Heart Brothers Foundation

What Heart Brothers Foundation does

Heart Brothers Foundation (operating as HeartBrothers Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in September 2014 by heart failure and heart transplant survivors Patrick J. Sullivan and Bob Romer, both of whom met during yearlong LVAD-supported hospital stays at Tufts Medical Center. Headquartered in Northborough, Massachusetts, the organization supports advanced heart failure patients — typically those awaiting transplant or living with mechanical circulatory support — and their families through peer emotional support, affordable housing, financial grants, transportation assistance, and educational programming. Its core service portfolio includes HeartBrothers House (two one-bedroom apartments in Boston's Back Bay rented at $50/night, within 2.5 miles of major medical centers), monthly virtual Patient, Caregiver, and HeartSister Support Groups, the Ask the Doctor webinar series, financial assistance grants, and a specialized cardiac transportation program operated with Brewster Ambulance.

The Foundation's delivery model is community-led and survivor-driven. Team HeartBrothers Ambassadors — a volunteer network of 90+ heart failure survivors — conduct in-hospital visits at 40+ partner institutions including Tufts Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's, Beth Israel Deaconess, Rhode Island Hospital, Maine Medical Center, and others across New England and upstate New York. Revenue is generated through tax-deductible individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb), foundation grants (Petit Family Foundation, Patriots Foundation, Heart Disease Research Foundation), HeartBrothers House nightly fees, and recurring fundraising events including multiple golf tournaments and a 5K Run/Walk. In March 2024, Co-Founder Pat Sullivan passed away; President & CEO Mike Ashworth, a fellow transplant survivor, continues leading the organization.

Name

Heart Brothers Foundation

Legal name

HeartBrothers Foundation

Website

https://heartbrothers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HeartBrothers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that supports advanced heart failure patients and their families through survivor-led peer support, affordable Boston housing, financial grants, transportation, and educational programming across 40+ partner hospitals in New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Patient Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Heart failure patient support
• Nonprofit patient services
• Transplant support programs
• Affordable patient housing
• Peer caregiver support

Headquarters

HQ city

Northborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting heart failure patients and families. The organization receives donations through their website and mail.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual corporate sponsors including Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and others provide financial support.
3. Grants: Foundation grants such as the $5,000 Petit Family Foundation grant for Connecticut patient assistance.
4. HeartBrothers House Accommodations: $50 per night rental for patient and family housing near Boston medical centers.
5. Fundraising Events: Golf tournaments (Golf Classic, Woodruff Golf Classic, Zabbo Open, Contrology Golf Classic), 5K Run/Walk events, and other fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Heart Brothers Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports heart failure patients and their families through survivor-led peer support, affordable patient housing near Boston medical centers, financial assistance grants, specialized transportation, educational webinars, and community programs. Services are delivered at no cost to patients through hospital partnerships across 40+ heart failure centers.

Product overview

HeartBrothers Foundation is a nonprofit patient support organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs for heart failure patients and their families. The core offerings include peer support through Patient Support Group, HeartSister Support Group, and Caregiver Support Group; housing via the HeartBrothers House near Boston medical centers; educational content through Ask the Doctor Series and Heart Failure Webinars; hospital visits by Team HeartBrothers Ambassadors; financial assistance grants; transportation program partnerships; and fundraising events including the 5K Run/Walk and various golf tournaments. The organization also runs awareness campaigns and provides resources including HeartPrayers, organ donation information, and a heart failure glossary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HeartBrothers House Affordable one-bedroom apartment housing for heart failure patients and their families within 2.5 miles of Boston's major medical centers, offered at $50 per night.
• Patient Support Group

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6.7 million Americans have Heart Failure; 3,500 wait for heart transplants at any moment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brewster Ambulance ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2024HeartBrothers partnered with Brewster Ambulance Service to launch a specialized cardiac transplant Transportation Program serving heart failure patients across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The partnership ensures patients have access to safe, clinically appropriate transportation at every stage of their journey—from pre-transplant care to post-transplant recovery, including support for high-risk patients and those living with mechanical circulatory support devices.
• New England Free JacksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeartBrothers took the field with the New England Free Jacks rugby team at their stadium event. Jenn O'Brien (Development Director) spoke during halftime to a crowd of nearly 3,000 people about the HeartBrothers mission. The partnership included a signed team ball raffle to raise funds and awareness.
• New England Donor Services (NEDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEDS President and CEO joined HeartBrothers and Maine officials to celebrate National Donate Life Month. HeartBrothers Board Member Don Mitchell (heart transplant survivor) and other volunteers participate in NEDS advocacy efforts. Collaboration focuses on organ donation awareness and supporting donor families.
• Tufts Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhere HeartBrothers launched their first programs in 2014. Many co-founders and survivors received transplants here. The hospital refers patients to HeartBrothers and HeartBrothers ambassadors visit patients on-site. HeartBrothers House is located within 2.5 miles for family accommodations.
• Massachusetts General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeartBrothers receives referrals from this major Boston hospital's Heart Center for their support services.
• Brigham & Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeartBrothers receives referrals from this major Boston hospital's Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support (VAD and ECMO) Program.
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital with Advanced Heart Failure Program; participates in HeartBrothers 5K Run/Walk events.
• Johnson & Wales UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeartBrothers Foundation was honored as the chosen charity for JWU's Physician Assistant Studies program's annual event in 2023.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: The largest US nonprofit focused on cardiovascular disease, funding research, advocacy, and patient education. Overlaps with HeartBrothers on heart failure awareness and education but operates at vastly greater scale and with a research/advocacy focus rather than direct survivor-to-patient peer support.

Regional players

• Children's Heart Foundation: Nonprofit focused specifically on congenital heart defect research and family support. Comparable to HeartBrothers in providing support to heart patient families, though it serves a pediatric congenital population rather than adult heart failure/transplant patients.

Emerging players

• Second Wind Lung Transplant Association: Patient-run nonprofit supporting lung transplant candidates and recipients through peer mentoring and resources. Closely comparable to HeartBrothers' survivor ambassador model and patient support focus, though lung transplant-specific rather than heart.
• Pulmonary Hypertension Association: National nonprofit providing support, education, and advocacy for pulmonary hypertension patients. Comparable in operating a peer support network, support groups, and patient education programs for a serious cardiopulmonary disease population, though focused on PH rather than heart failure.

Direct peers

• Help Hope Live: National nonprofit that helps patients facing catastrophic medical costs (including transplant-related expenses) raise funds and manage finances. Comparable to HeartBrothers' Financial Assistance Program and overall mission of easing the financial and logistical burden on heart failure and transplant patients.
• Mended Hearts: National nonprofit providing peer-to-peer support for heart disease patients and families, including hospital visitation programs and support groups. Directly comparable to HeartBrothers' survivor ambassador model and heart patient focus, though Mended Hearts serves a broader cardiovascular population rather than heart failure specifically.
• Transplant Life Foundation: National nonprofit serving transplant recipients, donors, and families across all organ types. Comparable to HeartBrothers on transplant patient support, peer mentoring, and awareness, though it spans all transplant types rather than focusing specifically on heart.

Others

• Donor Alliance: Organ procurement organization serving the Rocky Mountain region. Comparable to HeartBrothers through its organ donation advocacy partnership with New England Donor Services; an ecosystem participant rather than direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heartbrothers1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX50t8du-CyTFPhdzaeDdOA
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeartBrothersFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartbrothers-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/theheartbrothers
• TikToktiktok.com/@heartbrothers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Heart Brothers Foundation