K Is For Kidneys

What K Is For Kidneys does

K Is For Kidneys is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation (EIN 87-3459053), founded by the Smith family after their daughter Elowen was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at age 5, and headquartered at 13230 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Unit 1501, Charlotte, North Carolina. The foundation's stated mission is to raise funds that support children with chronic kidney disease and advance research into the condition, with all programmatic activity directed toward the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children's Hospital (part of Atrium Health) as its sole institutional beneficiary partner. The organization reports 1-10 employees, was founded circa 2016 (with website copyright dated 2021), and operates exclusively in the Carolinas region of the United States.

The foundation operates a portfolio of community programs rather than a traditional product platform. Core fundraising vehicles include Karaoke for Kidneys, an annual community talent show and karaoke event (reaching its 6th annual occurrence in May 2022), and Koins for Kidneys, an annual coin-collection drive during National Kidney Month. Programmatic activities include: subsidizing meal kits for pediatric dialysis patients facing food insecurity (in collaboration with Loaves & Fishes), subsidizing travel expenses for children receiving kidney transplants (in collaboration with The Morehead Inn, Trader Joe's, and BP), donating toys to pediatric inpatients, and funding clinical trials and research studies. The foundation maintains formal endorsement from Dr. Susan F. Massengill (Section Head of Pediatric Specialty Care Division and Director of Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension at Levine Children's Hospital) and from Mark Griffith (Vice President of Development at Atrium Health Foundation).

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary charitable giving. Donation channels include a PayPal hosted button for one-time and recurring monthly gifts, mailed checks, wire transfers (coordinated through founder Kyle Smith), and Donor-Advised Fund contributions via DAFDirect — the latter enabling wealth managers and financial advisors to direct client donations. The organization has no disclosed financials, no corporate sponsorships of material size, no grants publicly listed, and operates with minimal overhead infrastructure (website built on Wix). The founder Kyle Smith is publicly identified as the operational contact, indicating a founder-led model with limited professionalization.

Name

K Is For Kidneys

Legal name

K Is For Kidneys

Website

https://kisforkidneys.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time donations, recurring monthly gifts, and planned gifts from individual supporters. Donations can be made via PayPal, check, or wire transfer.
2. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising events including Karaoke for Kidneys (annual talent show/karaoke event) and Koins for Kidneys (coin collection during National Kidney Month).
3. Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): Facilitates charitable giving through DAF accounts, allowing wealth managers and financial advisors to direct client donations.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

K Is For Kidneys is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises funds through community events (Karaoke for Kidneys, Koins for Kidneys) and individual/corporate donations to support children with chronic kidney disease in the Carolinas. The foundation directs proceeds to the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children's Hospital, funding clinical trials, meal subsidies for dialysis patients, travel expense assistance for transplant recipients, and toy donations.

Product overview

K Is For Kidneys is a charitable foundation that operates a portfolio of community programs and fundraising initiatives rather than a traditional product platform. The organization centers on Karaoke for Kidneys (an annual karaoke/talent show event) and Koins for Kidneys (an annual coin collection initiative during National Kidney Month), alongside charitable giving programs including one-time donations, recurring gifts, and Donor-Advised Fund options. The foundation also delivers direct support services including food insecurity assistance, travel expense subsidies, toy donations, and clinical trial funding—all benefiting children with chronic kidney disease at the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children's Hospital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Karaoke for Kidneys: Annual community karaoke event fundraiser for children with chronic kidney disease
• Koins for Kidneys

Products and services

• Karaoke for Kidneys Annual community talent show and karaoke event that raises money and collects toys for patients at Levine Children's Hospital. Held in the Charlotte, NC area.
• Koins for Kidneys Annual coin collection drive during National Kidney Month; funds raised offset travel expenses for families while children receive treatment at the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence.
• Charitable Giving / Donation Programs Multiple donation channels supporting the foundation, including PayPal online donations, checks, wire transfers, and DAF giving for clients of wealth managers and financial advisors.
• Food Insecurity Support Program Subsidizes specialized meal kits for children on dialysis who face food insecurity, in partnership with Loaves & Fishes.
• Travel Expense Subsidy Subsidizes travel expenses for children receiving kidney transplants throughout the Carolinas, in collaboration with The Morehead Inn, Trader Joe's, and BP.
• Toy Donations Provides toy donations to children receiving treatment at Levine Children's Hospital to brighten their hospital stays.
• Clinical Trial Funding Funds clinical trials and studies for chronic kidney disease research at the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children's Hospital.

Named customers1 record

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Levine Children's Hospital - Pediatric Nephrology Center of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary partner. K Is For Kidneys raises funds specifically for the Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence at Levine Children's Hospital. The foundation helps fund clinical trials and studies at this facility. The partnership is endorsed by Dr. Susan F. Massengill, Section Head of Pediatric Specialty Care Division and Director of Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension.
• Loaves & FishescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to subsidize meal kits for children on dialysis who face food insecurity. The collaboration provides specialized, targeted food assistance to families dealing with chronic kidney disease.
• The Morehead Inn, Trader Joe's, BPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partners that collaborate with K Is For Kidneys to subsidize travel expenses for children receiving kidney transplants throughout the Carolinas.
• Atrium Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of Levine Children's Hospital. Mark Griffith, Vice President of Development at Atrium Health Foundation, has publicly praised K Is For Kidneys, stating 'Levine Children's Hospital was built by the community, for the community, and the care and services we offer are made better every day by community friends like the Smiths and K is For Kidneys.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NephCure Kidney International: Nonprofit dedicated to funding research and supporting patients with rare kidney diseases, including pediatric populations. Most comparable in mission scope — disease-specific research funding plus direct patient/family support — though focused on nephrotic syndrome rather than chronic kidney disease broadly.
• Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA): Nonprofit that helps families of children needing organ transplants, including kidney transplants, with fundraising and financial assistance for transplant-related expenses. Highly comparable to the travel-expense subsidy and family-support programs that K Is For Kidneys funds.
• PKD Foundation: Nonprofit focused on polycystic kidney disease (PKD), funding research and supporting affected patients including children. Direct peer in disease-specific kidney research funding and patient/family support, though PKD is a narrower indication than the broader CKD focus of K Is For Kidneys.

Broad incumbents

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: National nonprofit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses, including pediatric kidney disease patients. Comparable as a charity serving seriously ill children and engaging donors around pediatric illness, though focused on wish-granting rather than research and financial support.
• American Kidney Fund: National 501(c)(3) that provides financial assistance to kidney patients and funds kidney disease research. Operates at much larger scale than K Is For Kidneys but shares the mission of supporting kidney disease patients and advancing research, making it a broad incumbent in the kidney nonprofit space.
• National Kidney Foundation: One of the largest and oldest kidney disease-focused nonprofits in the U.S., funding research, patient services, and advocacy. Overlaps with K Is For Kidneys in kidney disease awareness and research funding, but serves adult and pediatric populations at national scale.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Large nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children, including those receiving treatment away from home. Comparable in addressing the financial and logistical burden on families of children with serious illness, but operates at far greater scale and across all pediatric conditions.

Others

• Atrium Health Foundation: Foundation arm of the hospital system that operates Levine Children's Hospital, K Is For Kidneys' primary beneficiary partner. Relevant as the institutional counterpart that channels major-donor and corporate philanthropy to the same Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence that K Is For Kidneys supports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kisforkidneys
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k-is-for-kidneys

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 K Is For Kidneys