The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois (NKFI), a major voluntary health organization, seeks to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation. The red "thread of life" element woven throughout this website visually depicts the connections that the NKFI continues to provide for patients, families, transplant recipients, healthcare professionals, Illinois communities and organizations.

Learn more about the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

For more information: kidney@nkfi.org

215 West Illinois, Suite 1C
Chicago, IL 60654
PHONE:(312) 321-1500
FAX:(312) 321-1505

The NKFI supports professionals with its Scientific Advisory Board (formerly the Medical Advisory Board) for nephrologists, professional council groups, continuing education for primary care providers and funding for medical research.

The NKFI educates and serves dialysis patients, transplant recipients and those individuals in the early stages of chronic kidney disease. Special programs are also available for kids with kidney disease.

The NKFI is a grateful recipient of the financial support of individuals, corporations and foundations. Your gift of money or time helps us continue and extend our vital work.

Healthcare Professionals Patients & Families Giving to NKFI

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FREE KIDNEY DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND DIABETES SCREENINGS!

The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois offers FREE comprehensive screenings for kidney disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes through the KidneyMobile throughout the year! For a complete list of screening locations and dates, please visit www.kidneymobile.org.

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prevent. educate. empower.
It's Never Too Late To Make A Difference.

It's never too late to make a difference in the lives of many with a gift to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois.

With the growing incidence of obesity, especially in children, the prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure, and the increasing wait for a kidney transplant, the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois desperately counts on your generosity to keep our unique and critical programs free and accessible to the public, especially those who are in need of these services the most. Please consider making a gift to the NKFI. You may donate online through the National Kidney Foundation by clicking here or download a donation form here and fax or mail it back directly to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Preventing disease in the first place is the best strategy for our struggling healthcare system today. If we can prevent chronic kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, we will also help save lives and keep families together when people need that support the most.
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YOUR OLD CELL PHONE COULD DO A WORLD OF GOOD FOR THE NKFI!

Did you know that cell phones contain toxic materials and are harmful to the environment if they're not discarded properly? Cell phones donated to the NKFI are given new life and provided to those in need or discarded in an environmentally friendly way.

Please send any cell phone you no longer use to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. If your place of business would be willing to put out a cell phone collection box, please contact Nicole Sisen at 312.321.1500 x246 or via email to nsisen@nkfi.org for more information.

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Upcoming Events & Programs

2009 Gift of Life Walk & Family Health Fair CHAMPAIGN URBANA
Saturday, July 18, 2009
8:30am Registration; 9am Walk Start
Univeristy of Illinois Arboretum | Champaign Urbana

Please join the Champaign Chapter of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois at the Gift of Life Walk! You don't want to miss this fun and FREE event for the whole family! Participants enjoy a leisurely three-mile walk through the beautiful Arboretum on the campus of the University of Illinois followed by refreshments and entertainment. Register and set up your own fundraising webpage at www.firstgiving.com/nkfi. It's easy! Your family members, friends and co-workers can make secure donations online from anywhere in the world.

For more information, please contact Anne Black at 312.321.1500 x224 (800.9.KIDNEY) or via email to ablack@nkfi.org.

2009 Kidney Camp
July 12 - 18, 2009
YMCA Camp Duncan | Ingleside, Illinois

For one week, children ages 7-15 with chronic kidney disease, on dialysis or living with kidney transplants can experience the freedom, fun and independence of a traditional summer camp - free of charge! Activities include swimming, boating, horseback riding and arts and crafts. All of this is done in a safe environment where they continue to receive their medications and/or dialysis treatments at a local clinic. The NKFI has been able to continue this tradition due in large part to the generosity of Benjamin B. Green-Field Foundation and individual donations.

For more information, please contact Nancy LePain at 312.321.1500 x232 or via email to nlepain@nkfi.org.

5th Annual Middle Market Open Golf Tournament
Monday, July 27, 2009
Olympia Fields Country Club | Olympia Fields, Illinois

Please visit www.middlemarketopen.com for more information on Chicago's premier golf tournament! Or contact Kinzie Ecker at 312.321.1500 x238 or via email to kecker@nkfi.org.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Grant Park | Chicago, Illinois

It's not too late to run the Chicago Marathon on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois! To register directly on the Chicago Marathon webpage, please click here. Once on the registration page, you will be asked if you would like to run on behalf of a charity.  Select the drop down menu, and choose "National Kidney Foundation of Illinois".  Deadline for registration is end of April. Please let Kinzie Ecker know that you would like to run for Team NKFI by calling 312.321.1500 x238 or email her at kecker@nkfi.org.

Gift of Life Gala
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Navy Pier Grand Ballroom | Chicago, Illinois

The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is proud to present the 24th Annual Gift of Life Gala on Saturday, November 14 at the incomparable Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in Chicago.  The Gift of Life Gala is the NKFI’s signature event and is attended by more than 400 guests including corporate leaders, philanthropists and members of the renal and transplant communities.  Past Gift of Life Award recipients include television personality Bill Kurtis, Secretary of State Jesse White, the Illinois Hospital Association and most recently Damon Arnold, MD, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Connie Payton-Strotter, organ donation advocate. For more information, please contact Kinzie Ecker at 312.321.1500 x238 or via email to kecker@nkfi.org. Or click here for detailed description of sponsorship opportunities and a reply form. Tickets for the gala start at $400 ($200 for those 35 and younger or nurses, technicians, dietitians and social workers within the renal community).

For more information on NKFI events or programs, please call 312.321.1500.

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Recently Completed Programs and Events

Controversies in Nephrology | Fellows' Debate
Held Thursday, April 23, 2009

The second annual Controversies in Nephrology Fellows' Debate was a great success! Attended by more than 120 physicians, surgeons and healthcare professionals throughout the Chicagoland area, this educational program for nephrology and transplant professionals focused on topics that addressed current practices in kidney disease management. This friendly competition brought two issues to the forefront and provided a forum to debate and discuss. Nephrology fellows were judged on their preparation, presentation and outcome. Winning the first debate, the topic of which was "KT/V should be used as the measure of dialysis adequacy", was the team from the University of Chicago presenting the con argument - Joe Kramer, MD and Anna Zisman, MD. Winning the second debate, the topic of which was "Following Kidney Transplantation: Steroids should be used for chronic immunosuppressant therapy", was the team from the University of Illinois at Chicago also presenting the con argument - Arjun Das, MD and Pushkar Argekar, MD. Congratulations to all the debate participants from Loyola University, The University of Chicago, Rush University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

NKFI Research Grant Applications

The acceptance period for NKFI Research Grant Applications is now closed. Applicants whose grants were received by the deadline will be contacted.

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Connections - The official newsletter of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois

The Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Connection is off the press! Please click here for a PDF of the newsletter. Or to request a hard copy, please call the NKFI office at 312.321.1500.
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Looking for a job in the renal field?

Click here to visit the Kidney Career Center on the National Kidney Foundation website.

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