AMERICAN KIDNEY FUND INC
11921 ROCKVILLE PIKE NO 300, ROCKVILLE, MD 20852 www.kidneyfund.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE AMERICAN KIDNEY FUND IS TO FIGHT KIDNEY DISEASE AND HELP PEOPLE LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES. FOUNDED IN 1971, AKF FIGHTS KIDNEY DISEASE ON ALL FRONTS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE OF PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE ACROSS THE SPECTRUM FROM DISEASE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION THROUGH POST-TRANSPLANT LIVING.

WE HELP PEOPLE FIGHT KIDNEY DISEASE AND LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES.

PATIENT ASSISTANCE:IN 2020, WE HELPED MORE THAN 94,000 LOW-INCOME KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENTS IN ALL 50 STATES GAIN ACCESS TO LIFESAVING HEALTHCARE, INCLUDING DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANT, BY PROVIDING NEED-BASED GRANTS TO PAY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS, TRANSPORTATION TO TREATMENT, PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS AND NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS, AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IN THE WAKE OF NATURAL DISASTERS. WITH AKF'S SUPPORT FOR HEALTH COVERAGE THEY OTHERWISE COULD NOT AFFORD, MORE THAN 1,600 DIALYSIS PATIENTS HAD LIFESAVING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS AND POST-TRANSPLANT CARE, REPRESENTING 7% OF ALL U.S. KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS DURING THE YEAR. OUR CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY FUND, ESTABLISHED IN MARCH 2020, PROVIDED $3.1 MILLION IN EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ALMOST 13,000 LOW-INCOME DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANT PATIENTS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND SERVING THE KIDNEY COMMUNITY. WE PROVIDED NEARLY 350 DIALYSIS PATIENTS DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANES, FLOODS, AND WILDFIRES. WE OPENED A NEW PROGRAM, THE POST-TRANSPLANT TESTING PROGRAM, FOR LOW-INCOME RECENT TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS. PATIENTS SEEKING HELP FROM AKF MUST DEMONSTRATE FINANCIAL NEED THROUGH COMPLETION OF A GRANT APPLICATION. ON AVERAGE, OUR GRANT RECIPIENTS HAVE TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOMES LESS THAN $25,000 PER YEAR.

