Kidney Foundation

What Kidney Foundation does

The Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 931 McCallie Ave in Chattanooga, Tennessee, serving kidney disease patients and their families across a 12-county region (9 Tennessee counties and 3 Georgia counties). Founded in 1989 after separating from the National Kidney Foundation to ensure 100% of donations remain local, the organization delivers direct financial and material assistance covering dialysis transportation, utility bills, rental and mortgage payments, medical equipment, food (including the Adopt-A-Box holiday program), and family support services including school supplies and children's clothing.

Service delivery runs through a healthcare-referral model: all patient applications are submitted by dialysis or transplant clinic social workers via a dedicated Social Worker Portal, with 21 renal clinic partnerships across the service area. The foundation also operates the PEED Program (Providing Education & Early Detection), which conducts free community kidney health screenings at workplaces, churches, and events, alongside the Kampbell the Kidney mascot-driven school education initiative. Patient eligibility is anchored at 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines, and the organization reports a 97% application approval rate across 500+ patients served in 2025.

Revenue is generated through individual donations (including the Steady Support monthly giving program), four signature fundraising events (TASTE in April, Big Hair Affair in July, Kidney Kup golf tournament in August, and the 19-year-old Dare to Dance in October), corporate partnerships, and planned giving administered in conjunction with Raymond James. The stated budget allocates 67% to patient services, 23% to community education and prevention, and 10% to operational costs, with annual third-party audits. The organization operates with 4 paid staff and a 20-member volunteer board of directors drawn from major regional employers and healthcare providers, including Erlanger Health System, Dialysis Clinic Inc., Unum, and Shaw.

Name

Kidney Foundation

Legal name

The Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area, Inc.

Website

https://kidneyfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving 500+ kidney disease patients annually across a 12-county Greater Chattanooga region with direct financial assistance, community screenings, and education funded by donations and four signature annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Patient Services for Kidney Disease

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

General Nephrology Practice (HLAKAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renal Care Ancillaries (Anemia Management Devices, Phosphate Binder Support, Nutrition Monitoring) (HLAHAKAK), Home Dialysis Support & Training Providers (HLAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Kidney disease support
• Patient assistance services
• Community health screening
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Dialysis transportation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time gifts, monthly recurring donations through Steady Support program, and roundup giving program where donations are collected based on credit card purchases. 100% of donations stay local in the Greater Chattanooga area.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue from signature events including TASTE, Big Hair Affair, Kidney Kup golf tournament, and Dare to Dance. Revenue comes from ticket sales, sponsorships, and silent auctions.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Local businesses partner through employee health screening sponsorship, event sponsorships, corporate employee giving programs, and in-kind donations of services and goods.
4. Planned/Legacy Giving: Planned giving program allows donors to leave lasting legacies. Partner with Raymond James for planned giving assistance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kidney Foundation provides direct financial and social assistance to end-stage kidney disease patients in the Greater Chattanooga area, covering transportation to dialysis, utility bills, medical equipment and supplies, food and nutrition, rental/housing payments, family support, and emergency needs. It complements these patient services with community-wide kidney disease education and free early-detection health screenings through the PEED Program and the Kampbell the Kidney educational mascot initiative.

Product overview

The Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga offers a comprehensive suite of patient assistance and community education services as a unified nonprofit program portfolio. Core offerings include direct financial assistance programs (transportation, utilities, rental, medical equipment, food assistance, family support, and emergency needs) integrated with the PEED screening program for early detection. Educational services feature the Kampbell the Kidney mascot program, CKD risk assessment tools, and community health education. The organization serves as a local lifeline, not a technology product company, with 100% of donations staying in the 12-county service area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PEED Program: Providing Education & Early Detection - flagship screening program bringing free kidney health assessments directly to communities throughout the Chattanooga area.
• Kampbell the Kidney
• Steady Support
• Adopt-A-Box Program

Products and services

• Transportation Assistance
• Utility Assistance
• Medical Equipment and Supplies
• Food Assistance / Adopt-A-Box Program
• Rental Assistance
• Family Support Services
• Emergency Needs Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ patients served annually with 97% application approval rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• The Community Foundation of Greater ChattanoogamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting local kidney patients and enabling expansion of reach throughout the region.
• The Lillian L. Colby FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership providing support for local kidney patient programs and services.
• Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit dialysis provider partnership; DCI social workers refer patients to the foundation and sponsor events including Dare to Dance. Board member Sonya Webb represents DCI.
• CommonSpiritmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partnership supporting local kidney patient services and community programs.
• The Osborne FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting kidney patient care and programs in the Greater Chattanooga area.
• United Way Greater ChattanoogasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partnership through health screening sponsorships and event partnerships.
• United Way Ocoee RegionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional partnership for community health initiatives and kidney disease awareness.
• LabcorpsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partnership providing support through community health initiatives.
• ShawsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership; board member Eric Lewis from Shaw serves as President-Elect of the board.
• Walmart (Spark Good)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partnership through in-kind donations and community support programs.
• Erlanger Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospital system and healthcare partner. Board Treasurer Samantha Maragnano represents Erlanger. Foundation founders Dr. Jackson Yium and Milli Yium started the kidney treatment program at Erlanger in 1973.
• Kidney Care CenterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal dialysis provider offering kidney care services; listed as community health partner for patient referrals.
• Nephrology AssociatessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNephrology practice listed as community health partner providing kidney care services and patient referrals.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• NephCure Kidney International: Nonprofit focused on rare kidney diseases such as nephrotic syndrome. Comparable as a kidney-focused patient advocacy organization with similar donor-funded model and community education orientation.
• Alport Syndrome Foundation: Smaller kidney disease nonprofit providing patient education and community support. Comparable model of disease-specific patient assistance and family-centered programming.
• Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation: Nonprofit focused on PKD, a specific kidney disease subtype. Comparable model of disease-specific patient support and research funding, though narrower in scope than the Chattanooga foundation's general kidney disease focus.

Broad incumbents

• Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI): Nonprofit dialysis provider partnering with the Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga (Secretary on board, sponsors Dare to Dance). Comparable as a nonprofit kidney care organization, though focused on direct clinical service delivery rather than social/financial support.
• American Kidney Fund: National nonprofit providing direct financial assistance to kidney patients for insurance premiums, transportation, and other treatment-related costs. Highly comparable model to the Kidney Foundation's transportation/utility/medical equipment assistance programs, but operating at national scale.
• National Kidney Foundation: The largest U.S. kidney disease nonprofit, providing education, advocacy, and patient support nationwide. The Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga explicitly broke away from this organization in 1989 to remain independent and local, making it a direct parallel and structural competitor for donor dollars and patient mindshare.

Direct peers

• Renal Support Network: Nonprofit providing emotional, educational, and financial support to people affected by chronic kidney disease. Similar patient-centric focus on quality of life and family support, with comparable awareness and peer-support programs.
• American Association of Kidney Patients: Patient-led national nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for kidney patients through education, advocacy, and community. Comparable mission of patient empowerment and family-centered support for those with kidney disease.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kampbellthekidney
• Xx.com/ChattanoogaKF
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidneyFoundationChattanooga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidney-foundation-of-the-greater-chattanooga-area-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kidney Foundation