How to Do a Fundraiser - Adoption

I know someone doing this right now. She started a blog and set up an account on pay pal where people can donate money to the cause. The biggest money maker has been adoption parties. She makes a bunch of home made gifts to be sold. Friends make and donate items as well. The parties are held at different people's houses and people buy the crafts and/or donate to the cause. (It's like a craft fair and tupperware party meet.) She has also had several large garage sales to raise funds. Her family has been selling things they don't use or need on craigslist too.

My first advice is to proceed very carefully. Depending on state or local laws, any type of raffle or other "food/other stuff for donation" type fundraisers are illegal unless you are an official charity.

I don't understand how someone can have a fundraiser for a personal cause. Most fundraisers are affiliated with non-profits, required to have a 501c3 from the government. I have heard of proceeds of a dinner or something being donated to someone. Make sure you cover your bases with all the tax laws before you accept donations, etc. Talk to your accountant and make sure you have things set up properly.

Your best bet may be to go through your adoption agency if you need some sort of grant vs appearing that you are asking for donations.

When it appears that you are asking for donations, then people come to an assumption that you may not be financially ready for the adoption which may not be the case at all but it raises the eyebrow.

I am not saying this in any way to be mean.. it is just how it reads. I know adoptions are very expensive and the agencies should be able to guide you through the process without seeking out public support. Also talk to your church to see what may be available through the ministry.

Added: I agree with selling unwanted items on Craigslist, EBay, having garage sales, etc.

I wish the best for you..

If you need to do fundraisers to pay for the adoption maybe you should think twice about adopting. No children come with a guarantee of any sort and children are expensive regardless of their age. I know that some people have great insurance and don't pay much for prenatal care and birth but my last baby cost me about $16,000 and the costs continued the day we got out of the hospital. Yes, that was with insurance! In the last 6 months, one child broke his collarbone and the other needed eye surgery. It has been very expensive!

C.

I don't think anyone is saying you shouldn't have kids, but I find it tacky to ask people for money so you can have a baby. If you want to raise a child, there are other options. You could foster-to-adopt. You could adopt an older child. You could adopt a special needs child. No one, not even those of us who are fertile, has the "right" to a healthy perfect baby. We take what we get, and we love them all the same. I know a lot of people who have adopted, and none of them asked anyone else for money to do so. They saved and sacrificed, they volunteered in foreign countries through their churches, they didn't have fundraisers so they could have the baby they picked out of a catalogue. They adopted kids that no one else would look at (because of their color or disability), they took in teens that needed love after a bad home life...the list goes on. It's not blame, it's accepting what you have and working with it. There are no guarantees in parenthood.

That said, I wish you all the best, Red. I hope some day you become a mother. Just because I disagree with how you are raising the funds to adopt doesn't mean I think you should live your life without children in it. In the long run, my opinion doesn't even matter, I just wanted to explain why I agree with Christine S.

I have responded to some of your previous posts because your struggles are a little similar to those I went through when I adopted my biological niece when she was an infant 18 years ago.

Since the little sweetie you want to adopt is family and your mom has conservatorship, you are fortunately not burdened with an agency's fees. I understand attorney's fees, I had them as well but I had an excellent attorney that was worth every penny.

I was entitled to money from the State of California but it was very important to me that I prove I was fit in every way during the multiple investigations and background checks including financially. This adoption for me was totally voluntary and I never would have expected anyone else to finance it. I truly think in your situation it is best to obtain a fantastic attorney that will do some convincing with the bio parents that do not want to relinquish their rights. Do not expect child support from them any more, just prove that you are best for your little girl in every way.

I don't know what type of fundraiser you're considering so can't help with any ideas there, but I do know that adoption grants are available through Show Hope, whether you are adopting within the U.S. or internationally:
http://www.showhope.org/AdoptionAid/Miracles.aspx

Partylite does a fundraiser, where you earn 50% of the sales. If you have multiple people sale for you, you dont have to worry about getting everything delivered to your door and having to sort everything. They only thing you sort is what you turned in on your form. All the others get delivered to the seller for them to disperse out to the ones who bought off of them. You dont have to be an organization to have do this fundraiser either. Send me a message if you want more information.

