Become a volunteer with the NKDO team!
Volunteer
Become a Volunteer with the National Kidney Donation Organization!
If you would like to volunteer with the National Kidney Donation Organization, please complete the brief survey to the right, and a member of our team will be in touch with you to discuss opportunities that align with your interests!
Already completed this form? Check out the open opportunities to volunteer with us listed below:
NKDO Community Ambassador Program
This program empowers members of the NKDO community to go into their own communities to advocate for living kidney donation. We provide the resources you need to represent NKDO at a public event in your community- everything from blood drives to health fairs, from houses of worship and 5Ks to Pride festivals and library events.
NOTE: SPECIAL EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO TARGET EVENTS IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington DC, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Watch the training video Here to learn more, and fill out the form Here to request a media kit and get signed up to participate!
NKDO Fundraising Committee
NKDO is looking for members to join the fundraising committee, spearheaded by Board of Directors member Joe Haynie. Committee members will collaborate on initiatives to generate sustainable sources of funding to help NKDO cover general operating expenses and fund new and existing programs to support its mission.
Interested? Reach out to info@nkdo.org with your name and contact information.
Distribution of Living Donation Educational Materials
NKDO is looking for members to distribute educational literature in their local community. This can be at medical offices, at libraries, on public bulletin boards, or any other community gathering place. Reach out to info@nkdo.org to request that we send you brochures to distribute in your local area.
volunteer opportunities with partner organizations:
Riders Wanted: The Organ Trail 2027
We’re looking for serious bicycle riders (no e-bikes) who are:
Living kidney or liver donors
Organ recipients
Directly connected to organ donation
The ride is planned to begin in early April 2027, starting in Miami, Florida, traveling north to Portland, Maine, and concluding in Montreal, Canada, with numerous awareness stops along the way.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT THIS TIME
Unlike previous ORGAN TRAIL rides, this event will rely on a series of riders, each covering a segment of approximately 200–400 miles.
Each rider will serve as the point person for that segment, participating in pre-scheduled awareness and media events at transplant centers and other locations and sharing their personal transplant or donation story.
RIDER REQUIREMENTS
Participants should:
Be comfortable riding 50–70 miles per day
Be largely self-sufficient on the road, including handling routine bicycle repairs or using local bike shops
Be comfortable telling their story at scheduled media and awareness events
Be committed to maintaining the ride schedule
A support vehicle will be available for emergencies and when necessary to maintain the schedule.
Fundraising is NOT involved.
Whenever possible, lodging will be provided by friends, family and members of the transplant community along the route. Donations may be accepted to cover hotel or motel lodging when necessary.
ABOUT THE ORGAN TRAIL
I am a living kidney and liver donor and have completed six ORGAN TRAIL events over the past five years, traveling through 24 states and covering more than 12,000 miles while conducting dozens of interviews at transplant centers, Organ Procurement Organizations, nephrology centers, TV and radio stations, along the routes.
My wife Lynn, also a living kidney donor, and I started THE ORGAN TRAIL in 2020 to raise awareness of the urgent need for organ donors and demonstrate that living donors can continue to live full, active lives after donation.
Our efforts were featured on the TODAY Show in 2023.
More information: THE ORGAN TRAIL
This program, run by Dr. Amy Waterman out of Houston Methodist Hospital, provides a searchable database for people who are looking to learn more about living donation from people of different backgrounds who have had various experiences that align with them. Sharing your story is quick and easy, and it will help build up this database!
This program, run by The Great Social Experiment, which is an organization that is a friend to NKDO, needs help with volunteers. NKDO members like you can help! Learn about this program by watching This Video.
The Angel Advocate program assigns volunteers to a patient in urgent need of a living kidney donor who doesn’t have the support to share their story.
After signing up, you will be put on a patient’s team and receive an email once a week with links to a social media post to share. It’s as simple as clicking on the links and pressing “share”. The whole process only takes about two minutes once a week but can make a profound difference in a patient’s campaign for a living kidney donor.
Kidney Convo Volunteer Facilitator Opportunity
Next Step Next One:
Next Step Next One is an organization working to reduce the kidney transplant waitlist through intentional, story-based education. By sharing real experiences from living donors and transplant recipients, we help people better understand living kidney donation and the powerful role community can play in supporting those with kidney disease. One of the ways we do this is through Kidney Convos—virtual events that bring people together to learn, reflect, and have meaningful conversations about living kidney donation. You can learn more about our work at nextstepnextone.com.
Volunteer Opportunity for Transplant RECIPIENTS:
We are seeking kidney transplant RECIPIENT volunteers to help facilitate virtual 90-minute Kidney Convos—community-centered conversations designed to spark meaningful dialogue about living kidney donation and supporting people with kidney disease. Each session uses short films, guided discussion, and personal storytelling to help attendees learn, reflect, and connect.
Facilitators work in pairs, and we aim to have one living donor and one transplant recipient leading each conversation.
Time Commitment
- Ideally facilitate at least one VIRTUAL Kidney Convo per month (more if you’re interested and available).
- Volunteers complete a 2-hour virtual training, attend a Kidney Convo as an observer, and then co-facilitate with a seasoned volunteer
- After training, facilitators can sign up for events that fit their schedule.
Qualifications
- Transplant recipient
- Strong public speaking and communication skills
- Comfort facilitating conversation in a virtual setting
- Ability to manage a Zoom webinar
- Reliable Wi-Fi and a quiet space to facilitate
- Willingness to share your personal transplant story
- Understanding of (or willingness to learn about) the living kidney donation process
This role is a meaningful way to educate, inspire, and build community around living kidney donation.
Interested in volunteering?
Please complete this interest form:
https://forms.gle/xsXBfjr6GtNQekCk9
If you have questions, feel free to email Abbey at abbey@nextstepnextone.com.
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