Give the Gift of Kidney Health This Giving Tuesday
As the holidays approach, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush of shopping and festivities. But Giving Tuesday — coming up on December 2, 2025 — offers one of the most meaningful ways to give back to your community and honor the true spirit of the season.
Created as a global generosity movement, Giving Tuesday encourages people everywhere to support the causes they care about by giving back in big and small ways. Whether it’s through donating, volunteering, or raising awareness, Giving Tuesday is about making a real impact in our communities.
One of the best places to donate on Giving Tuesday is an organization that supports preventive kidney health education and patients with chronic kidney disease in vulnerable American populations – the Alabama Kidney Foundation (AKF). This is a gift that truly has the potential to save lives.
Where to Donate on Giving Tuesday?
The Alabama Kidney Foundation (AKF) is leading the fight against kidney disease in our state. For over five decades, the AKF has been providing direct financial help for kidney patients experiencing low income, supporting their kidney health care journey, delivering kidney disease prevention education, and advocacy efforts.
Each year, the AKF helps thousands of Alabamians with transportation funds, emergency financial aid, and education programs, all at no cost to patients. Our work ensures that those who are most vulnerable don’t have to navigate kidney disease alone. And during the holidays, the AKF offers special programs to help patients feel remembered, supported, and hopeful.
You can help the AKF maintain and expand services with your Giving Tuesday donation. Your gift to the AKF ensures your donation reaches the Alabamians who need it most. Whether you give once or become a monthly donor, your support on December 2nd can help save lives.
Ways to Support the AKF on Giving Tuesday
Ready to take part in Giving Tuesday? Here are a few simple ways to make a difference:
- Donate to the AKF
- Share a social media post about why kidney health matters to you
- Start a fundraiser in honor of someone you love who has faced kidney disease
- Volunteer your time with the AKF
- Educate others by sharing information about the risk factors and signs of kidney disease
Giving Tuesday is about taking a moment to shift the season’s focus from consumerism to compassion. In doing so, we help create a better world — one where more people have the chance to live full, healthy lives. This year, give the gift of kidney health. It may be the most life-changing present you give.
Why Kidney Health Deserves Our Attention
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is far more common than most people realize. It affects over 37 million Americans, and millions more are at risk but don’t know it. In Alabama, the burden is especially heavy. The state ranks among the highest in the nation for kidney failure. As of 2023, more than 10,000 Alabamians were on dialysis and hundreds more were on the waitlist for a transplant.
The reasons behind these troubling numbers are complex but well-documented. High rates of diabetes and hypertension — the two leading causes of CKD — persist in Alabama, particularly among underserved and rural populations. In fact, Alabama ranks among the bottom five states for CKD outcomes.
CKD doesn’t just impact health; it disrupts entire lives. Many people living with advanced kidney disease are unable to work, struggle to afford medications, and face overwhelming transportation and medical costs. Left untreated, CKD can progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a transplant to survive.
Risk Factors Increase in Underserved Communities
Kidney disease is often preventable and manageable with early detection and proper care. However, understanding risk factors is a crucial first step, and having the tools to support a healthy lifestyle is a close second. The main risk factors include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- A family history of kidney disease
- Being age 60 or older
- Obesity
- Smoking
Many of these risk factors disproportionately affect Americans in low-income communities or communities of color, including across entire regions.
Systemic Health Challenges in the Southeastern United States
People living in the Southeastern US, including Alabama, face some of the highest rates of kidney disease and other chronic health conditions in the country. This isn’t just due to individual lifestyle choices; it’s tied to deep-rooted structural barriers to wellness. Our region has long struggled with limited access to preventive health care, a high prevalence of poverty, and longstanding racial and economic disparities.
Alabama in particular experiences disproportionate rates of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes — the three most significant risk factors for kidney disease. These chronic health issues are compounded by regional barriers such as:
- Food deserts
- Low rates of health care coverage
- Geographical lack of access to preventive care and transportation to medical facilities
- Underfunded public health systems
These roadblocks often result in late diagnoses and worse outcomes for diseases such as CKD.
What It Means to Give the Gift of Kidney Health
When you give the gift of health this holiday season, you help Alabamians facing kidney disease live longer, healthier, and more stable lives. Donating to programs that focus on kidney health isn’t just a charitable gesture. It’s an investment in:
- Prevention through public education about risk factors and the importance of early testing
- Support for low-income patients who need help affording life-saving medications, nutritional counseling, and transportation to dialysis
- Community outreach that empowers families to make healthy choices and access local resources
- Hope for individuals waiting for a kidney transplant or learning to live with a new diagnosis
Support the AKF This Giving Tuesday
Alabama ranks first in the number of dialysis patients per capita in the United States, and over 1,000 Alabama residents are currently waiting for a kidney transplant. The AKF provides education, support services, and financial assistance to low-income kidney dialysis patients. The foundation also provides statewide education to promote organ donation awareness and the prevention of kidney disease.
We help connect patients to experts who can provide information on how to manage everything,
including dialysis treatment, transplant surgery, and dealing with the mental toll that comes with a kidney disease diagnosis. Contact us today to learn how we can help you!
Wondering what you can do for Giving Tuesday? This holiday season, please consider making an online donation. It’s quick, easy, and allows us to maximize our impact. Alternatively, consider volunteering with us to support Alabamian kidney health!
