The first thing to know is that hospitals that perform kidney transplants (transplant centers) do full evaluations for people who want to donate a kidney, at no cost to the donor, to see if they can donate.
How to Donate a Kidney
Ready to see if you may be able to donate a kidney?
Let the National Kidney Registry help you...
Complete a fast and free online prescreening with the National Kidney Registry (NKR). If the prescreen determines you may be a good donor, NKR will help connect you with a transplant center for a full evaluation, provide additional living donor protections and support options when you sign up for the peer mentoring program.
Or, contact a transplant center on your own.
You can contact any center to begin the process. To search the list of all transplant centers in the U.S., visit the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).
If you are contacting a transplant center directly, ask them if they partner with the National Kidney Registry (NKR) or Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD). You might be able to receive additional living donor protections and benefits by registering with one of these organizations.
More Resources
Check out information on NKF’s website to help you make the decision to donate.
Learn more about the steps to become a living donor.
If you’d like help finding a transplant center or have questions, contact NKF CARES.