Affiliate Partners: Uniting for CHD Impact
At CHD Connects Hearts, we believe in the power of collaboration. Our Affiliate Program invites mission-aligned organizations to partner with us in creating a unified ecosystem that supports heart warriors, families, and caregivers. Together, we can amplify our impact and drive meaningful change in the CHD community.
Meet Our Founding Affiliates
HeartWorks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to curing congenital heart defects (CHD) by developing innovative, patient-specific therapies.
Founded in 2020, HeartWorks builds upon the pioneering work of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome at Mayo Clinic.
🔬 What They Do
Bioengineered Cardiac Tissue:
HeartWorks creates personalized heart muscle cells from a patient's own skin cells, aiming to strengthen and repair damaged heart tissue.
The Co-op at HeartWorks:
A collaborative database where CHD patients and families contribute their medical journey data to inform future research and clinical trials.
Clinical Trials:
HeartWorks leads and participates in clinical trials focused on regenerative therapies for CHD patients.
🤝 Why It Matters
By partnering with CHD Connects Hearts, HeartWorks expands its reach and resources, accelerating the development of life-changing therapies for those affected by CHD.
🔗Learn more about HeartWorks
Won Heart Corp is committed to supporting individuals and families affected by CHD through advocacy, education, and community engagement.
Watch the Affiliate Presentation Here
Then Scroll Down for
The Genome Of Values and Principles Of Adaptation
How the Affiliate Program Works
Unique Affiliate Links: Each affiliate receives a personalized link to share with their network.
Member Sign-Ups: When individuals join CHD Connects Hearts through an affiliate's link, they become part of our MasterMind ecosystem.
Revenue Sharing: A portion of each membership fee is allocated to the referring affiliate, supporting their ongoing initiatives.
Shared Mission: This model fosters collaboration, ensuring that growth benefits the entire CHD community
Become an Affiliate Partner
Who Should Apply?
We welcome organizations, nonprofits, and community groups that:
Align with our mission to support the CHD community. (See Our Genome Of Values And Principles of Adaptations below)
Have an established presence and active engagement.
Are committed to collaborative growth and shared success.
Benefits of Joining
Increased visibility within the CHD Connects Hearts platform.
Access to a supportive network of like-minded organizations.
Opportunities for joint events, campaigns, and initiatives.
Financial support through our revenue-sharing model.
Ready to Collaborate?
Join a powerful network of mission-aligned organizations working together to transform the future of CHD care and support.
👉 Whether you're focused on advocacy, education, support, or innovation—
there’s a place for you here.
CHD CONNECTS HEARTS & AFFILIATES
GENOME OF VALUES & PRINCIPLES OF ADAPTATIONS
The Genome of Values – The DNA of CHD Collaboration
These six pillars define how CHD Connects Hearts and its Affiliates drive meaningful change:
1. Patient, Family, and Policy-Centered Care
Why it Matters:
Every initiative must prioritize patients, families, caregivers, and the policies that shape their care.
Adaptation in Action:
✔Programs must evolve based on direct feedback from patients, families, and caregivers.
✔Patients and families should be active participants in research, advocacy, innovation, and policy change.
2. Collaboration and Community Building
Why it Matters:
CHD outcomes improve when patients, families, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, and Policymakers work together in an adaptable, mission-aligned environment.
Adaptation in Action:
✔A Centralized Hub enables affiliates to collaborate fluidly, ensuring no effort exists in isolation.
✔Organizations can engage at different levels based on their capacity, expertise, and evolving priorities.
✔Patients play an active role in shaping discussions, community-building, and advocacy efforts to ensure their voices are at the forefront.
3. Advocacy and Empowerment Through Collaboration
Why it Matters:
Policy changes, funding increases, and research advancements are most effective when patients, families, and caregivers work alongside policy and advocacy groups.
Adaptation in Action:
✔Education tools equip individuals with the knowledge to advocate effectively.
✔Collaboration between patients, families, and advocacy organizations ensures that policy efforts are driven by real-life experiences.
✔Affiliates have flexible advocacy roles, from grassroots efforts to policy influence at the national level.
4. Research and Innovation
Why it Matters:
The future of CHD care depends on advancing research, sharing data, and integrating innovative solutions—all of which directly impact patients' health and quality of life.
Adaptation in Action:
✔Affiliates can share research, case studies, and success metrics to ensure evidence-based progress.
✔Organizations can create and participate in research collaboration opportunities that align with their capacity.
✔The Centralized Hub connects researchers, patients, families, medical providers and advocates, ensuring research efforts are informed by real life experiences.
5. Education and Awareness
Why it Matters:
CHD remains underfunded and misunderstood. Raising awareness fuels research, advocacy, and funding.
Adaptation in Action:
✔Every initiative should include an educational component to spread awareness.
✔Organizations can engage in awareness efforts in ways that complement their existing mission.
✔Collaborative Awareness Initiatives serve as a unifying opportunity that brings together affiliates, patients, families, researchers, organizations, and medical professionals—creating a movement across the entire CHD community that can impact at levels never seen before.
