What Childrens Heartlink does

Children's HeartLink is a 501(c)-style nonprofit organization founded in 1969 and headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, that operates a train-the-trainer model to build sustainable pediatric cardiac care capacity in low- and middle-income countries. The organization partners with 12 named hospitals across six countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam) and connects them with volunteer medical teams from leading institutions including Mayo Clinic, Boston Children's Hospital, UCSF, Seattle Children's, Leeds Children's Hospital, and National University Hospital Singapore. As of 2026, seven partner hospitals have been designated Centers of Excellence, with a stated goal of reaching 12 by 2030. Since 1969, the organization reports reaching more than 2 million children, training 4,400+ in-country clinicians, and logging 8,800+ volunteer hours.

The organization's core offerings are programs rather than technology products: the Centers of Excellence designation framework, the Nurse Residency Program (a first-of-its-kind virtual training course), a year-long Children's HeartLink Fellowship hosted at Centers of Excellence in India and Malaysia, the Hridyam population health management system developed with the Government of Kerala, and an Extended Reality (XR) Pilot Program launched in 2025 for immersive surgical training. There is no commercial product, no API, and no proprietary software platform; the underlying "technology" is the partner network, the volunteer deployment model, and the IQIC-aligned quality improvement methodology.

Children's HeartLink is funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, with no pricing tiers or revenue from service fees. Distribution is direct-to-partner through long-term field engagement rather than self-serve or channel sales. Key financial supporters include the Ping and Amy Chao Family Foundation and Transparent Fish Fund (both 9-year supporters of the Vietnam program), and the Iversen Family Foundation (matching-gift partner for 12 by 2030). The organization has earned the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025), a Charity Navigator rating, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance accreditation.

Name

Childrens Heartlink

Legal name

Children's HeartLink

Website

https://childrensheartlink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children's HeartLink is a Minnesota-based nonprofit founded in 1969 that builds sustainable pediatric cardiac care capacity in six low- and middle-income countries through train-the-trainer partnerships between local hospitals and volunteer medical teams from leading U.S., U.K., and Singaporean institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cardiac Care Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health Systems (HLAFAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Pediatric cardiac care
• Nonprofit healthcare training
• Congenital heart disease
• Medical capacity building
• Health professional training

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Children's HeartLink generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals and corporate sponsors. The organization runs fundraising campaigns, corporate sponsorship programs, and accepts birthday donations, fitness fundraising, and general fundraisers. Major foundation supporters include Ping and Amy Chao Family Foundation, Transparent Fish Fund, and Iversen Family Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Children's HeartLink is a global nonprofit organization that saves children's lives by transforming pediatric heart care in underserved parts of the world through medical volunteer partnerships, train-the-trainer capacity building, and a Centers of Excellence program with hospital partners in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The organization links medical volunteers from leading institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Boston Children's Hospital, and UCSF with in-country clinicians to build sustainable pediatric cardiac care programs, supported by nurse education, fellowships, and advocacy initiatives.

