Life Options is a program supporting research, education, and outreach for people living with kidney disease. They offer a toll-free helpline for people who have questions about kidney function, dialysis, keeping a job, Medicare, exercise, and more. The Web site has a link to Kidney School, an interactive kidney learning center. They also have free educational information, a message board, and links to other resources.

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC), a federal agency, is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, to health professionals, and to the public. NKUDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient groups and government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.

NKDEP is a program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help people who have kidney disease and to help their doctors. The program helps people understand kidney disease. NKDEP wants to help people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney failure understand why it is important to know about kidney health. They offer free educational materials and links to other resources.

The National Kidney Foundation works to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases and help people affected by these conditions. Its website has a lot of information about adult and child conditions. The site has interactive tools, donor information, recipes for kidney disease patients, and message boards for many kidney topics. Free materials, such as brochures and newsletters, are available.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that administers the nation's only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). It was established by the U.S. Congress in 1984. UNOS collects and manages data about every transplant event occurring in the United States, facilitates the organ matching and placement process, and brings together health professionals, transplant recipients, and donor families to develop organ transplantation policy. UNOS:

• Matches donors to recipients and coordinates the organ-sharing process 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Maintains the databases that contain all clinical transplant data for every transplant event that occurs in the United States.
• Performs data analyses, fills data requests, produces the Annual and other data reports, and authors authoritative publications.
• Monitors every organ match to ensure adherence to UNOS policy, and works with the Board of Directors to develop equitable policies that maximize the limited supply of organs.
• Offers support to members of the transplant community. These services include seminar planning, providing educational programs and workshops, and much more.
• Provides assistance to patients, family members, and friends, and sets professional standards for efficiency and quality patient care.
• Raises public awareness about the importance of organ donation.
• Works to keep patients informed about transplant issues and policies.
• Offers comprehensive travel and event planning to assist organizations within the transplant community.