American Kidney Fund Receives Major Gift from Schattner Foundation to Support Grant Programs and National Virtual Camp

ROCKVILLE, Md. (July 22, 2024) — 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."