From Knowledge to Action: Driving Focus and Impact
Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease, stroke and related conditions. Together these diseases are still the number one cause of premature death in Canada. Our work is driven by collaboration — with our volunteers and donors, researchers, people who have lived experience, healthcare professionals, governments and others — and guided by this strategy.
Our strategy
Equity matters
Raise voices to make change happen
Greater transparency and effectiveness
You matter most
Reach higher, smarter
We will transform our research to focus on catalyzing innovation and collaboration – across multiple institutions, disciplines, researchers and partners. We will generate knowledge that translates into action, addressing the most urgent questions of our time. We will also focus on supporting the next generation of leading heart and stroke researchers across Canada.
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Our mission:
Promote health. Save lives. Enhance recovery.
Equity matters
Raise voices to make change happen
Greater transparency and effectiveness
You matter most
Reach higher, smarter
Our values bring us together to foster inclusivity and innovation in all our relationships — both within Heart & Stroke and beyond — strengthening us to lead the fight against heart disease, stroke and related conditions.
Our values
PRACTICE
Humility
EMBRACE
Change
DRIVE
Impact
LEARN
and GROW
BE
Heartfelt
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Strategic Directions
2018-2025
Our vision:
Life. Uninterrupted by heart disease and stroke.
We know we can’t do this alone. We can learn, bring people together and share our knowledge and passion, but we need healthcare professionals, researchers, governments and others to work with us to have a collective impact.
Curiosity and teamwork resolve burning questions
Focus on research
Curiosity and teamwork resolve burning questions
We’ve brought together the best minds – including medical researchers at all career stages, clinicians and people with lived experience – to help us map the route to greatest impact.
Equity matters
Raise voices to make change happen
You matter most
Learn more
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She needed people she could relate to and instantly felt at home in the Heart & Stroke Community of Survivors Facebook group.
I found when I wasn’t honest about how I was really feeling… I would feel worse.
Lalita Patel, stroke survivor
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Reach higher, smarter
Amount raised by Jump Rope for Heart participant Kayla Riar in honour of her dad, who died of a heart attack at age 36.
How did the young fundraiser do it? With the power of social media.
$7,000+
Greater transparency and effectiveness
Our values enhance our capacity to advance projects, work in teams and deliver impact. As our code of behaviour, they build trust within our teams and with our partners and collaborators.
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Everything we do is aimed at these collective impact goals:
Improve the health of people in Canada by decreasing risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Meet the teams
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Learn how
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Curiosity and teamwork resolve burning questions
Equity matters
Raise voices to make change happen
You matter most
Reach higher, smarter
Greater transparency and effectiveness
Read the report
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Why it matters
What success looks like
Increased percentage of research funding allocated to priority-driven, team-based, multi-disciplinary research programs.
Increased percentage of Heart & Stroke Grants-in-Aid and personnel awards to early career investigators.
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Determinants of health and access to health care are not equal for everyone – some population groups have worse health outcomes or are more vulnerable to poorer health. We will focus targeted initiatives on improving conditions and environments to help close this health gap, working hand in hand with priority groups.
Increased percentage of Heart & Stroke-funded research that incorporates sex and gender-based analysis and reporting.
Increased percentage of educators who perceive HeartSmart Kids as an effective tool to motivate children and youth to lead healthy lifestyles.
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We're committed to closing the research gap.
Healthier environments and lifestyles; greater access to information, treatment and recovery; better health-related systems – these all require coordinated action at many levels. Our policy and systems change efforts will focus on mobilizing organizations and people in Canada to be self-advocates and to join forces with us in driving big changes.
More legislative, regulatory or policy measures introduced or adopted at the federal, provincial and territorial levels to advance Heart & Stroke’s key priority areas.
Increased number of people with lived experience who we reach and engage through digital tools and resources.
Increased percentage of people using our digital tools and resources who report a greater sense of support and capability to manage their health and recovery, or the health and recovery of a loved one.
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Kids see 2.5 million food and beverage ads a year on their favourite websites – the majority for foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat.
Laws that restrict advertising to children are an urgent priority, to help create a healthier future for generations to come.
People with lived experience of heart disease and stroke, volunteers, donors, researchers, clinician-scientists, partners, advisors – without you, we could not be effective. Through our brand, website and programs we work to ensure that engaging with Heart & Stroke is easy, meaningful and rewarding.
Improvement in overall brand health – which includes familiarity, relevance, uniqueness and trust – among our constituents.
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Through the generosity of supporters, donors and partners, we promote health, save lives and enhance recovery for people living with heart disease and stroke, and those with risk factors. As patterns and preferences for philanthropic giving evolve along with digital technology, we will improve our approaches to raising revenue, focusing on growth to drive greater impact.
Increased net contribution generated from fundraising activities.
More resources generated through social enterprise initiatives.
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Like any effective organization, we focus on attracting and equipping a team of employees and volunteers who share our values, excel at what they do, and thrive working in a collaborative and agile manner in pursuit of ambitious goals. We run our operations and processes efficiently, ensuring that donor dollars drive impact.
Higher employee engagement.
Improvement in employees who report that access to technology enables their work.
Greater perceived transparency among our constituents.
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CHAMPION
Health
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Our efforts are guided by six areas of focus:
Reduce the death rate from heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) of people in Canada.
Why it matters
What success looks like
Why it matters
What success looks like
Why it matters
What success looks like
Why it matters
What success looks like
Why it matters
What success looks like