Show Notes
Episode 15
In this Episode Heather discusses:
Links Mentioned:
fortheloveofadoption.com
https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/how-it-works/
https://www.bonfire.com/welcome/023ada4444734/
https://fortheloveofadoption.com/product/raising-funds-for-adoption-guide-freebie/
https://justlovecoffee.com/pages/fundraise-signup
https://your-sunny-money-method.teachable.com/p/your-sunny-money-method-basic/?product_id=815857&coupon_code=FRIENDS-SAVE-10&affcode=135827_hkiu-ez5
Adoption. It's surrounded with so much confusion and misinformation. And how many people never move forward with adoption because of this? Hi, I'm Heather. I'm not an adoption coach or consultant, and I'm not with an adoption agency. I'm a mom to two amazing kids I've been blessed with through adoption. And on this journey, I've learned and continue to learn a lot. Most of all, I believe that if God has put adoption on your heart, it's there for a reason. And you shouldn't let all the steps keep you from building your family through adoption. I'm here to offer you hope and encouragement, and to talk about everything from types of adoption, things to know before you adopt, funding your adoption, including grants, the home study process, making the most of your adoption wait, talking to your kids about adoption, and so much more. Adoption can be hard, but many of the best things in life often are. You know what, though? It can also be amazing. I'm here to share what I've learned. I hope hearing from someone that has gone this road before you encourages and motivates you to take a step of faith and see where it leads. I'm doing this all for the love of adoption. Let's dive in.
Hello, welcome to episode 15 of the For the Love of Adoption Show. Today I'm going to be talking about adoption fundraiser ideas. For many hopeful adoptive parents' money can be a true obstacle to really reaching their adoption dreams. Adoption, fundraising, though, can be a great way to overcome this hurdle, and gather the funds that you need to make this happen. There are so many great adoption fundraiser options, and some other smart ways to raise funds. You can do a quick search online and get so many creative ideas. But it can be confusing sometimes to know which ones can really pay off. So, I just wanted to share some of the best ways that we found to raise money for adoption. These were some of the most impactful ways that we personally raised money for our two adoptions.
First of all, start a funding account. One of the best ways to raise funds for your adoption is to start an account where friends and family can donate, I highly suggest Lifesong for Orphans to set this up. One of the great advantages of setting up an adoption fundraiser account with them is that you can save 5- 7% in all the administration fees that many crowdfunding sites charge. For example, if you raise $10,000, over $1000 of that could end up going to fees to the site. That's $1,000 That could be going directly to your adoption! So, I will include this link in the show notes. Also, they mentioned that other sites might issue project creators a 1090 and that the funds raised have to be reported as income. But with Lifesong's My Story, the projects are always grant based. In addition, they offer an adoption fundraising kit that allows friends and family that want to support your adoption to receive tax deductions for their donations on behalf of your adoption. You'll also get access to some other tools that can help like a letter writing kit, they will link you up with a coffee fundraiser if you want to get into that. So it's a really great option to check out. Again, I'll put the link in the show notes. But if for some reason this doesn't work for you, you can absolutely gather funds another way but once you get your account set up however you decide to do it, share, share it on all of your social media platforms. If there are some people in your life that are not big on social media, email them, let them know. In addition, an email can come across more personal or write a letter even. That'd be more likely to get someone's attention than a social media post. But either way, if you're on social media share it everywhere.
Number two, a dinner theater or benefit concert. This was our favorite way that we raised money for our adoption. Our dinner theater was a fun who done it kind of mystery. We have an awesome, talented friend that put together a play and our church allowed us to use their building. We turned it into a dinner theater and did two nights of performances. It was amazing and it raised significant funds that went directly to our adoption. And it doesn't have to be a theater. Do you know a musician? a benefit concert could be an equally awesome way. Think outside the box. Ask around, check with. You might be surprised just how much someone's willing to help you with your adoption fundraising goal.
Number three ,host an online silent auction or a raffle. An online auction can be another great way to raise funds for your adoption. Families can use Facebook or other social media platforms or their blogs if you have one to host an online auction. You can post pictures and descriptions of various items and services, set minimum bids and hold an auction. Many times you can get some awesome donations from different individuals and organizations in exchange for having their product or service featured. And if you or your spouse have a skill that someone might benefit from offer that as an auction item. For example, my husband is a horticulturist and he offered a free consultation and a couple of hours of labor. Some of our other listings from some friends included a professional photography session and a massage certificate. If you decide to do this, put the word out to as many people as you can and ask around. Again, you will likely be surprised by how many people are willing to help if you just ask. Many times if someone can afford to donate directly, they've still might have a product or service they're willing to donate. And if not, they might know someone who does.
Number four t shirt sales. There are a lot of companies you can go through to sell T shirts to raise money. But one company that was really great to work with that we liked was bonfire. When you're designing your shirts, you can consider personalizing them with your family's name or an adoption hashtag that you created for social media. I'll include this in the show notes as well.
Number five letters or emails. Like I said earlier in the social media heavy world we live in this old school method is often overlooked. Writing letters is one of the more traditional yet effective fundraising ideas. With a letter or email, you can really tell your story. Share why you want to adopt and build a connection with your potential donors. Before you start writing, think about your reader. Are there specific friends, family or business owners that you want to request donations from? Because this will help you build your letter. Remember to have a catchy opening, and share your personal story grab their attention right away, consider sharing what led you to seek out adoption and why adopting a child is so important to you. And remember, you have to ask for the donation you have to tell them why you need the funds and what their contribution will go toward.
