The Big Ask: The Big Give

Empowering Patients in Their Quest to Find a Living Donor

In support of the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE (BABG) platform, the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation has invested in the growth of NKF’s reach to educate patients and families on the basics of kidney disease, transplant treatment options, and the process for kidney transplantation. Through customized workshops, patients will be empowered with the knowledge and resources needed to find a living donor.

VISIT THE BIG ASK: BIG GIVE WEBSITE


The Big Ask: The Big Give Program

People are waiting for a chance at a better life. The kidney transplant waiting list is getting longer, and in response, the National Kidney Foundation has developed "THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE." This initiative educates and raises awareness about living kidney donation and transplantation among kidney patients, their families, and friends.

 

Frequently Asked Questions
 

  • WHAT IS THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE (BABG)?

    The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) developed THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE (BABG) as a comprehensive program to increase living donation and kidney transplants. Since 2017, BABG has provided free nationwide training and tools that help kidney patients and families find a living donor. In-person trainings teach kidney patients, their family, and friends how to share their story and make a “big ask” to their friends, loved ones, or community to consider making a “big give,” a living kidney donation.

  • WHAT DOES BABG INCLUDE?

    In addition to the in-person trainings, BABG includes direct patient and caregiver support through a toll-free help line, peer mentoring from a fellow kidney patient or a living donor, online communities, an advocacy campaign to remove barriers to donation and a multi-media public awareness campaign.

  • HOW ARE NKF AND THE FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE FOUNDATION PARTNERING ON BABG?

    Thanks to a new partnership with the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation, NKF will now expand the BABG in-person training to 15 additional major markets across the country.  The Foundation is providing substantial support to NKF to expand BABG. The new partnership will sharply increase existing efforts by NKF to get BABG in front of as many qualified patients and their families as possible.  It also will help advance NKF’s goal to ultimately eliminate the kidney transplant waitlist.

  • WHAT HAPPENS IN AN IN-PERSON TRAINING FOR BABG?

    As part of THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE, NKF has developed an innovative, 4-hour training that’s designed to help waitlisted kidney patients find a living donor. Held in partnership with transplant centers, this training provides education about living donation and transplant, and teaches the best, most effective strategies and tips for finding a living donor by sharing the need to family, friends, social media connections, community groups, places of worship, and other channels. These strategies are taught in a highly interactive and engaging format, and each participant leaves with a personal Action Plan to help them take the next steps and find a donor.

  • WHAT DO PATIENTS AND FAMILIES THINK?

    The program is highly rated by patients and families, who report that after the 4-hour workshop, they feel more educated about donation and transplant, and more comfortable talking to others about the possibility of kidney donation. One kidney transplant patient, Alan says: “My wife Aisha and I followed the advice, reached out to our social networks to find a donor and I had a successful kidney transplant.  I am so thankful to my donor and to NKF for helping me find my way to her.”

  • WHERE CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING PROGRAMS?

    For information about upcoming programs, visit www.kidney.org/events.



Fresenius Medical Care Foundation partners with the National Kidney Foundation to bring in-person trainings to help kidney patients find a living donor

In a life-saving leap for THE BIG ASK: THE BIG GIVE (BABG) platform, designed to increase kidney transplantation and living donation, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has expanded its BABG trainings to 15 additional markets across the country, thanks to a new partnership with the Fresenius Medical Care Foundation (The Foundation).

The Foundation is providing substantial support to NKF to expand BABG outreach and in-person trainings, while promoting the program in Fresenius Kidney Care dialysis centers around the country. Since 2017, BABG has provided free nationwide training and tools that help kidney patients and families find a living donor. In-person trainings teach kidney patients, their family, and their friends how to share their story and make a "big ask" to their friends, loved ones, or community to consider making a "big give," a living kidney donation.

The Foundation is supporting and promoting NKF's BABG platform in the following markets with in-person workshops to be held throughout 2019 and into 2020: Charleston, SC; Charleston, WV; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; El Paso, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Lexington, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Columbia, MO; Orange County, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Washington, DC; and Worcester, MA. For information about events as they are scheduled, visit www.kidney.org/events.



 

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