Heartbeat International Foundation Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Heartbeat international foundation, inc., doing business as forhearts worldwide and pacemaker club, improves and saves lives by providing access to lifesaving cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (cieds), comprehensive patient education, and long-term support for individuals living with heart rhythm disorders in underserved communities around the world. Through a global network of volunteer physicians, hospitals, humanitarian organizations, corporate partners, and community supporters, the foundation provides device implantation, follow-up care, patient education, and ongoing support at no cost to qualified patients.(see schedule o for continuation of program accomplishments) during 2025, forhearts worldwide implanted 133 lifesaving cardiac devices through six international heart centers serving patients in guatemala, honduras, mexico, paraguay, the philippines, and trinidad and tobago. The foundation's patient education and support initiatives reached a global community of more than 34,000 pacemaker club members, produced over 40 educational resources, and delivered five live cardiac caf educational webinars featuring physicians and healthcare professionals. Since its founding in 1984, the foundation has helped provide more than 18,000 lifesaving cardiac devices to patients in more than 20 countries, demonstrating its enduring commitment to expanding access to cardiovascular care worldwide.each of the foundation's six international heart centers is staffed by approximately two to three volunteer electrophysiologists and cardiologists who generously donate their expertise to provide implantation procedures, follow-up care, and long-term patient management. Together, these physician volunteers and local healthcare teams provide comprehensive cardiac care for patients who would otherwise have little or no access to lifesaving treatment.recognizing the changing landscape of medical device philanthropy, forhearts worldwide has continued to strengthen a sustainable humanitarian model that combines charitable fundraising, strategic corporate partnerships, volunteer physicians, nonprofit collaboration, and responsible device stewardship to ensure ongoing access to lifesaving cardiac therapies. As manufacturer donations have declined in recent years, the foundation has successfully expanded its ability to purchase devices through charitable support while continuing to maximize the use of donated devices whenever appropriate and legally permissible.the foundation's work is strengthened through an expanding network of healthcare institutions, medical device manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and humanitarian partners that collectively increase access to cardiovascular care worldwide. These collaborations extend beyond device procurement to include physician education, patient identification, program development, community outreach, and sustainable cardiac care infrastructure. Partnerships with organizations such as my heart your heart, arrhythmia alliance/pace4life, local hospitals, rotary organizations, volunteer medical teams, and corporate supporters enable forhearts worldwide to leverage expertise, resources, and innovation to reach more patients while strengthening local healthcare capacity.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 81.3%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -27.3%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.76; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 28.9%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings