Organisation

Heart Foundation NZ

Purpose

The Heart Foundation are looking for a big-hearted volunteer Area Coordinators to play a key role in the organisation of our biggest fundraiser of the year – the Big Heart Appeal!

Description

Heart disease is New Zealand’s single biggest killer and claims the life of one person every 90 minutes. Many of these deaths are premature and preventable. Donations raised through the Big Heart Appeal will fund cutting-edge research into heart disease and specialist training for New Zealand cardiologists.

About the role:
Volunteer Area Coordinators coordinate the street collection in their local areas for the Big Heart Appeal on Friday 27 & Saturday 28 February 2026 from 8am – 6pm. They are an essential link between the Heart Foundation and a team of volunteers who generously give up their time to collect donations at various sites in their local area.

Our Big Heart Appeal team will assist you along the way and will provide everything you will need for a successful collection, including a detailed brief beforehand, volunteer rosters, street collection equipment and site permits.

Tasks include:

• Liaise with and provide support for volunteer street collectors that are collecting at the site/sites that you are looking after during the street collection.

• Assist with the recruitment of volunteers for your area by tapping into your network of friends and family.

• Receive and distribute street collector equipment (buckets, bibs, stickers) to the volunteers. Then once volunteers have collected, gather the equipment up so the Heart Foundation can arrange to have it collected from your place in the week/s after the collection

• Visiting the site or sites that you are looking after, to ensure everything is running smoothly during the two days of the street collection.

• Arrange banking of the donated funds to your closest ASB bank.

• Being the first point of contact for volunteer street collectors and trouble-shooting any issues that may arise on the two appeal days.

Requirements

• Aligned with the Heart Foundation’s mission and the heart health cause

• A reliable and organised self-starter

• Excellent communication skills

• Confident when coordinating a team of volunteers

• Current driver’s licence (access to a vehicle would be preferable).

• You will need to have regular access to email, the internet and a working mobile phone

Time commitment

The Volunteer Area Coordinator role runs for 8 hours each day, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 February 2026, from 8am to 6pm.

How to apply

Please email Lynne S / lynnes@heartfoundation.org.nz

Please copy (CC) volunteer@otago.ac.nz into your application email. Also, we have a great email template and helpful tips on making an effective application here: https://www.unicrewotago.org/aboutpriceless