ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced a $150,000 grant from the Robert I. Schattner Foundation to help fund three programs—two that support children living with kidney disease, and one that provides vital financial assistance for low-income dialysis patients in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The Foundation’s gift will provide funding for three AKF programs in 2019:
- The Safety Net Program, which provides grants to low-income dialysis patients to help pay for treatment-related costs that are not covered by health insurance, such as transportation to and from dialysis, prescription copays, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, etc. The Foundation’s funding for this program will provide grants for patients in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
- The Summer Enrichment Program, which provides financial support to help children and teens with kidney disease attend specialty camps that offer all the fun of traditional camps and are also equipped with the facilities and staff needed to handle the unique medical needs of kidney patients.
- The Calendar Kids Art Program, an annual nationwide art contest for children and teens living with kidney disease. The program provides a unique artistic platform for pediatric kidney patients to express the challenges and realities of living with kidney disease, cultivating support and understanding among their peers, within the kidney community and the larger American public.
Based in Rockville, the Robert I. Schattner Foundation was established by Dr. Robert I. Schattner, a local dentist, inventor, businessman and philanthropist. Dr. Schattner died in 2017 from complications of kidney failure. The Foundation is dedicated to making education and dental care affordable and accessible to everyone.
“The Foundation’s Board chose AKF for this gift as a meaningful extension of Dr. Schattner’s philanthropy, and to honor Dr. Schattner by helping others who are living with kidney disease,” said Robert H. Sievers, treasurer of the Robert I. Schattner Foundation. “Though AKF helps thousands of patients nationwide, we know they also help many people right here in our backyard. We are pleased to know the Foundation’s gift will be well spent on programs that really make a difference in people’s lives.”
Among the factors that led to the Foundation’s selection of AKF for the grant is AKF’s careful stewardship of the donated dollar—AKF invests 97 cents of every donated dollar on patients and programs, not overhead. AKF is also ranked among the best charities in the nation by charity rating organizations for its careful financial management and transparency.
“We are so grateful to the Robert I. Schattner Foundation for its generous gift to help ease the financial and emotional burden of children and adults living with kidney disease,” said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO. “The Foundation’s gift will allow us to open exciting new avenues for the Calendar Kids Art participants to illustrate their journey with kidney disease, support summer enrichment activities for young patients and provide desperately needed funds to help dialysis patients in the Capital Region who have nowhere else to turn.”
About the American Kidney Fund
As the nation’s leading independent nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation. AKF holds the highest ratings from the nation’s charity watchdog groups, including Charity Navigator, which includes AKF on its “top 10” list of nonprofits with the longest track records of outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar, and GuideStar, which has awarded AKF its Platinum Seal of Transparency.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.