The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nation’s leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF.

The South Plains Kidney Foundation of West Texas (SPKF) is the leading health organization in this area, dedicated to the issues of all renal diseases related to the kidney and urinary tract. The foundation conducts programs in professional education, patient and community services, public education and supports research and organ donation. The mission of the SPKF is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of patients and families affected by these diseases, and to increase the availability of all organs for transplantation.

NANT promotes education and advances the professional role of the multidisciplinary team in delivering the highest quality of care to the chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient. It provides educational opportunities, represents the nephrology technology professionals in the regulatory and legislative arena, encourages the development of nephrology professionals in leadership roles, and achieves recognition for the contribution of the nephrology technology practitioners to the total care of the CKD patient.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a rare genetic disease that causes permanent worsening in kidney function. PKD is the most common genetic cause of chronic kidney disease. We initiated “Establishing Meaningful Patient-centered Outcomes With Relevance for patients with PKD” (EMPOWER PKD) with PCORI funding to engage patients with PKD to learn about patient concerns regarding: PKD impact, patient-centered health outcomes, insurability (health and life insurance), and patients’ activation and engagement. We aim to establish patient centered outcomes that are based on the shared priorities of patients with PKD, their families, healthcare providers, researchers and other stakeholders. To do that, we utilized semi-structured focus groups with a pre-piloted guide which allow for conversational flow and consistency. During each focus group, participants used a nominal, multi-voting technique to vote for outcomes which are important to them. We have conducted so far eight focus groups with seven to eleven patients and caregivers, and one group with eight clinical and research experts, each lasting two hours. EMPOWER PKD is bringing together patients with PKD and their families, advocacy groups, researchers, clinical experts, nurses and care coordinators to define patient centered outcomes that are of greatest importance to be assessed in PKD studies. EMPOWER PKD will help shape future research agendas with a focus on the PKD patients and families and their experience.

At Clean Plates, we will never tell you to go on a diet. Our mission is to make healthy eating easier and more enjoyable, providing readers with all the tools they need to better understand nutrition and health free from the guilt and shame of dieting. No matter the way you choose to eat—whether you’re a conscientious carnivore or a vegetarian, a beginner cook or an expert home chef—we’ve got everything you need to help you eat well, feel great, and enjoy yourself.

The Georgia Council of Nephrology Social Workers (GCNSW) functions as a state chapter of a professional membership council within the framework of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and networks with other organizations, including the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), state and local governments, and private groups. GCNSW’s mission is assist patients and their families in dealing with psychosocial stresses and lifestyle readjustments; to facilitate a treatment program that will maximize rehabilitation potential; and, to support the federal regulations governing ESRD reimbursement in regard standards for social work practice and in the definition of a qualified social worker. www.gcnsw.org/home

NephCure’s mission is to empower people with rare, protein-spilling kidney disease to take charge of their health, while leading the revolutionin research, new treatments, and care. Founded in 2000 by a group of committed patient parents, NephCure has invested more than $40 million in kidney disease research and helped create a landscape where there are now new treatments and more than 60 interventionaldrug trials for rare kidney diseases. NephCure is a U.S. tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.

Cukebook (Culinary Nutrition for Kidneys, Inc.) is a culinary nutrition platform that gives people with kidney disease the opportunity to thrive. Our Cukebook mission is to make culinary nutrition a mainstay of kidney health. We want Cukebook to be a go-to resource for people who want to learn HOW to cook kidney-friendly and WHY cooking this way impacts their lives positively.

The American Nephrology Nurses Association improves members’ lives through education, advocacy, networking, and science. Since it was established as a nonprofit organization in 1969, ANNA has been serving members who span the nephrology nursing spectrum. ANNA has a membership of over 8,500 registered nurses and other health care professionals at all levels of practice. Members work in such areas as conservative management, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapies, transplantation, industry, and government/regulatory agencies. ANNA is committed to advancing the nephrology nursing specialty and nurturing every ANNA member. We achieve these goals by providing the highest quality educational products, programs, and services. Our members are leaders who advocate for patients, mentor each other, and lobby legislators, all to inspire excellence.

The KFCP was founded in 1979 and became an independent organization in 1981. Currently, the KFCP supports patients in its 28 county service area with a nationally recognized peer mentor program (PFPP), Camp Kydnie (week long sleep overcamp for kids with kidney disease ages 6-19 years), medical jewelry program, blood pressure monitoring device distribution, and community and patient education. It’s mission is summed up in these words: education, advocacy, and support.

OPEN MINDS is the premier market intelligence and management support firm specializing in the sectors of the health and human service field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs. The mission of OPEN MINDS is to provide health and human service payers and provider organizations – and the organizations that serve them – with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

The American Academy of Nephrology PAs (AANPA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1997. Our purpose is to support the professional growth, development, training, education and networking of PAs within the specialty practice of nephrology.

IKONA offers a smarter way for kidney care providers to deliver effective and measurable learning experiences to their patients and staff. Our platform uses learning science, storytelling and immersive technology to address education and training challenges, dramatically improve patient understanding and ensure confident treatment decisions. Together with leading care providers across the country, we are reinventing learning in kidney care, one experience at a time.

We’re the only organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for polycystic kidney disease (PKD). We fund research, education, advocacy, support, and awareness on a national and local level. Since 1982, we have proudly funded more than 1,300 research projects and leveraged $1.5B in research funds, making us the largest private funder of PKD research. We fund basic and clinical research, nephrology fellowships, and scientific meetings with a simple goal: to discover and deliver treatments and a cure for PKD.

The NMHA was launched in 1988 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in Pennsylvania. It was founded and established to address the appropriate prescribing of medications to minorities and provide accurate information about diseases affecting minority communities. To accomplish this, the organization sought and realized the establishment of Offices of Minority Health in all 50 states. Having accomplished its initial mission, the organization seeks to fulfill now its next mission of helping to close the disparity gap in minority health care. It seeks to achieve this mission through unique campaigns and programs like Health is for EveryBODY,  Operation Healthy You™, Equityville, The Art Alliance, Equity for All (with UCB, Biogen and Aurinia) and more.

The Philippine Nurses Association of Illinois, Inc. is a professional, voluntary, non-sectarian, and non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting the standards and promoting the cultural heritage of nurses from the Philippines.

We provide educational seminars, publications, and consultation with organizations regarding medication therapy management of patients with chronic kidney disease.

NPACE is a national nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in patient care by providing high quality evidence-based educational programs to nurse practitioners and other advanced practice clinicians in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

IgA Nephropathy IgAN is an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys. It affects how blood is filtered in the small blood vessels of the kidneys. IgAN occurs when an abnormal protein damages the filtering unit (glomerulus) inside the kidneys. It is estimated that 20-40% of the people who have IgAN will develop end-stage kidney disease, which means they will need dialysis or kidney transplantation to survive.

The Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Education Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the affiliate organization of Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC). Founded in 2012, the Center is led by a board of directors composed of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Our board, staff and volunteers are truly dedicated to the cause and bring a diverse set of skills and backgrounds that help sustain our mission. The DPC Education Center is dedicated to empowering kidney disease patients through education, with continual collaboration from health professionals.

Kidney Donor Conversations (KDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to provide education and support for living kidney donation. Other organizations attempt to find kidneys through the recipient or registering to be an organ donor. But to find enough kidneys for everyone on the kidney transplant waiting list, we must also discover living donors from the general population. Contact KDC for information regarding online presentations, personal support, and resources about the facts, benefits, and process of living kidney donation.