Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ

What Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ does

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is a non-profit health charity founded in 1965 and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, with 15 employees. It is the national body for respiratory health, serving approximately one million New Zealanders living with respiratory conditions (roughly 1 in 5 of the population) and operating against a backdrop where respiratory disease is the third most common cause of death in New Zealand and costs the economy NZ$8.4 billion annually. Its core constituents are patients and caregivers, health professionals, and the education sector, with a secondary stakeholder base of donors and corporate partners.

The foundation operates a portfolio of digital health education products, all delivered through domestic distribution channels. Core products include the My Asthma mobile application (iOS and Android) for patient self-management, the Asthma and COPD Fundamentals eLearning Course (a $99-per-enrollment online course for clinicians, most recently updated to align with the 2025 NZ COPD Guidelines), and the NZ Respiratory Guidelines platform hosting official national clinical guidelines plus Australia and New Zealand Bronchiectasis Guidelines. Supporting products include the Teachers' Asthma Tool Kit, the Sailor the Pufferfish children's education show with digital classroom, Better Breathing Magazine, the annual Blue Shirt Day fundraising campaign, the NZ Respiratory Conference, and research outputs including the Vaping in New Zealand Youth Survey 2024 and the in-production 2026 Respiratory Impact Report.

The foundation's business model is a charity hybrid. Revenue is generated through individual donations (one-time, regular giving, bequests), merchandise sales where 100% of net proceeds support the foundation's work, e-commerce for educational resources, $99 course enrollment fees, and the Friends of the Foundation corporate partnership programme (at least nine named partners across construction, HVAC, healthy homes, medical devices, and consumer tech). The foundation fulfills GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) implementer duties in New Zealand and operates a network of regional Asthma Societies and pulmonary rehabilitation support groups, giving it both clinical-standards authority and grassroots distribution leverage.

Name

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ

Legal name

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ

Website

https://asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is a Wellington-based non-profit health charity serving New Zealanders affected by respiratory disease through clinical guidelines, patient and clinician education, the My Asthma app, research, community programs, and corporate-partnership fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Respiratory Health Charity and Patient Education Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Asthma & Airway Disease Specialty Care (HLAKAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

COPD & Chronic Bronchitis Management (HLAKANAE), Asthma & Allergy-Related Pulmonary Care (HLAKANAD)

Keywords

• Respiratory health education
• Asthma management
• Copd clinical guidelines
• Health charity advocacy
• Respiratory research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington Central

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation receives donations from individuals, including regular giving programs, one-time donations, and legacy gifts (bequests). Blue Shirt Day merchandise sales (100% of net proceeds) support foundation work.
2. E-commerce Store Sales: Sale of patient resources and educational materials through the online shop for health professionals and consumers.
3. Educational Course Fees: Revenue from the Asthma and COPD Fundamentals eLearning Course at $99.00 per enrollment.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Friends of the Foundation program with corporate partners providing financial and promotional support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is a national non-profit health charity that delivers respiratory health education, advocacy, and research for New Zealanders. It produces official NZ Asthma and COPD clinical guidelines for health professionals, operates the My Asthma mobile app for patient self-management, runs the paid Asthma and COPD Fundamentals eLearning Course ($99), publishes Better Breathing Magazine, coordinates national awareness campaigns such as Blue Shirt Day and Breathe Better September, and funds research including the Vaping in New Zealand Youth Survey 2024 and the upcoming 2026 Respiratory Impact Report.

