American Kidney Fund

Since its founding in 1971 to save the life of a single person who needed help paying for dialysis, the American Kidney Fund (kidneyfund.org) has become the chief source of direct financial support for Americans living with chronic kidney disease. In 2012, it provided treatment-related financial assistance to nearly 84,000—or about one in five—dialysis patients across all 50 states. The AKF raises awareness of kidney disease through its website, publications, and media outreach, and actively lobbies against cuts to Medicare funding for dialysis treatment. The AKF also sends children with kidney disease to summer camp, and has administered more than 90,000 free blood tests to screen for the disease, which often shows no symptoms in its early stages.

Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which rates not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fundraising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest rating.

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