Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation

What Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation does

The Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation (MNITF) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing organ and tissue donation awareness, education, and research. Founded in memory of a transplant recipient, the organization operates as a public 501(c)(3) and produces educational entertainment content — including the bilingual telenovela-style program "Fixing Paco," the "Linked by Love" docuseries, "A Heart Full of Hope," and "The Christmas Chain" — designed to reach Latino, African American, and broader community audiences facing disproportionate transplantation needs.

The foundation's core products are awareness and educational content assets, delivered through media, community partnerships, and direct outreach to dialysis centers and community organizations. It also publishes "Think Transplant," a branded magazine, and operates a Research Grant Program funding transplantation-related research. Notable technical or platform components are not disclosed; the foundation's intellectual property centers on branded content and curated educational programming rather than software or technology infrastructure.

Revenue mechanics are typical of a small nonprofit: individual and corporate donations, magazine sponsorships, and philanthropic grants (such as UniHealth Foundation support for "Fixing Paco"). The foundation is led by Nicole Mendez as Executive Director and operates within a partnership ecosystem that includes Donate Life California, OneLegacy, UNOS, and the University of Southern California, positioning it as a connector between patient communities, academic research, and the national organ procurement system.

Name

Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation

Legal name

Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation

Website

https://mnitf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that produces bilingual educational entertainment, awareness campaigns, and research grants to advance organ and tissue donation among Latino, African American, and broader at-need communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MNITF receives financial support from individual donors, planned giving programs (bequests, life income gifts, life insurance gifts), and memorial/honorarium donations. The organization also accepts directed giving where donors can earmark contributions for specific areas such as the Research Grant Program or Education projects.
2. Magazine Sponsorship: MNITF Magazine features celebrity interviews, film/TV spotlights, transplant stories, kidney health education, and organ donation awareness. Sponsorship packages are available for purchase via PayPal, providing revenue while supporting the organization's mission.
3. Research Grant Program Funding: As a nonprofit focused on advancing transplantation science, MNITF funds research grants to support medical advances in organ transplantation and end-stage organ disease therapies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MNITF is a public nonprofit foundation advancing the science and practice of organ transplantation and end-stage organ disease therapies through research grants, culturally tailored patient education programs, and entertainment-based awareness campaigns. Its core offerings include a Peer Educator-led One-On-One Kidney Transplant Education Program delivered at dialysis centers, the Fixing Paco and Linked by Love edutainment video series, a Research Grant Program, the MNITF Magazine publication, and celebrity-backed PSA campaigns.

Product overview

MNITF is a public nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of organ transplantation and end-stage organ disease therapies through research, education, and innovation. The organization operates a portfolio of edutainment products including the telenovela-style series 'Fixing Paco' and docu-series 'Linked by Love,' which deliver culturally relevant educational information on organ transplantation. MNITF also publishes MNITF Magazine featuring celebrity interviews and health education, operates a One-On-One Kidney Transplant Education Program using trained Peer Educators, funds research through its Research Grant Program, provides kidney-friendly recipe resources, and conducts PSA campaigns featuring celebrities. These products work together to fulfill MNITF's mission of education, research advancement, and awareness-building around organ donation and kidney disease.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fixing Paco: A telenovela-style digital series about kidney transplantation and living donation, shot in English and Spanish to reach Latino populations.
• Linked by Love
• A Heart Full of Hope
• The Christmas Chain
• MNITF Magazine

Products and services

• Fixing Paco

Quantifiable outcome

• Fixing Paco study published in Ethnicity & Health journal (2016) demonstrating improved knowledge and behavioral intentions among Hispanic patients with end-stage renal disease
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• USC Institute for Health Promotion and Disease PreventionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Professor Jennifer Unger led the evaluation research study for Fixing Paco series to assess impact on viewers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about transplantation. Study published in Ethnicity & Health journal.
• Connie Frank Kidney Center at UCLAminorOthersUCLA medical facility referenced as the transplant center where Allen Kelly received his kidney transplant. MNITF works with transplant centers to raise awareness about transplantation options.
• Donate Life CaliforniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMNITF partners with Donate Life California to direct website visitors to state registry for organ donor registration. The organization uses Donate Life California links for their become-an-organ-donor registration page.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)minorOthersUNOS maintains the national transplant waiting list. MNITF references UNOS data on transplant statistics and waiting list information to educate the public about organ donation needs.
• OneLegacyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOneLegacy is referenced as a resource for organ donation information on MNITF's become-an-organ-donor page, providing additional education about organ donation processes.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• OneLegacy: The organ-procurement organization for the greater Los Angeles area — MNITF's explicit GTM marketing partner for organ-donor referrals. Directly comparable service region and overlapping mission on organ-donation education in Southern California.
• Donate Life California: State-authorized organ and tissue donor registry for California — explicitly listed as MNITF's core GTM referral partner. Shares the same donor-registration and public-education mission within MNITF's primary geography.
• National Kidney Foundation of Southern California & Southern Nevada: Regional affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation serving the same Los Angeles/Southern California geography as MNITF. Competes for the same local donors, dialysis-center partnerships, and celebrity endorsements in MNITF's primary service area.

Broad incumbents

• American Diabetes Association: Large national nonprofit funding diabetes research, education, and advocacy — directly relevant because diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the populations MNITF serves. Comparable in using celebrity PSAs, lifestyle content, and patient education channels.
• American Kidney Fund: National nonprofit providing financial assistance, education, and prevention programs for kidney patients. Directly comparable mission around kidney-disease education and patient support, with a larger national footprint and established corporate-charity partnerships.
• National Kidney Foundation: The largest U.S. kidney-disease nonprofit, funding research, patient education, and advocacy. Highly comparable to MNITF in serving kidney/transplant patient communities with educational content and research grants, but operates at significantly greater national scale and scope.

Direct peers

• Donate Life America: National 501(c)(3) leading organ-donation awareness and donor registration in the U.S. Directly comparable in mission to MNITF's organ-donation awareness work, with stronger brand recognition and national registry partnerships.
• Gift of Life Donor Program: Regional organ procurement organization serving the eastern U.S. with public-education and donor-registration programs. Highly comparable to MNITF's organ-donation outreach and registry-referral model, though it operates as an OPO rather than an independent foundation.
• Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO): Nonprofit supporting transplant recipients, candidates, donors, and families through education and peer support. Closely aligned with MNITF's transplant-recipient Peer Educator model and patient-advocacy focus.

Emerging players

• National Hispanic Medical Association: Nonprofit representing Hispanic physicians and improving health care for Hispanic populations. Comparable in targeting the Latino health-disparity audience that MNITF serves via Fixing Paco, though its lens is broader clinical care rather than transplantation specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MNITF
• Facebookfacebook.com/mnitf
• Instagraminstagram.com/mnitf_org
• TikToktiktok.com/@mnitf_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation