Adoption Fundraising: Grants

Money is something that weighs heavily on the minds of most adoptive parents. Not only do we need to be sure that we can financially support a child, we also must be able to come up with the means to finance the entire adoption process. Though it’s not always easy, it is certainly possible. Most of us are not wealthy but with some pounding of the pavement and careful scrutiny of our budgets, it is possible to make it work. I will be writing several posts this week; each covering a different area of fundraising for adoption. If you have any questions or comments along the way, please let me know.

To be perfectly honest with you, I was discouraged when first researching grants for Ella’s adoption. I have previously worked for a non profit organization in a position that included grant writing. Having that successful experience under my belt, I was excited to learn that adoption grants even existed. What I found, however, was that most did not apply to my family or my adoption. Many of the adoption grants out there are religiously affiliated and only grant to members of xyz religion. Others were very difficult to track down and I was completely unable to locate some organizations. Still others charge an application fee, and I’m just not sure how legit that is. If I can’t be sure where that money is going, I’m hesitant to send it in. I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from applying for grants as I wholeheartedly believe that every avenue should be investigated. It can’t hurt to try, right?

Erin over at the Transracial Adoption Blog wrote some excellent posts about grants available for adoption; you can find them here, here and here. She has included links and addresses to many organizations and her posts are an excellent resource. There are also some grants are offered by specific adoption agencies. Check with your agency to see if they offer grants to families working with them, and if so, be sure to apply.

When applying for a grant, be sure to follow instructions precisely. Organizations that grant money to adoptive families receive many applications and will pay closer attention to the ones that are filled out properly and include any additional materials that they requested (such as a home study.) If you have been successful with receiving an adoption grant or have any hints or tips to add, I would love to hear them!

More Reading:
Adoption Fundraising: What Worked For Us
How Can I Afford to Adopt?
Adoption ABC’s – Money

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