American Kidney Fund Receives 18th Consecutive Highest, 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Nov. 15, 2019) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has once again received the highest, 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the leading independent evaluator of nonprofits. This is the 18th consecutive year AKF has received this recognition, making it one of only four nonprofits in the United States to have received 4 stars every year Charity Navigator has been rating nonprofits. Launched in 2002, Charity Navigator's rating system evaluates nonprofits for their financial health, accountability and transparency.

"[The] American Kidney Fund outperforms most other charities in America," said Michael Thatcher, president and CEO of Charity Navigator. "This is our highest possible rating and indicates [AKF] adheres to sector best practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way."

Charity Navigator evaluates more than 9,000 nonprofits each year using objective, data-driven analysis, and gives 4-star ratings only to the most fiscally responsible organizations. AKF is on Charity Navigator's Top Ten list of nonprofits with the most 4-star ratings, demonstrating that AKF is well-positioned to fight kidney disease on all fronts and has a longstanding commitment to outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar.

"No other kidney organization has a more direct impact on the lives of patients than AKF," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and chief executive officer. "We have continued our longstanding record of investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in patients and programs — not overhead. We use every donated dollar to its maximum efficiency because millions of lives are at stake; we don't have time to waste funds. With our 18th consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, donors can be confident that any contribution they make to AKF will be put to effective use in fighting kidney disease on all fronts."

Charity Navigator's ratings empower donors to make smart decisions regarding their charitable contributions by confirming an organization's ability to efficiently use its contributions, how well it sustains its programs and services and how committed it is to good governance, best practices and transparency.