Dr. and Mrs. Jack Kolff created the organization in 1983 after Dr. Kolff had established the heart transplant program at Temple University Hospital. At that time, heart transplantation was still considered experimental in nature and insurance coverage was not always available for the procedure. Many patients were being denied transplants because they lacked financial means. 

Dr. and Mrs. Kolff had a vision--a vision that all people should be able to receive life-saving organ transplants without regard to their financial situations. Patricia Kolff, the executive director of NTAF from 1985 through September 2003, said:   
  
  "We realized that there was no foundation, corporation or government program able to grant NTAF the necessary funding for such an undertaking, so we resorted to the unique American belief in 'helping thy neighbor.' We combined the spirit of community involvement and desire to help others with appropriate grassroots fundraising guidance and assurance of fiscal accountability in the collection, management and disbursement of such funds."

Since its inception in 1983, NTAF has helped needy patients to raise more than $50 million for their uninsured medical expenses.

In 2000, NTAF expanded its area of service to include individuals with catastrophic injury (spinal cord, brain and burns) with its Catastrophic Injury (CI) Program. 

Since 2000, the CI Program has:

• Opened 190 fundraising campaigns for individuals with catastrophic injury. (NTAF is currently administering 164 CI fundraising campaigns).
• Helped raise more than $2 million in community funds for individuals with catastrophic injury.
• Provided information and referrals to more than 200 CI individuals and their families.

NTAF is celebrating its 25th year of dedicated service to patients October 2007 through October 2008.