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A NKF Advocate is someone who has been affected by kidney disease, donation or transplant and who wants to empower and educate others. These include people with kidney disease, dialysis patients, transplant recipients, living donors, donor family members, caregivers, friends and family members.
Advocacy plays an integral role in our mission. You can make a significant difference in the lives of kidney patients by representing the National Kidney Foundation. We give you the tools you need to make your voice heard.
Below are some of the ways you can be an advocate for those affected by kidney disease, donation and transplantation.
Advocacy 101: Learn How to Engage in Advocacy
- Patient Engagement and Advocacy Guide
- Learn about NKF's annual Kidney Patient Summit
- Why Advocacy Matters
- Write To Congress
- How to Schedule a District Meeting
- 6 Steps to a Successful Visit with your Members of Congress
- What to Expect on Capitol Hill and How to Prepare
- Advocating through Social Media
- How to Own a Room
- Attending a Town Hall
- Social Media, Video, and Photo Advocacy Guide
NKF Advocacy Activity Fact Sheets
- Kidney Disease: The Basics
- NKF’s Top 2020 Advocacy Achievements
- Fact Sheet: Advocacy Priorities and Programs
- Public Policy Opportunities Blueprint
Listen To Our Patients’ Stories
Hear Ira’s Story on the Need for the Living Donor Protection Act
Hear Bobbie’s Story on Why Transplant Patients Need Drug Coverage Now
Policy Fact Sheets
- The Living Donor Protection Act (S. 511/ H.R. 1224)
- Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (S. 3353/H.R. 5534)
- Appropriations Funding Requests
- State Donor Leave Laws and Tax Deductions/Credits for Living Donors
Click here to see a map of State Laws Impacting Living Organ Donation
Click here to see a map of state Living Donor Protection Acts
State Fact Sheets on Kidney Disease
Download individual U.S., DC, and Puerto Rico state fact sheets on kidney disease.
Congressional Caucus Memberships
- Congressional Kidney Caucus Roster
- Congressional Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Caucus
- Congressional Primary Care Caucus
Important Contacts
Federal Healthcare Agencies
- Department of Health and Human Services Home Page
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
U.S. Senate
- Senate Home Page
- Finance Committee
- Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
- Senate Committee on Appropriations Website
U.S. House of Representatives
- House of Representatives Home Page
- Ways & Means Committee
- Energy and Commerce
- House Committee on Appropriations Website