PKD FOUNDATION RECEIVES HIGHEST RATING FROM INDEPENDENT CHARITY EVALUATOR

Charity Navigator gives the PKD Foundation four stars for fiscal responsibility.

(Kansas City) December 6, 2006 — The PKD Foundation is proud to have received a four star rating from the non-profit oversight group, Charity Navigator. This is the organizations highest rating for non-profits in regard to sound fiscal management.

“At this time of year when American charitable giving reaches its peak, donors want to know their money is being wisely used,” said PKD Foundation President and CEO Dan Larson. “Less than one quarter of U.S. charities qualify for this prestigious 4-star rating; this separates the PKD Foundation from the pack and shows the public we can be trusted to use their donations judiciously,” he added.

The Charity Navigator rating system uses publicly available tax returns filed with the IRS to evaluate a charity’s overall financial health. Specifically, Charity Navigator looks at fundraising efficiency, fundraising expenses, program expenses and administration expenses to show users how efficiently the charity operates on a day-to-day basis.

More than 5,000 of America’s best known charities are listed on the Charity Navigator website. Less than one quarter of the charities evaluated receive the four star rating. This indicates that the PKD Foundation outperforms the majority of non-profits in America, with respect to fiscal responsibility.

The PKD Foundation, headquartered in Kansas City, MO, leads the fight against polycystic kidney disease (PKD) through research funding and patient education.

PKD is the most common life-threatening genetic disease, affecting 12.5 million people worldwide. PKD causes cysts to form on the kidneys, limiting their ability to filter toxins from the blood. Dialysis and transplantation are the only treatments for kidney failure.  There is no cure for PKD. For more information, visit www.pkdcure.org or call 1-800-PKD-CURE.

Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities. Charity Navigator's ratings are accessible at no charge at http://www.charitynavigator.org/.