Look, I absolutely understand how intimidating the cost of adoption can be. When we first started considering adoption, the cost is what almost made us turn away. But I knew that I had to figure this out. I had to find a way for us to be able to make this happen. So I spent so much time, years, figuring out how we could fund our adoption. I do not want you to have to spend that much precious time getting this one aspect of adoption figured out. So out of all of that research I did, I have created a funding adoption guide. It is over 20 pages long. It includes fundraising ideas, recommended adoption grants, loan options, budgeting resources and more. And just to give you a little feedback from others, Sherry said raising funds for adoption by Heather is an easy-to-read practical guide for those who have a heart for adoption, but may be hesitant to move forward due to lack of finances. This is a must read for those desiring to turn their dream of adopting a child and becoming parents into a reality. Information that took a few years to glean all laid out in this one resource. It will truly give you a jumpstart in your own adoptive journey. Tammy said the information contained in this book is invaluable. There are so many different ways to raise funds and grants that are available. The author has shared these because of her passion for adoption. And then finally Dawn said she used to work for an adoption agency and that this is such a needed topic. It was so heartbreaking to see people not be able to adopt because of the cost. So look, guys, I get it. The cost can be extremely expensive and intimidating. And it can be what keeps you from moving forward. Do not let that be what keeps you from moving forward. This guide will help you get moving if funding adoption is what's holding you back. To check it out, go to fortheloveofadoption.com and then "Shop" at the top of the page and then look for the Raising Funds for Adoption Guide. I'm here to support you in your adoption journey. And I know that cost is a big aspect of that for so many. So, I'm excited to hear how this helps you.
Number six Parents Night Out. Let me tell you this, now that I'm a parent of two littles, we like our nights out and we'll pay for them. You can raise money to help with your adoption costs by hosting a parent's night out or if you prefer to keep it simple, you can babysit your family or friends children for a couple of hours. Better yet, if you want to create an event, partner with your church or school to see if you can hold the fundraiser there. Your church will likely allow you to notify church members about it. Grab a group of volunteers to help you watch the kids and charge for your services. The truth is most of us already paid to have our kids watched and it's normally not going to a great cause. So this is an awesome way to raise some funds. I remember our church doing a Parents Night Out to raise funds for college students to go on a mission trip and they received a great turnout. We were part of it. It's awesome to get that night out while helping something you care about.
Number Seven. a message in a bottle. I haven't tried this, but I found this online and thought it was a fun and creative idea. So I wanted to share it. Send your friends and family a message in a bottle. You can send bottles with a note to let them know that you're adopting. In the note, ask them to consider returning the bottle filled with loose change. And you might be surprised how much you can raise. I'm pretty sure if somebody tried this with me for a good cause I'd to fill the bottle and written a check to go along with it just because I love the creativity of it. Some people might decide not to fill it and just donate. That's great. Either way, you've gotten their attention. You've brought them along on your journey and you've gathered more funds to help you reach your adoption fundraising goals. If friends and family live close, you can just arrange to drop off and pick up the bottles instead of worrying about shipping and try to find containers that can hold a lot of change.
Number eight, okay, this is a big one! Apply for adoption grants. There are more adoption grants than many people realize. Adoption grants are how we raised the majority of funds for our two adoptions. Without them. I don't know how we would have adopted. I'll have a future episode that goes over that more. But if you want to go ahead and get into that now you can grab my Funding Adoption Guide on my sight that dives into grants and other ways to fundraise.
Number nine, coffee sales. Sell coffee through a fundraising site, there was one that we use called Just Love Coffee. And then Lifesong. Like I mentioned earlier, I believe they link you up with one too, but most people love coffee, and many people would be happy to support a worthwhile cause like adoption, while purchasing some amazing high-quality coffee. Selling something that people love will just help make fundraising more enjoyable for those donating. And it'll help capture donations you'd likely miss out on otherwise.
And number 10, budget. Along with the other ideas I shared there is one thing that you should take a good look at. And that's the money you already bring in. It is possible even on a tight budget to find ways to help afford adoption. At the minimum, you can most likely at least find some extra funds that can go toward adoption that you can combine with the other ideas. This can work really for just about anyone. If you struggle with budgeting, have my hand up over here, and could use some help Sammy and her Sunny Money Method course is amazing. I will link to that. She has a way of turning what is often such a heavy topic into an encouraging motivational, hope-filled journey. I've gotten so much out of following her and getting her course. It really taught me that living on a budget does not have to be stressful or complicated. It just simply means that you're intentional with your money. And What possible reason could you find that will motivate you more than giving a child a forever home than being able to adopt? I mean, really, that's the ultimate reason to get it together. The great thing I love about is it's simple. The truth is there's no magic trick to organizing your family's budget, but there is a shortcut.
So again, these are 10 ways that you can help with funding your adoption. Believe me, funding adoption is possible. Choose the ways that you're the most excited about, think about the ones you think you'll have the most success with and you feel like you'll have the most fun with. Don't limit yourself to just one or two ideas. We used at least five of those ideas that I mentioned, if you found this useful, and you want more information on gathering funds for your adoption, be sure you check out my funding adoption guide on my site, because that has everything in it that we use to raise funds for adoption, and it lists out specific grants that you can check into.
Thanks so much for listening in today. And did you know that I offer a full library of free resources to help you along on your adoption journey. Just go to fortheloveofadoption.com and scroll to the bottom of the homepage, you will be able to access all kinds of PDFs there to help you along different stages of your adoption journey. And if you've enjoyed this at all, if you could please leave me a review and rating it helps more than you know. Talk to you next time.
