meet with the national Board and are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting. 

Good governance

The Heart Foundation Board is committed to ensuring that standards of good governance are realised openly and with integrity, commensurate with Heart Foundation’s broader objectives. Part of the Board’s role in relation to corporate governance is to implement and maintain a culture of good corporate governance respected by both internal and external stakeholders. The Board recognises its role in overseeing the determination and implementation of policy frameworks that reflect good corporate governance aligned with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (‘ACNC’) Governance Standards. 

The ACNC Governance Standards are the core requirements Heart Foundation applies in relation to corporate governance. These ACNC Governance Standards are: 

• Standard 1 – Purposes and not-for-profit nature 
• Standard 2 – Accountability to members 
• Standard 3 – Compliance with Australian laws 
• Standard 4 – Suitability of responsible persons, and 
• Standard 5 – Duties of responsible persons. 

The Heart Foundation continues to be committed to undertaking governance measures which strengthen relationships and processes to ensure that the funds raised by, or gifted to us, are used to carry out our vision – towards an Australia free of heart disease – and our mission – to reduce heart disease and improve the heart health and quality of life of all Australians through our work in risk, reduction, support, care and research. 

Priority areas

Our commitment to people who are socially and economically disadvantaged and affected by heart disease remain a priority. This focus includes: 

• Communities in regional, rural and remote areas 
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.   

The Heart Foundation is committed to maintain our important local relationships, programs and activities, and continue to be a strong local presence in each state and territory.  

The Heart Foundation’s key governance documents are available below.