Product overview

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ operates as a health charity offering a portfolio of educational, research, and support products focused on respiratory health for New Zealanders. The core offerings include the My Asthma mobile app for patient self-management, the Asthma and COPD Fundamentals eLearning Course for health professionals (updated to 2025 NZ COPD Guidelines), and the NZ Respiratory Guidelines clinical reference platform. Supporting products include educational resources like the Teachers' Asthma Tool Kit, the Sailor the Pufferfish children's education programme, Better Breathing Magazine, and the Blue Shirt Day fundraising campaign. Research products include the Vaping in New Zealand Youth Survey and the upcoming 2026 Respiratory Impact Report. The Foundation also organizes the annual New Zealand Respiratory Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Shirt Day: Annual fundraising campaign where 100% of net proceeds support the foundation's work
• Better Breathing Magazine
• Sailor the Pufferfish
• New Zealand Respiratory Conference (NZRC)
• Breathe Better September
• NZ Respiratory Achievers' Awards

Products and services

• My Asthma App
• Asthma and COPD Fundamentals eLearning Course
• NZ Respiratory Guidelines clinical reference platform
• Better Breathing Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports 1 million New Zealanders with respiratory disease
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered friends of the foundation, friends of the foundation - key partner and core partner.

• Classic Buildersfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in the Friends of the Foundation program, supporting respiratory health of New Zealanders through sponsorship and promotional support
• APEX Medicalfriends of the foundation - key partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical technology company partnering to support the foundation's mission. Announced March 2026: Advances in medical technology are playing an increasingly important role in helping people manage respiratory conditions and improve their quality of life
• Wools of NZfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting respiratory health through the Friends of the Foundation program
• DVSfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in Friends of the Foundation program
• Dysonfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company partner supporting respiratory health initiatives
• Showerdomefriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in Friends of the Foundation program supporting healthy homes initiatives
• Comfortechfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting respiratory health through the Friends of the Foundation program
• HRVfriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerHeat ventilation company partner supporting healthy homes and respiratory health
• AHI Carrier Toshibafriends of the foundationGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in Friends of the Foundation program
• GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration providing global asthma management guidelines; foundation serves as GINA implementer in New Zealand

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA): US-based patient organization focused on asthma and allergic disease, providing education, advocacy, and clinical resources. Comparable as an allergy/asthma specialty charity with digital tools and national reach.
• Lung Foundation Australia: Australia's primary respiratory disease charity covering COPD, lung cancer, bronchiectasis, and sleep apnea. Closely comparable to the foundation's broader respiratory scope, including guidelines, research, and patient support.
• Asthma Canada: Canada's national asthma-focused charity delivering education, advocacy, and support resources. Comparable in scope (asthma-centric) and product mix (patient education, professional resources, awareness campaigns).
• Asthma Australia: Australia's leading asthma charity, providing clinical guidelines, education programs, and advocacy. Highly comparable as a national asthma/respiratory non-profit serving a similar population with a similar mission and product mix (app, e-learning, school programs).
• Allergy & Asthma Network: US-based non-profit providing patient education, professional training, and advocacy for asthma and allergic conditions. Comparable as a respiratory/allergy education charity with similar digital content and healthcare professional outreach.
• Asthma + Lung UK: Major UK respiratory health charity offering clinical resources, helpline, community programs, and research funding. Comparable as a national respiratory charity with guideline authority, digital tools, and a broad advocacy remit.

Emerging players

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: US charity focused on cystic fibrosis research, care, and advocacy. Comparable as a disease-specific respiratory charity with a research-driven model, though narrower in clinical scope and substantially larger in research funding.

Broad incumbents

• American Lung Association: The largest US respiratory health non-profit, spanning research, advocacy, and education across lung diseases. A broader incumbent with similar mission and clinical guideline authority but materially larger scale and resources.

Regional players

• National Heart Foundation of New Zealand: NZ's leading cardiovascular health charity. Comparable as a fellow New Zealand health non-profit operating a similar model of donations, corporate partnerships, advocacy, and national awareness campaigns.
• Cancer Society of New Zealand: NZ's primary cancer-focused charity. Comparable as a fellow large NZ health non-profit with analogous funding model (donations, bequests, regional divisions, corporate partnerships, awareness campaigns).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AsthmaFndation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AsthmaFoundationNZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/asthmaandrespiratoryfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/asthmaandrespiratoryfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arfnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