Over One Million Dollars in Adoption Grants Awarded

Author: Helpusadopt
Published: 13th Jan 2015
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Additional References: IVF, Adoption, Fertility Publications

Summary: National 501c3 adoption grant program has helped to build 124 families by awarding over one million dollars in adoption grants.

Main Document

Seven years ago, one year before the financial collapse of 2008, Helpusadopt was launched at a kitchen table in a NYC apartment with an initial $25,000 donation. Two weeks ago, Helpusadopt was proud to award its 14th cycle of grants, awarding $150,000 to 17 families across the country: 7 heterosexual couples, 4 LGBT couples and 6 single women. This December 2014 grant cycle brings Helpusadopt's total of grants awarded to 124 families and just over one million dollars.

Founder, President and adoptive parent, Becky Fawcett, not only attributes Help us adopt's success to hard work and determination, but also to their unique non-discriminatory mission statement.

Help us adopt is the only adoption grant organization of its kind due to these key factors: the organization doesn't define family, doesn't define religion, doesn't define adoption, doesn't charge an application fee and awards large, impactful, life changing grants up to $15,000 to help families complete their adoptions and bring their children home.

"Helpusadopt's mission of true family equality combined with the ultimate random act of kindness has given our donors the opportunity to address what was missing in the category of child welfare. We have also created a non-profit conduit where every dollar can have a direct impact on a child's life and that is so important to donors," states Fawcett.

Fawcett also attributes Helpusadopt's success to their educational component.

"When we launched Helpusadopt in 2007 I felt that the word 'adoption' was still whispered in most conversations and that people outside of adoptive families really didn't know too much about it. There was also a broad based misconception that adoption didn't cost very much since so many children globally needed homes."

Part of Helpusadopt's fundraising platform is to educate audiences about adoption.

First and foremost, adoption is expensive no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what your income is. An average adoption costs $40,000. If the average household income in the United States is $54,000 you can do the after tax math and see that the cost of adoption would be out of reach for most of these families.

"There are well over 100 million children around the globe (including here in the U.S.) who are in need of adoptive homes. Every day when I go to work I think to myself, 'What happens to these children if families can't afford to adopt them? And what happens to birthmothers here in the United States if they can't find the adoptive families they are in search of?' The answers are grim. This is what fuels us. This is what fuels our donors. Helpusadopt is providing a solution to this global situation," continues Fawcett.

Starting in 2015 Helpusadopt will be awarding grant monies three times a year - February, June and October.