American Kidney Fund Receives Major Gift from Schattner Foundation to Support Grant Programs and National Virtual Camp
22 Julio 2024 - 8:01AM
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has received a $275,000 grant from
Rockville-based Schattner Foundation to support AKF’s work on
behalf of the 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease.
With help from the foundation’s $25,000 Leadership Gift, AKF
will establish a new designated fund for its Disaster Relief
Program. The Disaster Relief Program is the nation’s sole
rapid-response system that provides emergency financial assistance
to dialysis and recent transplant patients who have been impacted
by natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornados, flooding and
wildfires. The grants are offered on a first-come, first-serve
basis to help affected members of the kidney community cover
expenses related to lost medications and special kidney-friendly
foods; temporary housing and transportation to treatment; and
replacement clothing and personal essentials that were lost due to
the natural disaster or the need to evacuate with short notice.
“AKF is grateful for the Schattner Foundation for their support
in taking this proactive step to ensure there are funds available
for as many patients as possible when a disaster strikes,” said
LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. “Natural disasters can
change people’s lives in an instant—especially if you have kidney
failure—and unfortunately, they are becoming more frequent and more
severe. The foundation’s generous gift enables AKF to be prepared
to help for when the unexpected happens.”
The foundation’s grant will also support AKF’s Greater
Washington Metropolitan Area Safety Net Financial Assistance
Program. This AKF program provides grants of up to $250 a year to
low-income dialysis and transplant patients living in Maryland,
Virginia or the District of Columbia to help pay for
treatment-related costs that are not covered by health insurance.
More than 40,000 people in the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area
(Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia) live with kidney
failure, and an estimated 80% of these residents cannot work due to
their treatment regimen demands. Last year, thanks in part to the
foundation’s gift, AKF provided $159,000 in grants to 628 people in
need in the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area.
Since 2022, the foundation’s funding has also helped AKF run its
national virtual camp program, which provides enriching activities
on a monthly basis for children living with kidney disease.
Building on the success of the virtual camp program established
during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the virtual camp has
expanded to include more children nationwide, with 195 participants
from more than 30 states in 2023.
“The Schattner Foundation’s ongoing support will no doubt
continue to make a lasting impact on hundreds of families who are
living with kidney disease, and the physical, financial and mental
challenges of a life with chronic illness,” said Burton.
The Schattner Foundation was established by Dr. Robert I.
Schattner, a local dentist, inventor, businessman and
philanthropist who died in 2017 from complications of kidney
failure. The foundation is dedicated to making education and dental
care affordable and accessible to everyone.
"On behalf of the Schattner Foundation, we are pleased to
continue supporting the American Kidney Fund’s unique programs like
the virtual camp, Safety Net Grant Program and Disaster Relief
Grant Program,” said Robert H. Sievers, treasurer of the Schattner
Foundation. “Whether it’s financial assistance to ensure they do
not have to choose between paying for groceries or paying for
medicine or it’s providing relief from the isolation of growing up
with a chronic illness, each of these AKF programs help to
alleviate some of the challenges people living with kidney disease
face. We are proud to continue our philanthropic partnership with
an organization that makes such a positive impact for kidney
patients.”
###
About the American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all
fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people
with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 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. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs
that address early detection, disease management, financial
assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one
of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every
donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating
from Charity Navigator for 21 consecutive years and the Platinum
Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with AKF
on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Nancy Gregory
American Kidney Fund
(240) 292-7077
ngregory@kidneyfund.org