About Us
We built this so no one gets left out of the room
Nevada doesn't ask who you love.
We help you make sure it knows who to call.
Our Mission
Know Your NOK empowers individuals to protect the relationships that matter most by identifying, preparing, and supporting trusted advocates to speak on their behalf during times of illness, injury, or incapacity.
Our Vision
A future where every person's voice can be carried forward by the people they trust the most. We envision a future where meaningful relationships, not assumptions, legal defaults, or societal expectations, guide advocacy during life's most vulnerable moments.
Core values
Every person deserves to have their values, preferences, and voice respected, even when they cannot speak for themselves.
Family is not always defined by blood, marriage, or legal status. We honor relationships people choose, nurture, and trust throughout their lives.
People should have the ability to decide who will advocate for them, regardless of legal, biological, or societal expectations. We provide the knowledge and resources needed to ensure trusted advocates can speak on their behalf when they cannot.
The people closest to us often understand our wishes better than anyone else. We believe meaningful relationships are at the heart of effective advocacy and compassionate healthcare decision-making.
Complex systems should not stand between people and the individuals they trust most. We strive to make healthcare planning understandable, approachable, and achievable.
No one should navigate healthcare decisions alone. We foster connection, support, and shared understanding among individuals, families, caregivers, and communities.
Dignity
Every person deserves to have their values, preferences, and voice respected, even when they cannot speak for themselves.
Chosen Family
Family is not always defined by blood, marriage, or legal status. We honor relationships people choose, nurture, and trust throughout their lives.
Empowerment
People should have the ability to decide who will advocate for them, regardless of legal, biological, or societal expectations. We provide the knowledge and resources needed to ensure trusted advocates can speak on their behalf when they cannot.
Relationships First
The people closest to us often understand our wishes better than anyone else. We believe meaningful relationships are at the heart of effective advocacy and compassionate healthcare decision-making.
Simplicity
Complex systems should not stand between people and the individuals they trust most. We strive to make healthcare planning understandable, approachable, and achievable.
Community
No one should navigate healthcare decisions alone. We foster connection, support, and shared understanding among individuals, families, caregivers, and communities.
The people who know us best should be prepared to speak for us when we cannot.
Why it Matters
Meet the Founder
Kristy Burke
Kristy Burke is the founder and CEO of Know Your NOK, a Nevada nonprofit built around a simple question: Who’s your person? As an ICU nurse and nursing educator, Kristy has seen what happens when questions about decision-making, advocacy, and next of kin are left unanswered until a crisis. She founded Know Your NOK to help people understand who would be empowered to speak for them, have important conversations before they become urgent, and take practical steps to ensure the people they trust can advocate for them when it matters most. Her work brings together clinical experience, education, and a belief that the people we consider family are not always the people the law automatically recognizes. Through Know Your NOK, Kristy hopes to make advance care planning more understandable, approachable, and accessible—because figuring out who your person is shouldn’t begin in an emergency.
Have a question, a story, or an idea? We'd love to hear it.
hello@knowyournok.org