Third-Party Fundraising

Benefitting the American Heart Association
On behalf of the American Heart Association, thank you for hosting an event to fund our mission. Third-party fundraisers are organized by passionate individuals –like you –or small businesses that have not signed a contract with the American Heart Association but still want to organize a fundraiser to financially benefit the mission of the organization.

Whether you’re raising funds to mark an occasion, such as a birthday, or supporting our mission in honor/ memory of someone impacted by heart disease or stroke, we want to make the process clear and simple.

Download Guidelines (PDF)

Third-Party Event Promotions

  • Any promotional pieces – whether print or digital – can include the following:
    • “this event benefits the American Heart Association” or
    • “(insert the name of your event) benefits the American Heart Association.”
  • To protect the integrity of the American Heart Association brand and to help differentiate our organization’s official programs and events, logo rights cannot be granted to third-party events.
  • Any of the American Heart Association’s logos or service marks (including Heart Walk, Heart Ball, Go Red for Women and Kids Heart Challenge logos) cannot be used in any capacity.

Planning For Your Event

  • As you plan your third-party event, please note that the American Heart Association will not be able to assist in planning, promoting or staffing your event with volunteers. We greatly appreciate your support of our mission, but our staff and volunteer efforts must be focused on our official events and programs.
  • For seamless online donations, we recommend that you create and customize a donation page at raiseyourwayforaha.funraise.org.
  • The American Heart Association has free infographics and resources that can be downloaded and shared with others to help them learn about our lifesaving mission.
  • The host of the event is required to hold insurance for the event, with the American Heart Association named as additional insured.

Financial Rules and Tips

  • If you plan to deduct expenses before sending the total funds raised to the American Heart Association:
    • Have your guests make checks out directly to you/your organization, not the American Heart Association, and then convert those funds, minus your expense, into one check made out to the American Heart Association.
  • If 100% of proceeds benefit the American Heart Association, encourage your attendees to write checks payable to the American Heart Association.

    Checks can be mailed together with this form (PDF)(link opens in new window) to:

    American Heart Association
    P.O.Box 840692
    Dallas, TX 75284-0692

  • Consider using an online website to collect donations instead of collecting checks and cash. As a reminder, for seamless online donations, we recommend that you create and customize a donation page at raiseyourwayforaha.funraise.org.
  • Our tax ID number cannot be used. Only checks payable to the American Heart Association and cash donations clearly labeled with the donor’s contact information will be provided with a tax-deductible acknowledgement letter.
  • If you are seeking your own sponsors, please provide the local association office with a list of targeted sponsors. We reserve the right to exclude solicitation of specific sponsors that don’t align with our mission (i.e., tobacco, confectionaries, sugary beverage and some food producers and distributors, etc.)
  • Please make clear to any sponsors you solicit that, while your event benefits the American Heart Association, it is not an official association event. By sponsoring your event they do not have the right to use AHA’s logo or service marks, and you/they cannot imply endorsement of any brands or products.
  • You are responsible for the costs affiliated with your third-party event.
  • The association cannot assume liability risk in the event of any injuries, property damage or debt.

Approved Social Media Messages

  1. [Company/Individual Name] is proud to support the American Heart Association’s lifesaving work toward health equity and building stronger communities. [Add personal connection and/or photo, if applicable] [Add fundraiser details: event/fundraiser name, location, date, time, URL, etc]
  2. Heart disease and stroke have affected so many people we love. [Add personal connection and/or photo, if applicable.] [Company/Individual Name] is proud to support the American Heart Association. [Add fundraiser details: event/fundraiser name, location, date, time, etc]
  3. The American Heart Association funds breakthrough research and education programs that build stronger, healthier communities. [Company/Individual Name] is proud to support this lifesaving work through [Add fundraiser details: event/fundraiser name, location, date, time, URL, etc]. [Add personal connection and/or photo, if applicable.]