GiftWorks has helped countless patients find living donors over the past 10 years. The one thing we have noticed is that when it comes to sharing their story and asking people to be living donors, patients truly struggle. There are many reasons for this. Perhaps the biggest are feelings of guilt or shame for asking. We take the guilt and shame away by holding your hand and making the ask for you. We eliminate any pressure and make sure both you and your family are completely comfortable throughout the process.

If you are accepted into the GiftWorks’ Program, you will be asked to complete an intake questionnaire, sign a patient agreement, and upload photos.  You will then have a one-on-one video call with a member from the GiftWorks’ team who will listen to your story, walk you through the patient process, and address any questions you may have.  The patient support team will then get to work creating assets for you such as:  a kidney website, appeal emails and texts, social media posts, and print materials (if needed).  You will receive coaching on how to effectively share your story and use the assets that are supplied to you.  Throughout the course of the 6-month program, you will always have access to the patient support team who will provide step-by-step guidance.

Click here to apply online.  The application is short and can be completed within a few minutes.  You must be on the transplant waitlist to be considered. 

The deadline to apply is February 7, 2024.  The GiftWorks' team will let you know if you have been accepted into the program on February 14, 2024. 

We will accept 25 kidney patients at this time with plans to accept more into the program in the near future.

There is no cost for you to participate.  The program has been funded for 25 patients by a third party non profit who wants to support kidney patients and their donors. 

In our years of working with patients, we have found that emails and verbal appeals help, but only go so far.  By sharing posts on social media, we will be able to reach more people beyond your personal network. While most living donors know their recipients, there are times when altruistic individuals step forward.  Social media also allows us to educate and support interested living donor candidates so they can make an informed decision.

As a kidney patient, you may already know that when it comes to organ transplant, you have two options.  The first option is to get on the U.S. transplant waitlist to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. Right now, the average time on this list is 3-5 years, which means you may wait a considerable time to undergo transplant.

The second option is to find a living kidney donor. With living donation, you could find a donor and undergo transplant in a much shorter time than waiting for a deceased donor kidney.  Additionally, research shows living donor transplanted kidneys last longer and closer matches are possible with living donors. In fact, you could have your kidney transplant surgery before you even start dialysis with a living donation.

A healthy person can donate a kidney and lead a normal life with just one kidney. When a person steps forward as a living donor candidate, the transplant center has a disciplinary team review all kidney donors to ensure that the donor is healthy enough to donate.
To become a donor, the donor completes 3 phases of evaluation:

1. Online Health Questionnaire
2. Blood Labs
3. Full Day of Medical Testing

The cost of donation is covered by the recipient’s insurance. Costs that are not covered by the recipient’s insurance may include travel, lodging, paid time off, etc., but these costs can be reimbursed by federal and private agencies.

Your job is to share your story and, by doing so, you will allow people to decide if they would like to step forward.

Yes, they will receive help from multiple sources.  First, an actual living kidney donor from the Giftworks team will speak with each person that steps forward and guide them through the donation process.  They will also inform your interested donors of protections that are available to them, such as reimbursement for travel expenses, and provide access to resources.  Furthermore, University of Utah Health has an exceptional Living Donor Team.  When your living donors step forward, they will be in good hands, and receive the same level of care and support you do.

We are only accepting 25 patients at this time. However, our goal is to accept more patients in the near future.  We will communicate with you when another phase of the program launches.