HeartConnect Program

Mission: Transforming lives by connecting children worldwide with life-saving cardiac solutions to expand global access to life-saving cardiac care for children with congenital heart defects and limited access to treatment.

Program Objective

The HeartConnect Program expands HeartGift's mission to increase global access to life-saving cardiac care for children with congenital heart defects and limited access to treatment. The foundation collaborates with local experts to build or enhance pediatric cardiac programs, connecting healthcare professionals, volunteers, and resources to create sustainable solutions and expand access to specialized care worldwide.

Geographic Scope

• Eligible regions: Asia, Africa, and Latin America
• Applicant requirement: U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations only

Focus Areas

The program supports:

• Medical mission trips: Teams of medical professionals traveling abroad to perform direct cardiac care to pediatric patients diagnosed with congenital heart defects
• Existing institutional programs: Programs with existing institutions in a country that provide direct cardiac care to pediatric patients diagnosed with congenital heart defects
• Training trips: Training programs for medical professionals
• Program establishment/enhancement: Building or enhancing pediatric cardiac programs

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicant type: U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
• Patient eligibility: Children diagnosed with congenital heart defects (children over age 14 are NOT eligible)
• Program types: Medical mission trips, training trips, or direct surgical care programs

Grant Request Limits (Based on Annual Revenue)

• $1 - $200,000 annual revenue: Request cannot exceed 50% of budget
• $200,001 - $800,000 annual revenue: Request cannot exceed 45% of budget
• $800,001+ annual revenue: Request cannot exceed 25% of budget

Allowable Expenses

• Surgeries and catheterization procedures
• Patient travel
• Patient follow-up care
• Patient insurance
• Patient housing
• Medical team airfare
• Medical team ground transportation
• Medical team lodging
• Shipment of supplies
• Medications
• Medical testing
• Screening
• Consumables

Funding Restrictions (Will NOT Fund)

• Salaries (full-time/part-time staff)
• Care for Rheumatic Heart Disease
• Upgraded flights or hotel incidentals
• In-country airfare
• Expedited or late fees of any kind
• Fees for travel documents
• Food/Beverage/Meals
• Cell phone, Internet, Roaming fees
• Photography or Videography
• Scrubs, Shirts, and Clothing for medical teams
• Vaccinations
• Compensation or stipends to staff or medical professionals
• Multi-year requests
• Children served over age 14
• Lobbying, Political, or Religious Efforts

Returning Grantees

To be considered for additional funding, a returning grantee must be in good standing, defined by:

• Adhering to all required communication
• Meeting obligations and standards
• Following timelines established by HeartGift
• Submitting required reports within 90 days post-surgery including: full patient name, date of birth, sex, caregiver name, diagnosis, type of surgery/procedure, date of surgery, length of hospital stay, before/after pictures, operative summary, and Family Social Forms on 25% of children served
• Participating in monthly check-in calls when applicable and FaceTime calls during missions
• Submitting training reports if applicable

Contact Information

• Phone: +1 (512) 330-4988 or 512.574.6472
• Email: [email protected]
• Office Address: 108 Wild Basin S., Bldg 2, Ste 250 | Austin, TX 78746
• Mailing Address: 3310 W. Braker Lane #300-704 | Austin, TX 78758
• Website: heartgift.org
• Tax ID: 74-2967809

Important Dates (2025-2026 Cycle)

• Notification Date: February 2026

Funding Notes

• HeartGift desires to fund requests in full but may choose to partially fund any request
• If funds are not used for the purpose described in the proposal, HeartGift reserves the right to have all remaining funds immediately returned
• If remaining grant funds are not fully used and can be used in other ways to serve more children while aligning with HeartGift's mission, the requesting organization must notify HeartGift via email on use of remaining funds
• Request for additional payment to cover unexpected fees or overages in services will not be granted

Organization Credentials

• HeartGift has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar)
• Designated as an official "Give with Confidence" charity by Charity Navigator

Application Process

The application is a multi-step online form process with 5 steps: