Directed donation
Directed donation is when a living donor gives a kidney to a specific person they have chosen, such as a family member, friend or someone in their community. This is the most common type of living donor transplant.
Living donor kidney transplants
If you need a kidney transplant or are thinking about donating a kidney to someone else, living donation may be an option. A kidney from a living donor usually lasts longer than a kidney from a deceased (donation after death) donor and may help recipients get a transplant sooner.
- Medically reviewed by
- Shahzia Lakhani
- Last updated
- August 10, 2026
Living donor kidney transplants can help people with kidney failure get a kidney sooner. Before a transplant can happen, both the donor and recipient must be evaluated to make sure donation is safe and the kidney is a good match.
Benefits of living kidney donation
Living donor kidney transplants can offer strong health outcomes, shorter wait times and long-term benefits for many people with kidney failure.
- 98
More than 98% of living donor transplants continue to be successful after the first year.
- 10
Living donor kidney transplants may last about 5 to 10 years longer than deceased donor kidney transplants.
- 40
About 40% of all donations are from living donors, which is associated with positive health outcomes, including a better quality of life.
How does a living donor transplant work?
A living donor kidney transplant is a surgery where doctors give you a kidney from a person who is alive and chooses to donate one of their two healthy kidneys. You can get a kidney transplant from someone you know like family, friends, or community members, or from someone you do not know who is donating anonymously.
Contact a transplant center
If you need a kidney transplant, talk with your nephrologist (kidney doctor) about whether transplant is an option. Your doctor can refer you to a transplant center, or you can contact one in your area to ask about an evaluation.
The evaluation will include a physical exam and tests to help the transplant team:
- See if transplant is a good option for you
- Learn your blood and tissue type to find possible donor matches
- Understand any health issues that could affect your transplant
Look for a donor
To find a living donor, consider telling family members, friends and people in your community that you need a kidney transplant and would like a living donor. Some living donors volunteer on their own, but not always. It helps if you let people know that you need a kidney transplant. However, it is not always easy to ask someone to donate and you may be hesitant to reach out. This may seem uncomfortable or even impossible, but many people find a living donor through sharing their story.
If you do not have a donor who is a good match, ask your transplant team about paired kidney donation, donation chains or other living donation options. If donation is safe and a match or other option is available, the transplant team will help plan surgery. You may stay on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. Most people wait three to five years, but your wait may be shorter or longer. Learn more about deceased donor kidney transplants.
Thinking about becoming a living donor?
Learn about the donation process, what to expect and what to consider before donating a kidney.
What are the types of living donor transplants?
Non-directed donation
Non-directed donation is when a living donor gives a kidney to someone they do not know. This is sometimes called an altruistic donation that can occur anonymously.
Paired exchange donation
Paired exchange donation ("kidney swap") and donation chains: This option may happen if you and your living donor are not blood or tissue type compatible with each other. You and your donor will be paired with another donor-recipient pair who better matches you and your donor. The other pair may be people you don't know, such as people from another area of the country. In a donation chain, one non-directed donor or donor-recipient pair can start a series of transplants that helps multiple people receive kidneys.
Transplant voucher program
This newer option allows your willing, yet incompatible donor, to donate to someone else at a time that's best for them. Their donation creates a voucher (credit) for you to get matched with a compatible living donor kidney. Check which transplant center offers this program and ask if this would work for you and your donor.
Incompatible kidney transplant
Some transplant centers offer incompatible kidney transplants when a donor and recipient are not a good match. Transplant doctors may use special treatments to lower the risk that the recipient's body will reject the kidney by lowering antibodies. Talk with your transplant team about whether this could be an option for you.
Who can be a living donor?
A living donor can be a family member, friend, someone in your community or someone the recipient does not know. Living donors are usually at least 18 years old and in good physical and mental health.
The team may check the donor’s:
- Kidney function
- Blood pressure
- Medical history
- Mental health
- Support system
- Ability to recover after surgery
What are the financial costs of being a living donor?
The kidney recipient's insurance usually covers the donor's major medical costs related to evaluation and transplant surgery. However, donors may still have other costs, such as travel, lodging, meals, childcare, lost wages or follow-up expenses. Learn more
The National Living Donor Assistance Center may help with costs related to evaluation, surgery and follow-up visits, including travel, lodging, meals, lost wages, childcare and elder care.
This program helps reduce financial barriers by reimbursing eligible living kidney donors for certain out-of-pocket costs related to donation, such as travel, meals and childcare. Support is currently available in select areas, with plans to expand as funding allows.
Donor Shield is the only comprehensive program in the United States protecting living kidney donors. Donor Shield is backed by the National Kidney Registry, which is the largest paired exchange program in the world.
Make a Gift
Chris became a living donor for his friend Paul—giving him the gift of life through a kidney transplant. Their story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when compassion meets courage. Donate any amount today to help more families find a lifeline through organ and tissue donation.
Learn more about the transplant process
This interactive course will guide you through the entire transplant process, from talking to your doctor to getting an evaluation to having transplant surgery and navigating your recovery.