5 Ways to Donate to Kidney Disease Charities
A great way to show support for people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD), are on dialysis or have had a kidney transplant is to donate to kidney disease charities. These charities exist to raise funds for education, research, prevention and screenings.
Before you choose a charity, do some research to find the charity that speaks to you the most. Search for charities on websites such as Give.com, CharityNavigator.org, Charity-Charities.org and the site of your local Better Business Bureau. Here are a few organizations to get your search started:
In what ways can you donate to kidney disease charities?
Whether it's time, money or another kind of support, there are many ways you can donate to kidney disease charities:
1. Volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to support people with kidney disease. Offer to help out at the office of a kidney charity by planning fundraisers or performing general office tasks. If you want to be in direct contact with people affected by CKD, consider spending time with dialysis patients and their families at a dialysis center. You may even help dialysis patients abroad by volunteering through DaVita's Bridge of Life program.
2. Give money
Even the smallest financial donation is appreciated. Many kidney organizations, such as the American Kidney Fund® and Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), accept donations online or over the phone. You may also want to check out organizations such as the Kidney and Urology Foundation of America and United Way.
3. Participate in a fundraising event
Show your support by participating in a fundraising event for a kidney organization. You can help kidney patients and your own health at the same time by participating in a fundraising walk, run or other activity, such as Tour DaVita or World Kidney DayTM. See if the charity you're looking to support offers any fundraising events that interest you.
4. Donate a used vehicle
Your donation can be anything that helps kidney disease patients in need, even a car! The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Cars program and America's Car Donation Center accept used cars, trucks and boats as donations. Many donate-your-car programs will tow the vehicle away for free, and the donation may be tax deductible when you donate to an IRS-approved nonprofit.
5. The ultimate donation: a kidney
There are 97,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list.1Give the gift of life by donating a kidney. Visit the National Kidney Registry to learn more about the process.
Get Involved
Kidney disease is a serious health condition and you can help make an impact in the lives of those with the disease by donating money, vehicles, time and even your own kidney. Once you find a kidney charity that is important to you, talk to your friends, neighbors and coworkers about how they can get involved, too. Get the word out today by sharing what you've found on the DaVita.com Forums.
1. United Network for Organ Sharing website. https://www.unos.org/data/transplant-trends/ Based on OPTN data as of May 25, 2017. Accessed May 25, 2017.