Product overview

Children's HeartLink is a global nonprofit organization that saves children's lives by transforming pediatric heart care in underserved parts of the world. The organization operates through a comprehensive suite of programs rather than a traditional product platform. Its core offerings include: Medical Volunteer Teams that connect volunteer doctors and nurses from top U.S., U.K., and Canada institutions with hospital partners; the Centers of Excellence program which develops regional training hubs in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam; the Nurse Residency Program (NRP), a first-of-its-kind virtual training course for pediatric cardiac care; the Children's HeartLink Fellowship for year-long specialist training; the Hridyam for Little Hearts population health program; and advocacy initiatives including the Africa Children's Hearts Initiative and Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts. The organization also runs the 12 by 2030 Initiative to double its Centers of Excellence and recently launched an Extended Reality (XR) Pilot Program for medical training. Together, these programs form a train-the-trainer model that builds local capacity for sustainable pediatric heart care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centers of Excellence A designation program that recognizes high-quality pediatric heart care programs in low-resource settings as regional training hubs, expanding access to care through training, advocacy, and knowledge sharing. Currently 7 centers across Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam with a goal of 12 by 2030.
• Nurse Residency Program (NRP) First-of-its-kind virtual intensive training course designed to provide foundational knowledge for caring for children with congenital heart disease, developed by Children's HeartLink for nurses in partner hospitals.
• Medical Volunteer Teams Volunteer doctors and nurses from leading U.S., U.K., and Canadian institutions who provide mentorship and training to partner hospital teams, building skills and expertise in pediatric heart care at hospitals in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
• Nurse Education and Training Comprehensive nursing education including virtual training sessions, CPR training, and specialized pediatric cardiac care instruction for nurses in partner hospitals across the six country programs.
• Hridyam for Little Hearts Population health management system for real-time detection and referral of patients with congenital heart disease, developed by Children's HeartLink in partnership with the Government of Kerala, India since 2016, helping reduce infant mortality from 12 to 6 per 1,000 live births.
• Global Advocacy Programs Advocacy initiatives including the Africa Children's Hearts Initiative, the Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts, and The Invisible Child series advocating for policy changes and systemic support for pediatric heart care worldwide.
• Children's HeartLink Fellowship Year-long fellowship training program for pediatric cardiac specialists hosted at Centers of Excellence in India and Malaysia, covering cardiology, intensive care, and cardiac surgery disciplines.
• Extended Reality (XR) Pilot Program An innovation program using immersive 3D modeling, virtual reality, and extended reality technologies to advance medical training and education for complex heart surgeries at partner hospitals.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMayo Clinic cardiac surgery chair Dr. Joseph Dearani has been a Children’s HeartLink medical volunteer for over 20 years. Mayo Clinic volunteers provide ongoing training visits and mentorship to partner hospitals in India and Vietnam.
• Boston Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston Children's Hospital provides medical volunteers including surgeons like Dr. Christopher Baird who train peers at partner hospitals. The hospital has sent numerous volunteers to India, Vietnam, and other countries.
• University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSF medical volunteers have conducted 12 training visits to Vietnam National Children's Hospital since 2017. Led by Dr. Shunji Sano, the team has helped transform the hospital into a Center of Excellence.
• Children's MinnesotasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's Minnesota provides medical volunteers who have partnered with Hospital da Criança e Maternidade in Brazil to support pediatric cardiac care training.
• Leeds Children's Hospital (UK)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical volunteers from Leeds Children's Hospital partner with National Heart Foundation Hospital in Bangladesh to grow pediatric cardiac care capacity.
• National University Hospital SingaporesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dr. Sriram Shankar, cardiothoracic surgeon from National University Hospital Singapore played a significant role in transforming Nhi Dong 1 in Vietnam.
• St. Jude's HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Demetre Nicoloff from St. Jude's Hospital pioneered heart surgery training visits to China, including performing life-saving surgery on patient Qirong.
• International Quality Improvement Collaborative (IQIC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's HeartLink supports partner hospitals including Amrita Hospital Kochi in participating in IQIC, accelerating improvements in postoperative outcomes through data-driven quality improvement.
• World Heart FederationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time partner with Dr. Krishna Kumar leading development of the first World Heart Federation report dedicated to congenital heart disease. Children's HeartLink VP Bistra Zheleva was part of the writing group.
• Government of Rajasthan, IndiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment invited Children's HeartLink and Children’s HeartLink India Foundation to participate in statewide stakeholder meeting focused on congenital heart disease, covering identification, management, treatment and long-term follow-up.
• Government of Kerala, IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership since 2016 with Kerala Government on Hridyam project - a comprehensive system for early detection, screening, referral and care pathway for children with CHD. Helped reduce infant mortality from 12 to 6 per 1,000 live births.
• Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Children's HeartLink to pilot Advanced Practice Provider curriculum course for pediatric cardiac critical care nurses at Institut Jantung Negara in Malaysia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Medical Mission (Samaritan's Purse): Placements program sending medical volunteers to mission hospitals worldwide. Broader in scope across specialties but uses similar medical volunteer placement model to build capacity in underserved regions.
• Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships delivering free healthcare and training local medical professionals in Africa. Broader in specialty scope but uses a comparable train-the-trainer capacity-building model in low-resource settings.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Fundraising nonprofit supporting children's hospitals across North America. Comparable pediatric healthcare fundraising mission and donor-driven revenue model, though focused domestically.
• Partners In Health: Major global health nonprofit delivering healthcare and training in low-resource settings. Broader across disease areas but uses analogous long-term partnership, training, and government-engagement model.

Direct peers

• International Children's Heart Foundation: Provides free pediatric cardiac surgery and training in developing countries through volunteer medical teams. Closely comparable in mission, volunteer-driven model, and target beneficiary population.
• Mending Kids: Nonprofit providing free surgical care to children in need globally, including cardiac procedures. Similar nonprofit funding model, pediatric focus, and international volunteer-driven care delivery.
• Team Heart: Nonprofit focused on rheumatic heart disease and pediatric cardiac care in Rwanda through volunteer surgical teams and capacity building. Comparable medical volunteer deployment and emerging-market focus.
• CardioStart International: Nonprofit that establishes and develops self-sustaining cardiac surgery programs in low-resource countries through volunteer medical missions and education. Directly comparable in pediatric cardiac capacity-building approach.
• Heart to Heart International Children's Medical Alliance: A nonprofit that builds sustainable pediatric cardiac care programs in underserved regions through medical volunteer partnerships and training. Operates with a similar train-the-trainer model targeting low- and middle-income countries, making it the closest direct peer.
• ReSurge International: Nonprofit providing reconstructive surgery and training in developing countries. Different surgical specialty but very comparable volunteer-driven, train-the-trainer capacity-building model targeting pediatric patients in underserved regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHeartLink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Childrens Heartlink