ROCKVILLE, Md., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has received a $275,000 grant from the Rockville-based Schattner Foundation to provide greater financial assistance to people living with kidney failure in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia and support virtual enrichment activities for children and teens living with kidney disease through AKF's Camp Connections. This recent gift from the Schattner Foundation will help support AKF's Greater Washington Metropolitan Area Safety Net Financial Assistance Program.
With these gifts, AKF is able to increase the grant amount from $250 to $300 to assist people with low incomes on dialysis or living with a kidney transplant in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The grants are used for needs such as transportation to dialysis or transplant appointments, prescription co-pays, medical supplies, rent, utilities and food.
Over 40,000 people in this region live with kidney failure, and most cannot work due to the demands of treatment. In 2024, AKF distributed approximately $175,000 in safety net grants to 788 people in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area.
This financial support meets an urgent need: a survey of people receiving AKF's safety net grants found that 90% felt more secure in addressing the financial burden they faced, with 83% using funds for food.
Funding from the Schattner Foundation will also benefit Camp Connections, AKF's national virtual camp program, which provides monthly virtual camp nights to provide friendship, community and fun for children of all ages who are living with kidney disease. The camp program has expanded since it was first launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, with AKF currently collaborating with 33 leading pediatric hospitals to identify camp participants. In 2024, over 150 kids and teens from around the country took part in the program.
"At AKF, we are committed to helping people with kidney disease live better lives," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "Our safety net grant program helps ensure people living with kidney failure in DC, Maryland and Virginia can afford to pay for groceries, medicines, rent and other essentials. Camp Connections helps children with kidney disease feel less isolated and build a sense of community. We are grateful to the Schattner Foundation for their generous support and thank them for their commitment to improving the lives of people with kidney disease."
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.
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 the 1 in 7 American adults 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 post-transplant living. 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 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 ngregory@kidneyfund.org
