Staying Alive Foundation

What Staying Alive Foundation does

Staying Alive Foundation is an Australian nonprofit organization founded in April 2019 by Max Dagenais, Andrew Morello, and Phil Evangelou, structured as Staying Alive Foundation Pty Ltd (ABN 24 657 295 040) under New South Wales law. The foundation's mission is to reduce Australia's out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest mortality rate — approximately 575 Australians suffer SCA weekly with only 1 in 10 surviving — by donating automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and delivering the 3-Steps to Save a Life educational methodology to schools, churches, and community organizations. All programs (Heart Safe Community, School, Home, Environment, Neighbourhood, and Vehicle) are provided free of charge, with operational funding derived entirely from individual donations (processed via Shout for Good) and corporate sponsorships, most notably Insurance Advisernet Foundation.

The foundation operates six Heart Safe program variants that together form a community-based cardiac safety ecosystem: Community, School, Home, Environment, Neighbourhood, and Vehicle, alongside a preventive Heart Safe Wellness program (breathwork, mindfulness, yin yoga). Delivery relies on grassroots community partnerships — parishes such as Manly Freshwater Parish, St Mary's Manly, St John The Baptist Freshwater, and Hellenic Orthodox Parish of St Paraskevi host recurring demonstrations; schools including St Mary's Catholic School Manly and TAFE Digital Strathfield receive defibrillators and staff/student training. The underlying technology is the AED hardware plus the branded 3-Steps curriculum, with no proprietary software platform; the website (Squarespace-hosted) primarily serves donation intake and awareness content.

The business model is donation-funded nonprofit operations. Revenue is generated through individual giving via the Shout for Good donation embed on the foundation's website and through corporate sponsorships and fundraising events — the May 2023 launch event at Mosman Rowers' Club attracted 170+ attendees and raised a $10K Platinum sponsorship from Insurance Advisernet Foundation, followed by a further $25K donation from the same sponsor in October 2023. The customer base is bifurcated: institutional program recipients (schools, churches, community groups) receive free AEDs and training, while the paying stakeholders are donors and corporate sponsors. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging trusted community anchors, celebrity athlete endorsements (Layne Beachley, Kerri Pottharst, NRL players), and recurring parish demonstrations to drive awareness and fundraising.

Name

Staying Alive Foundation

Legal name

Staying Alive Foundation Pty Ltd ABN 24 657 295 040

Website

https://stayingalivefoundation.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Staying Alive Foundation is an Australian nonprofit that donates defibrillators and delivers CPR and cardiac arrest response education (the 3-Steps to Save a Life methodology) to schools, churches, and community organizations across Australia, funded entirely by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cardiac Arrest Prevention and Response Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Resilience, Preparedness Training & Exercises (HLAJAGAL), Emergency Medical Response & On-Campus EMS/AED Programs (EDAEACAO)

Keywords

• Cardiac arrest prevention
• Defibrillator donation programs
• CPR community education
• Heart safe communities
• Out-of-hospital cardiac response

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation accepts donations through its website platform (via Shout for Good) and runs fundraising events to raise funds for defibrillator donations and community education programs. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors such as Insurance Advisernet Foundation provide financial support ($10K Platinum sponsorship, $25K donations) to fund defibrillator donations and program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Staying Alive Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that donates automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Australian schools, churches, and community organisations and delivers CPR and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) awareness and education programs. Its core mission is to create "Heart Safe" communities by placing AEDs and training community members in the proprietary 3-Steps to Save a Life methodology, targeting the critical three-minute defibrillation window that can raise SCA survival rates to over 70%.

Product overview

Staying Alive Foundation operates as a non-profit organization offering a suite of Heart Safe community programs focused on cardiac arrest prevention and response. The product portfolio includes six Heart Safe program variants (Community, Home, School, Environment, Neighbourhood, and Vehicle) that work together with the core 3-Steps to Save a Life educational initiative to create a comprehensive heart safety ecosystem. The foundation also offers a Heart Safe Wellness program addressing mental and emotional wellbeing as preventive health measures. All programs are delivered through the foundation's website platform, which enables community registration, donations via the Shout for Good integration, and access to educational resources and audit checklists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heart Safe Community Program A community-focused program donating defibrillators and delivering awareness and education about the vital role of AEDs in saving lives in Australian community settings, including churches and community organisations.
• Heart Safe School Program A school-based program that empowers children with the knowledge and skills to act decisively during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests through the 3-Steps to Save a Life initiative, including defibrillator education for students and staff.
• Heart Safe Home Program A home-focused initiative raising awareness and education about the vital function of defibrillators in potentially saving lives in residential settings across Australia.
• Heart Safe Environment Program A program raising awareness and education about the vital function of defibrillators in potentially saving lives across different environmental settings in Australia.
• Heart Safe Neighbourhood Program A neighbourhood-focused program raising awareness and education about the vital function of defibrillators in potentially saving lives in neighbourhoods across Australia.
• Heart Safe Vehicle Program A program raising awareness and education about the vital function of defibrillators in potentially saving lives on the road when commuting or travelling across Australia.
• 3-Steps to Save a Life Initiative An educational initiative teaching the critical steps to help save a life during sudden cardiac arrest, including administering CPR and using a defibrillator as soon as possible.
• Heart Safe Wellness Program A wellness initiative raising awareness about mental and emotional wellbeing to help prevent potential heart attacks and cardiac arrests, incorporating breathwork, mindfulness, and yin yoga.

Quantifiable outcome

• Defibrillation within 3 minutes of collapse can increase survival chance to over 70%

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Optimum Insurance ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance brokerage firm whose principal Amanda Smith connects Staying Alive Foundation with Insurance Advisernet Foundation for sponsorship opportunities. Actively participates in community demonstrations and lifesaving presentations.
• Heart Safe AustraliacoreOthersRelated brand/initiative that provides Heart Safe Community, School, Home, Environment, and Vehicle programs. Staying Alive Foundation works in conjunction with Heart Safe Australia team to deliver defibrillator donations and lifesaving demonstrations across Australia.
• Manly Freshwater ParishminorOthersChurch community that hosts Heart Safe Community demonstrations and provides venue for morning tea and training sessions after Sunday mass. Multiple successful demonstrations conducted.
• TAFE Digital StrathfieldminorOthersTAFE NSW Digital campus that received defibrillator donation following tragic loss of life. Became Heart Safe School with staff training broadcast nationally via Teams to students across Australia.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Red Cross: Major humanitarian nonprofit that delivers emergency preparedness, first aid training, and community resilience programs at national scale. Comparable as a broader operating model but with a much wider portfolio and institutional donor base.

Direct peers

• St John Ambulance Australia: National provider of first aid and CPR training in Australia. Directly comparable as they deliver community-based emergency response education and AED awareness, the same core mission Staying Alive Foundation pursues.
• Heart Foundation (Australia): Australia's largest heart health charity, funding research and running awareness programs on cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrest. Highly comparable as a nonprofit tackling heart health outcomes with public-facing education campaigns.
• Heart of the Nation: Australian charity focused specifically on AED awareness, placement, and community CPR education. Closest direct peer given narrow overlap on sudden cardiac arrest and AED accessibility in community settings.

Emerging players

• HeartKids Australia: Australian nonprofit supporting children with congenital heart disease and their families. Comparable as a fellow health-focused charity with community fundraising and school engagement, though focused on a different patient population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stayingalivefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/staying-alive-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Staying Alive Foundation