National Kidney Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE FIGHT TO SAVE LIVES BY ELIMINATING PREVENTABLE KIDNEY DISEASE, ACCELERATING INNOVATION FOR THE DIGNITY OF THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE, AND DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL INEQUITIES IN KIDNEY CARE, DIALYSIS, AND TRANSPLANTATION.
- Income
- $50.1 million
- Spending
- $50.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 4.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 49%
- Employees
- 279
- Volunteers
- 20,000
- Highest pay
- $466,925, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 43% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 23 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (7)
- $18.2 million spent. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION - THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES ACCREDITED MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES, AND CLINICAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAM. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE NATIONAL MEETINGS COVERING A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS AND SPECIALIZED LOCAL OR REGIONAL SEMINARS. THE NKF SPRING CLINICAL MEETINGS ARE NKF'S PREMIER INTERPROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) ACTIVITY, RECOGNIZED AS THE LEADING LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE NEPHROLOGY COMMUNITY. DRAWING OVER 3,400 ATTENDEES ANNUALLY, THE EVENT FEATURES MORE THAN 500 RESEARCH POSTERS AND 140 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS, FOSTERING COLLABORATION AND ADVANCING KIDNEY CARE. SINCE 1981, THE ORGANIZATION HAS PUBLISHED PEER-REVIEWED MEDICAL JOURNALS DELIVERING TIMELY INSIGHTS AND CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH ON KIDNEY DISEASE TO THE GLOBAL NEPHROLOGY COMMUNITY. FOUR OF THESE ESTEEMED JOURNALS ARE AVAILABLE ON SCIENCEDIRECT, A LEADING PLATFORM FOR PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL INFORMATION, SERVING OVER 11 MILLION USERS WORLDWIDE. THE ORGANIZATION'S KIDNEY LEARNING SOLUTIONS (KLS) OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES IN VARIOUS FORMATS, INCLUDING PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES. THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMORBIDITIES. THE FOUNDATION'S KIDNEY DISEASE OUTCOMES QUALITY INITIATIVE (KDOQI) DEVELOPS AND PUBLISHES EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES AND COMMENTARIES, REGULARLY UPDATED TO REFLECT THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN KIDNEY PATIENT CARE. BEYOND GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT, KDOQI CONTRIBUTES TO BROADER POLICIES AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. ALL KDOQI GUIDELINES AND COMMENTARIES ARE PUBLISHED IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF KIDNEY DISEASES (AJKD), NKF'S FLAGSHIP JOURNAL.
- $10.7 million spent. COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO AFFILIATES (DEFINED BELOW) - THE ORGANIZATION'S SCREENING PROGRAMS TARGET INDIVIDUALS MOST AT RISK OF POTENTIAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO FUTURE KIDNEY DISEASE. THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION CONDUCTS A SERIES OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT KIDNEYS, RISK FACTORS FOR KIDNEY DISEASE, AND HOW TO PROTECT THE KIDNEYS. ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED BY THE ORGANIZATION TO ITS AFFILIATES (DEFINED BELOW). THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES CONSULTATION, GUIDANCE, TRAINING AND ADVOCACY. SPECIFIC GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS AND KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS. AFFILIATES ARE KEPT UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT PUBLICATIONS FROM THE ORGANIZATION, BOTH CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL. "AFFILIATES" - NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION ("NKF") HAS A CHARTERED NETWORK OF 9 AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE AFFILIATES ARE SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITIES WHICH IN TANDEM WITH THE FOUNDATION HELP IMPLEMENT THE ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION AND PRIORITIES. NKF AND ITS AFFILIATES HAVE AGREEMENTS UNDER WHICH A PORTION OF THE REVENUE RECEIVED BY AFFILIATES IS SHARED WITH NKF FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF FULFILLING ITS MISSION.
- $5.7 million spent. PATIENT SERVICES - NKF OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF PATIENT SERVICES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT, EDUCATE, AND EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH KIDNEY DISEASE. PROGRAMS INCLUDE ADVOCACY TRAINING, TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT GROUPS, AND WORKSHOPS TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF KIDNEY PATIENTS. THROUGH THE NKF CARES HELPLINE, OVER 20,000 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED PERSONALIZED GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT, WHILE THE NKF PEERS PROGRAM CONNECTED NEW PATIENTS WITH EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND ENCOURAGEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EDUCATIONAL BROCHURES WERE DISTRIBUTED, OFFERING CONDITION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO HELP PATIENTS NAVIGATE THEIR KIDNEY HEALTH JOURNEY.
- $4.5 million spent. PUBLIC & POPULATION HEALTH - THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE, WWW.KIDNEY.ORG, SERVES AS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION, ATTRACTING MILLIONS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY. PATIENTS RELY ON THE KIDNEY TOPICS PAGES FOR COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS KIDNEY CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NUTRITION AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING AND SUPPORTING HIGH-RISK GROUPS BY PROVIDING TAILORED INFORMATION AND INTERVENTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. CKDINTERCEPT IS THE FOUNDATION'S GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE TESTING, RECOGNITION, AND MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE.
- $3.7 million spent. RESEARCH - THE ORGANIZATION ANNUALLY AWARDS 5-6 YOUNG INVESTIGATOR GRANTS AND 2 HEALTH EQUITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS. YOUNG INVESTIGATOR GRANTS FUND PATIENT-ORIENTED CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES THAT ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE. HEALTH EQUITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS SUPPORT COMMUNITY-FOCUSED PROJECTS AIMED AT PREVENTING, REDUCING, OR ELIMINATING KIDNEY HEALTH DISPARITIES, FOSTERING MEASURABLE IMPACT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
- (Expenses $ 4,453,659 including grants of $ 0)(Revenue $ 679,540) PUBLIC & POPULATION HEALTH - THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE, WWW.KIDNEY.ORG, SERVES AS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION, ATTRACTING MILLIONS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY. PATIENTS RELY ON THE KIDNEY TOPICS PAGES FOR COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS KIDNEY CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NUTRITION AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING AND SUPPORTING HIGH-RISK GROUPS BY PROVIDING TAILORED INFORMATION AND INTERVENTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. CKDINTERCEPT IS THE FOUNDATION'S GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON IMPROVING CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE TESTING, RECOGNITION, AND MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE.
- (Expenses $ 3,746,190 including grants of $ 700,197)(Revenue $ 597,336) RESEARCH - THE ORGANIZATION ANNUALLY AWARDS 5-6 YOUNG INVESTIGATOR GRANTS AND 2 HEALTH EQUITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS. YOUNG INVESTIGATOR GRANTS FUND PATIENT-ORIENTED CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES THAT ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE. HEALTH EQUITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARDS SUPPORT COMMUNITY-FOCUSED PROJECTS AIMED AT PREVENTING, REDUCING, OR ELIMINATING KIDNEY HEALTH DISPARITIES, FOSTERING MEASURABLE IMPACT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1969.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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