Morristown, NJ, May 8, 2025 — The Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation (RGKF) announced today that its $1 million matching funds endowment campaign is underway. The goal of the campaign is to ensure that the RGKF camp program for children with kidney disease continues in perpetuity. When added to its current assets, the campaign donations will help the foundation secure a $5 million endowment fund and sustain its camp program for decades to come.
“Our program has funded a kidney camp experience for more than 2,000 children at Frost Valley YMCA in New York for 50 years. It’s the nation’s only sleep-away camp where ‘kidney kids’ are seamlessly integrated with healthy campers,” said Judy Gottscho Eichinger, Advisory Board Chair for the RGKF. “The impact of this program is profound. Our campers leave with memories of adventure and friendships, gain life skills, and grow a sense of confidence that helps shape their futures in positive ways.”
When the foundation launched its endowment campaign in April, Eichinger and her cousin, Rick Gottscho, presented a matching challenge to donors. Together, they’re matching every dollar donors give — up to $500,000. This means each donation will have double the impact; every $1 a donor gives becomes $2 for kidney campers.
For the next stage of fundraising, the RGKF is publicly announcing the campaign in hopes that other potential donors may be interested in securing the future of a program that has brought hope and joy to so many. Individuals can give by paying via credit card online or by making a check payable to “Community Foundation of New Jersey” and writing “Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation” on the memo line. They can mail it to the Community Foundation of New Jersey, P.O. Box 338, Morristown, NJ 07963-0338.
“Your donation will make the dream of sleep-away summer camp a reality for kids with kidney disorders. Please give as generously as you can to help us reach this critical $1 million goal,” Eichinger shared. “If successful, this campaign will be our only fundraiser for the foreseeable future.”
About the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation
Ruth Gottscho was 15 years old when she died of kidney disease in 1960, before dialysis was widely available. Her parents founded the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation (RGKF) to help other New Jersey kidney patients that same year. When Medicare began covering much of the treatment kidney patients needed, the RGKF shifted its focus to helping children with kidney disorders attend summer camp. The Foundation became a fund affiliated with the Community Foundation of New Jersey in 2020 to help sustain its work into the future, maintain its existing mission, and make the greatest positive impact on children and their families.
About the Community Foundation of New Jersey
Over our 46-year history, the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) has collaborated with individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to design charitable funds and implement the philanthropic solutions they want to see in their communities. We leverage $1 billion in assets and 1,200 funds to help our partners think boldly and creatively about ways to give — making their philanthropic goals a reality in New Jersey and beyond.
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