PUBLIC EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES:AWARENESS AND PREVENTION:37 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD), AND MOST DON'T REALIZE THEY HAVE IT. AKF'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS HELP INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFY THEIR RISKS FOR CKD AND MANAGE CKD, KIDNEY FAILURE AND CO-MORBIDITIES. WE REACHED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN 2020 WITH AWARENESS AND PREVENTION INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE TRANSFORMED OUR NATIONAL SCREENING PROGRAM INTO A VIRTUAL KIDNEY ACTION WEEK FROM SEPTEMBER 14-19, 2020. THE EVENT WAS HELD IN A DEDICATED FACEBOOK LIVE GROUP WITH MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE JOINING. THROUGHOUT KIDNEY ACTION WEEK, PARTICIPANTS CONTRIBUTED HUNDREDS OF POSTS, AND NEARLY 27,000 COMMENTS AND REACTIONS TO THE INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION WE SHARED.PUBLIC EDUCATION:OUR WEBSITE, KIDNEYFUND.ORG, HAD MORE THAN 17 MILLION PAGEVIEWS AS WE CONTINUED TO ADD NEW EDUCATIONAL CONTENT. WE CONTINUED TO BUILD OUR DIET AND NUTRITION WEBSITE FOR KIDNEY PATIENTS, KIDNEY KITCHEN, WHICH NOW FEATURES OVER 500 RECIPES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN EVALUATED BY A DIETITIAN AND TESTED BY A PROFESSIONAL CHEF. WE CONTINUED TO RUN AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS WHICH FOCUS ON MANAGING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF KIDNEY DISEASE AND ITS CO-MORBIDITIES; FREE, MONTHLY WEBINARS FOR PATIENTS, FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS; OUR KIDNEY HEALTH COACH PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM; AND A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF PRINTED HEALTH EDUCATION AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT MATERIALS FOR PEOPLE WITH KIDNEY DISEASE AND KIDNEY FAILURE. WE CONTINUALLY ENHANCE OUR EDUCATION CONTENT AND OFFERINGS. IN 2020 WE EXPANDED OUR INFORMATION ON ANEMIA, GOUT, RARE DISEASES, AND MANY OTHER TOPICS. WE ALSO PUBLISHED MANY ADDITIONAL PAGES FOR OUR SPANISH-LANGUAGE WEBSITE.FOR CHILDREN, LIVING WITH KIDNEY DISEASE IS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING. WE PROVIDE A NATIONWIDE ART CONTEST FOR PEDIATRIC KIDNEY PATIENTS, GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ARTISTIC TALENTS. THIRTEEN DRAWINGS ARE CHOSEN AND WE RECOGNIZED THE WINNING COVER ARTIST AT OUR VIRTUAL GALA, THE HOPE AFFAIR. ENGAGING PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS AROUND ADVOCACY ISSUES IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT INITIATIVE. WE HELD A VIRTUAL FLY-IN AS WELL AS A CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON HEALTH DISPARITIES. AKF IS A STRONG AND INDEPENDENT VOICE ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND STRENGTHEN THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE. WE WORK WITH CONGRESS, THE ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO ADVANCE LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY POLICIES IMPORTANT TO KIDNEY PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:AKF DEVELOPS COURSES THAT ARE PROVIDED ONLINE AND MEET THE CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONALS WHO TREAT KIDNEY PATIENTS. IN 2020, WE REGISTERED MORE THAN 5,600 COURSES COMPLETED BY SOCIAL WORKERS, DIALYSIS TECHNICIANS, DIETITIANS, HEALTH EDUCATORS AND OTHER RENAL CARE PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, WE EXPANDED OUR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS TO INCLUDE PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY CONFERENCES. OUR LIVE WEBINARS ARE LED BY KIDNEY DISEASE EXPERTS AS WELL AS PATIENTS, AND FEATURE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A DIFFERENT TOPIC EACH MONTH. ALL WEBINARS ARE RECORDED AND POSTED TO AKF'S WEBSITE. 2020 WEBINARS FOCUSED ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS INCLUDING: KIDNEY-FRIENDLY COOKING, COVID-19, NEPHROTIC SYNDROME, AND DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE.

RESEARCH:ESTABLISHED IN 1988, AKF'S CLINICAL SCIENTIST IN NEPHROLOGY PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED RESEARCH FUNDING TO MANY OF NEPHROLOGY'S BRIGHTEST SCHOLARS. MANY FORMER CSN FELLOWS HAVE GONE ON TO DISTINGUISHED CAREERS IN THE FIELD, CONDUCTING GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH THAT ADVANCES KNOWLEDGE AND TREATMENT OF KIDNEY DISEASE. IN 2020, AKF SELECTED TWO NEW FELLOWS: DR. ANIKA LUCAS FROM DUKE UNIVERSITY AND DR. MARIA CLARISSA TIO FROM BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL/MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL'S JOINT NEPHROLOGY PROGRAM. DR. LUCAS' RESEARCH PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON THE RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN PREGNANCY OUTCOMES IN WOMEN WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOUS, WHILE DR. TIO'S RESEARCH PROJECT WILL STUDY SEVERAL EMERGING RISK FACTORS IN CKD PROGRESSION.IN DECEMBER, AKF HELD AN EVENT CALLED THE UNKNOWN CAUSES OF KIDNEY DISEASE SUMMIT. THE SUMMIT BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 40 STAKEHOLDERS FROM AROUND THE NATION: LEADING RESEARCHERS, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. IT FEATURED PRESENTATIONS BY RESEARCHERS; PATIENT STORIES; AND A ROBUST DISCUSSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVENT WAS TO BEGIN DEVELOPING A ROADMAP FOR STEPS THAT AKF AND OTHERS CAN TAKE TO ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH KIDNEY DISEASE, AND EVEN KIDNEY FAILURE, OFTEN DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED IT. THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION MAY WELL LEAD TO FAR BETTER TREATMENT AND OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS.

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