6. Support and Healing for Patients, Families, and Caregivers
Why it Matters:
CHD affects mental health, quality of life, and emotional resilience for patients, families, and caregivers. Holistic care must extend beyond medical treatment.
Adaptation in Action:
✔Dedicated peer-support networks ensure that patients, families, and caregivers receive ongoing, mission-aligned support.
✔Affiliates can create or integrate into existing support structures without having to duplicate efforts.
✔Programs should be responsive and evolve based on the shifting needs of CHD patients, families, and caregivers.
Principles of Adaptation – How CHD Connects Hearts Evolves for Impact
Thesefive principles ensure affiliates have the flexibility to engage in ways that align with their mission, while benefiting from a unified, results-driven movement:
1. The Centralized Hub Model
Why?
Eliminates fragmentation by keeping all efforts, communication, and advocacy in one adaptable space.
How?
The "Go As You Grow Platform" functions as a spoke-and-wheel model, allowing every affiliate to connect, share, and take action at their own pace in the applicable phase of the CHD cycle.
Adaptation in Action:
✔ Streamlined collaboration between organizations, advocates, researchers, medical professionals, families, caregivers and patients.
✔ One-stop resource center for educational materials, research opportunities, and advocacy efforts.
✔ Unified messaging to maximize awareness and impact.
2. Flexible Collaboration Frameworks That Align with Affiliate Missions
Why?
Every CHD organization has a unique focus and approach, so partnerships must remain adaptable, scalable, and mission-aligned rather than one-size-fits-all.
How?
CHD Connects Hearts provides a dynamic framework that allows affiliates to engage at their level of expertise, resources, and mission priorities while remaining connected through shared values.
Adaptation in Action:
A customizable partnership model allows each affiliate to integrate in a way that best suits their goals and capacity while remaining part of a unified movement. Affiliates can choose their level of engagement, including:
✔Awareness & advocacy – Engaging in national campaigns while maintaining their independent initiatives.
✔Research collaboration opportunities – Connecting with other affiliates for funding, clinical trials, and patient-centered studies.
✔Community-building – Using the Centralized Hub to expand support networks and provide resources for patients, families, and caregivers.
✔Policy & legislative impact – Aligning patient stories with advocacy efforts to influence systemic change.
The Centralized Hub ensures cross-collaboration, enabling affiliates to adapt, pivot, and engage in new opportunities without disrupting their individual missions.
3. Data-Driven Progress & Measurable Impact
Why?
Emotional stories are powerful, butreal change requires data-driven outcomes.
How?
CHD Connects Hearts affiliates may share research, case studies, and success metrics to ensure funding and advocacy efforts are results-driven and evidence-backed if it fit’s into their mission.
Adaptation in Action:
✔ Affiliates have access to a centralized data-sharing opportunity for research collaboration.
✔ Transparent progress tracking ensures measurable impact across advocacy, research, and awareness initiatives.
✔ Real-time feedback loops between affiliates allow for continuous improvement in patient outcomes and policy initiatives.
4. Growth Through Affiliate Empowerment & Awareness
Why?
Affiliates need clear ways to engage, contribute, and benefit while remaining mission-aligned.
How? The affiliate program provides:
✔ Opportunities to offer workshops, educational materials, and resources to a larger audience.
✔ Collaboration opportunities for research projects, advocacy campaigns, and larger initiatives.
✔ Annual awareness campaigns that allow affiliates to amplify their impact collectively.
✔ Fundraising opportunities that benefit from the higher visibility and engagement of a Centralized Hub.
✔ Partnerships with other affiliates for larger-scale projects that reach and help more people.
✔ Expanded networking and visibility, helping organizations gain greater reach within the CHD community.
Adaptation in Action:
✔ Affiliates can scale their initiatives faster with the support of a unified network.
✔ Organizations that may have previously lacked visibility can leverage the hub’s reach for greater awareness.
✔ Multi-affiliate collaborations lead to larger, more effective impact campaigns.
5. Agility & Evolution Through Community Feedback
Why?
The CHD landscape evolves rapidly, and organizations must be adaptable.
How? CHD Connects Hearts ensures:
✔Improvements based on patient, family, caregiver, and affiliate needs.
✔Quarterly online affiliate summits to assess progress, share new opportunities, and refine strategies collaboratively.
✔ A flexible framework that allows affiliates to evolve their participation level as their organization grows.
Adaptation in Action:
✔ Regular check-ins with affiliates ensure mission alignment and evolving needs are met.
✔ Real-time adaptability enables rapid response to emerging challenges in CHD research, advocacy, and patient care.
✔Community-driven solutions ensure that CHD Connects Hearts remains a resource that continuously evolves.
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DISCLAIMER: Our resources are for educational and informational purposes only. We do not offer any medical advice. Always follow and consult your medical team. Our aim is to provide supportive content, direction, and strategies for building community connections while facilitating crucial conversations about CHD.