Adoption grants are one of the most underutilized tactics for paying for your adoption. Grants can be incredibly fruitful when you consider the amount of time and effort required to complete the application process versus some of the more complicated adoption fundraisers you might leverage to pay for your adoption.  The one caveat to that might be if you are not one with a love of writing, which is key to the grant process.  If you don’t love to write, you might consider reaching out to a friend, family member, or professional for help with this adoption funding opportunity.

The adoption grant award amounts can vary from $1,000 to $15,000, according to American Adoptions, but the average sits around $7,500 based on most sites.  In fact, the award range of the 10 grants listed below is $7,500 - $56,500.  That is huge when you think about the total cost of adoption, but we know that it isn’t as easy as just applying and being handed a pile of cash.  It takes hard work to make an application sing enough to be chosen by an organization.  

3 Tips To Be More Successful Being Awarded Adoption Grants:

1. Know the requirements for application 

2. Plan as due dates and award dates can be months apart.

3. Write to your intended audience.

Know Your Requirements

The requirements for each grant as they do vary quite considerably.  Some have conditions related to income, gender, religion, and marital status; really, the list goes on.  It is essential that you use your time wisely and only apply for those you are genuinely a good fit with; while not all grant organizations require an application fee, I think that is an excellent mental benchmark for you to use.  If you would not be willing to pay $10 or $20 to apply for a grant, is it the right thing to do?  If not, I would move down the list as there are 100+ adoption grants available to hopeful adoptive parents. 

Plan Ahead

The old saying that timing is everything is true even in adoption grants.  Many adoption grants have specific due dates for the application, and some only disperse funds one time a year. Some also have time-bound requirements for where you are in the process.  Most require you to be home study approved but before placement, but requirements vary, so it is essential to plan.  If you need a grant planning tool, check out The Adoption Financial Planner. 

Write For Your Intended Audience

The biggest tip for using grants to fund your adoption is to know your audience and write your application with them in mind.  If it is an organization, get to know what they stand for and believe in and make sure you/your family are a good fit for their mission.  Then bring that to life throughout your application to answer their questions and the examples you give.  This will go a long way in helping you stand out from the crowd of applicants that they receive.

No matter which path or combination of ways you choose to help you fund your adoption, you need a clear plan to get from where you are today to your goal of funding your adoption.  Using my simple step by step process will help you pay for your adoption faster.  

The critical steps of funding your adoption faster are: 

1. Set your goal

2. Write your plan

3. Align with your partner

4. Outline the details

5. Assign dates

So if you take my simple step by step process for funding your adoption and my top 3 tips for successfully getting grants to fund your adoption, you will be well equipped to apply for the Top 10 Adoption Grants.  

Top 10 Adoption Grants:

1. National Adoption Foundation

2. Help Us Adopt

3. A Child Waits

4. Gift of Adoption

5. National Adoption Foundation

6. Coalition for Family Building

7. Stone Family Adoption Assistance Fund

8. Show Hope

9. Lifesong 

10. Associates Home Loan Grant

National Adoption Foundation: 

• Amount: The National Adoption Foundation awards adoption grants ranging from $200 to $5,000

• Requirement: does not have some of the typical requirements as it relates to marital status, gender, family characteristics, or even income.  

• Timing: They meet the last week of each quarter of the calendar year to review all applications submitted during the quarter.

• Notification Process: They only notify those awarded grants by email or phone 15 days after the quarter’s close.

Help Us Adopt: 

• Amount: $1,000 - $15,000

• Requirements: Open to any family, regardless of race, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation. To apply, you must have a completed home study. The website has full details but does imply an income requirement “there is a difference between not wanting to write checks and not wanting to.”

• Timing: December application deadline for February award, March application deadline for May award, June application deadline for August award, September application deadline for November award. 

• Notification Process: will be notified via email in the award months if you received or did not receive the 

A Child Waits:

• Amount: Up to $7,000

• Requirements: US/CA citizen, domestic adoption, if you make above $140,000 it says to call them, funds will be given once the adoption is finalized.

• Timing: No formal dates, should apply after home study but before finalization; awards are issued after finalization

• Notification Process: no formal date listed

Gift of Adoption:

• Amount: $1,000 - $10,000

• Requirements: The organization’s goal is to keep children out of foster care, so it appears that it is a deciding factor.  No requirements as it relates to marital status, religion, race, gender, etc

• Timing: No specific deadlines should only apply after home study but before finalization.

• Notification Process: you will be notified via email within 48 hours of the grant selection meeting, which appears to be monthly.  

National Adoption Foundation:

• Amount: $500 - $2,000

• Requirements: The grant program has no exclusions as to race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, family characteristics, or income. The plan is open to all legal adoptions of non-related children and does not exclude private adoption, agency adoption, international adoption, or special needs adoption. The primary requirement for eligibility is a home study (either completed or in the process).

• Timing: Applications are reviewed the last week of each quarter

• Notification Process: Awards are issued via email or phone 15 days after the quarter close.  If you are not chosen, you are not notified

Coalition for Family Building:

• Amount: $1,000 - $10,000

• Requirements: Has several grants available for adoption and even infertility treatments.  Must reside in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, or Wisconsin and have a diagnosis of infertility, or are single, or part of a same-sex couple and have a household income less than $200,000

• Timing: rolling

• Notification Process: via email

Stone Family Adoption Assistance Fund:

• Amount: $2,000 - $5,000

• Requirements: Must demonstrate financial need, only available to those working with an agency that is already home study approved.  They do not consider the race, national origin, creed, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation of the applicant.

• Timing: Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis and are awarded quarterly

• Notification Process: does not specify

Show Hope:

• Amount: average $5,000

• Requirements: Faith-based organization that requires you to be working with an adoption agency or attorney, has specific requirements listed on their site

• Timing: There are four application deadlines throughout the year: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31

• Notification Process: Via mail a minimum of 90 days after the application deadline

Dream 4 Adoption:

• Amount: average $1,500

• Requirements: Must be approved through an agency or have a home study and a lawyer 

• Timing: There are four application deadlines throughout the year: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31

• Notification Process: Doesn’t list but there is a website and phone number on the website

Associates Home Loan Grant:

• Amount: average $1,000

• Requirements: They accept applications from anyone adopting, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.  Must have a home study completed

• Timing: Awards twice a year; the first deadline is December 30th, and the second is June 15th.

• Notification Process: Doesn’t list, but there is a website and phone number on the website

Hopefully, the deadlines in these adoption opportunities have demonstrated that your planning is vital to obtaining the funding you need for your adoption. Not only is this true in being successful in obtaining adoption grants but also for adoption fundraisers.  Planning really is the key to the entire adoption process.  If you need help planning your adoption more please check out our free Facebook group or The Adoption Financial Planner. 

Remember you can do this and I have got your back!

-Amanda

Hi, I Am Amanda

I help women build their families through adoption by giving them the step by step guide to adopt a child and support them on their journey