Finding Year-End Dollars to Fund Life-Saving AED Access

How End-of-Year Action Brings New Year Safety

As the calendar winds down, many school district, municipality, and community planners are trying to make wise final decisions with whatever funds may remain. Some budgets have been stretched thin by unexpected challenges, while others may have unallocated dollars left that must be used promptly or risk being ‘lost’ to other programs next year (“use it or lose it”).

Either way, this is the time of year when leaders make critical decisions that reflect on their priorities and stewardship of current and future needs, including urgent programs around public safety and emergency preparedness.

Across the country, more and more communities are prioritizing the need for 24/7 accessible Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed outdoors. Cardiac emergencies happen wherever people gather, and they don’t always align with the school day, your park & recreation facilities’ open hours, or municipal and business operations. They often happen on outdoor fields, courts, parks, playgrounds, during after-hours sports events, or while families are enjoying community areas in the evening.

Preparing for that possibility is the responsibility of administrative leaders who care about protecting students, teachers, residents, and guests anywhere they gather outside.  While there’s growing consensus that lifesaving AEDs need to be placed outdoors, many leaders may not know where to look to find available funding options.

What Does Placing an Outdoor AED Really Cost?

A lot of people are surprised to learn that expanding life-saving AED access outdoors doesn’t require a massive capital project. Depending on the environment, accessibility needs, and installation requirements, outdoor AED deployments typically cost between $2,000 and $6,000 per site.

Most outdoor school and community locations fall comfortably in the lower end of this range. In fact, an AED inside an all-weather, alarmed, lighted, temperature-regulated, 24/7 accessible SaveHeart by HeartNation cabinet often lands between $2000-$3000 (this range increases slightly if ‘around the clock’ AED monitoring and immediate emergency communications are included).  This includes the AED itself, the SaveHeart cabinet, and related installation charges.

That investment supports the countless moments outside normal building hours when emergencies also happen: early mornings, evenings, weekends, and after hours- when our schools and community recreation facilities are closed.

We’ve heard repeatedly from school, municipal and emergency response leaders that these expenditure figures were considerably lower than they anticipated.  In the same breath, they’ve also expressed a strong interest in hearing about additional and creative ways to fund these needed public safety projects.  Here are some ideas.

Finding Funds: Grants and Dedicated Programs
If remaining budget dollars are limited, here are some additional paths to explore.  You might be surprised at how accessible they are:

Federal & State Safety Grants
AEDs are commonly included in school safety, emergency response, and public health funding initiatives. Your state department of education, public safety, public works, and fire/emergency services can confirm grant and business development programs to explore that align your needs with state-recognized safety priorities and priorities.

Healthcare System Partnerships
Local hospitals and health networks are increasingly focused on community-focused cardiac preparedness programs. Many already offer CPR/AED training classes to their communities.  A quick conversation with the community outreach, population health, or foundation office can uncover support options that run from cost-sharing to fully sponsored financial support, especially where youth athletics or rural response times are concerns.  These can often cover the full cost associated with several outdoor AED and outdoor AED cabinet units.

Education & Youth Athletic Funding
Booster clubs, PTOs, and athletic foundations often support both traditional and newer essential safety improvements. A simple proposal with a location plan, cost estimate, and community benefit is often enough to mobilize parents and youth advocates.  And remember, SaveHeart by HeartNation can help you craft this request.

Corporate Community Giving Programs
Banks, manufacturers, and local businesses regularly invest in initiatives that improve community safety and quality of life. A direct request to larger entities through their corporate giving or community outreach groups can lead to swift support, particularly when a high-visibility installation displays their community commitment.  The same is true for smaller businesses, which are often interested in supporting home-grown safety programs where their name & logo are displayed prominently as a sponsor that cares about the health & safety of the community.  SaveHeart by HeartNation offers ‘free’ custom decal design, so local sponsors can ‘see’ how their cabinet would look in advance.

Civic Organizations, Local Philanthropy & Non-Profit Grants
The very missions of organizations like Rotary Club, Lions Club, American Legion, and Kiwanis, etc., include supporting the health, safety, and vitality of their local community.  Starting the conversation early can align timing with their philanthropic scheduling.  We’ve worked with several of these outstanding civic organizations all around the country.  Let us know if we can help you with presentation materials and outreach communications.

Park Foundations/Village Non-Profits
Many Park Districts have corresponding Foundations (i.e. Friends of the Parks, etc.) that raise funds to support beautification, public safety, and accessibility improvements for their community parks and outdoor recreation facilities.

You don’t need to navigate this alone. Here at SaveHeart by HeartNation, we’ve worked with several of these organizations and helped many communities, schools, and organizations with ideas on how to get it done.  Call us- we love sharing ideas, contacts, and partnerships that can help you get started.

Lastly, Don’t Forget about Year-End Saving Programs
One important additional area to explore is Special Discount Programs.  Often, manufacturers and service providers launch year-end savings programs that can accelerate projects that have stalled.

For instance, to help you stretch year-end budgets and remaining public safety grant funds, SaveHeart by HeartNation is offering significant year-end savings on our American-made, all-weather, 24/7-accessible outdoor AED cabinets, AND our indoor AED cabinets.  Let’s work together to protect your community and residents against the leading natural cause of death in the United States, Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

For all Outdoor SaveHeart Wall Mount (SH 200VH or VHM) Tower (SH 300VH or VHM) cabinets:

• Buy 1, take an additional 20% off
• Buy 2, get a 3rd at HALF price
• Buy 4, get a 5th FREE

For SaveHeart Indoor AED Cabinets (SH 500):

• Buy 1 get 1 FREE

The program runs now through Dec. 31.  Contact support@saveheart.life to get a quote or more information.

Now is a perfect time to start the outdoor AED program you’ve been thinking about. In this season of Thanksgiving and reflection, we’re grateful for the opportunity to help you make your community safer for everyone. Because your ability to save a life should not depend solely on your budget.

Thanks for your continued partnership and support.  Please consider us a resource for your lifesaving AED program- whether your plans have stalled, are just getting started, or you’re trying to expand your AED coverage outdoors.

End-of-year planning can pave the way for a bright, new, safer year ahead.  It’s easier than you think, and we’re here to help.

We’re ready when you are.