Good luck and well wishes to a smooth adoption.

This is a very good question! Many people don't know that adoption agencies encourage fundraisers for people going through the adoption process. Communities are generally favorable to doing a small part in helping bring a child into a family.

I heard of a great idea that one woman did. She bought a bunch of those stuffed animal/blanket combos (the little lovey that has a stuffed animal head attached to a small blanket) and sold them with the understanding that the proceeds would go toward the adoption and the stuffed animals would go to an orphanage.
So, people could pay to donate a stuffed animal to an orphan, which I would do in a heartbeat, and the proceeds went toward an adoption. BONUS! :)

Grants are very difficult to procure, but I hope there is one out there for you!
Best of luck to you! What an exciting adventure!

*Edit- there are some pretty judgemental answers here. Some people have no idea how expensive it is to adopt and many people (like my dear friends) are adopting a child(ren) who needs extensive care and several surgeries. I don't like giving my money to those who don't deserve it, but children in need of a loving home definitely deserve it, in my opinion.

I am saddened by the person or two on here who seems to blame YOU for wanting to adopt and having to deal with the expenses, as if the high cost of adoption is your fault. Does everyone understand how much it costs to adopt? Does that mean that Red shouldn't adopt? Would anyone adopt if they had to pay in full by simply writing a check one day for $20 - $30K? Just because we might not have this sitting around in our checking account doesn't mean we can't afford to raise and support a child. Would people be telling Red she shouldn't have a baby if she was just doing it the natural, traditional way? I have no idea if infertility is the reason why she is adopting, but let me tell you, infertility is NOT anyone's fault, and a family should not be prevented from having a child just because they have to spend thousands to get to that point in the first place. And Sunshine is right, adoption agencies to encourage this type of fund raising. How is it different than a fund raiser to help a child who might be sick or needy? These suggestions are like saying that such families don't deserve to have a child. If we were all deterred from having kids by the cost of their medical needs, activities, clothes, etc., the world population would basically stop.

Good old fashioned car washes work well. My nephew made $40 in three hours selling Popsicles on a bicycle route near our house. If you already have a child, they can put a sign out with it that says something like " help me bring my new _________ home".

A spaghetti dinner with a silent auction does well too.

There are military grants as well as civilian rescources too.

Good luck

Do you have a Family Christian Bookstore near you? I've heard that they might have ways to help with adoptions. I'm not sure if it was an employee "perk" or what, but they may at least be able to give you some options to look into.

My son had a garage sale when he was raising money to get to play in a baseball tournament in Australia. We just asked if anyone wanted to donate items and we got a ton(!) of stuff from family and friends. Some things could have been sold on Craigslist if that had been around then. It was in the spring and I think a lot of people were doing spring cleaning. It was a hot day so he also sold bottled water and cans of soda.

Be sure to mention your need for adoption funds when asking people to book a Scentsy party for you as well when giving your parties. People like to know the money is going for a good cause and may spend a little more to enjoy a treat for themselves.

Good luck!

First of all, praises to you for wanting to make this little girl your own. Having been adopted myself, I am appalled at some of the answers (aka criticism) you have received on here. Raising any child is expensive. Most people do not have to pay $20 - $30k to bring their child into the world. They use insurance. You, however, have the entire expense. Kudos to you! You're amazing for stepping up for this child. God will bless you on this journey and I will be praying for you.

Second, as far as fundraisers go, you can find many different ideas just by searchings fundraisers for adoption on Google. I know you sell Scentsy and there are many other products like this that you can do as well. Have you considered just setting up a PayPal account and a Facebook page telling the story? This might be a great way to reach people. Do you know any musicians that might be willing to do a benefit concert for you? What about partnering with a local restaurant, maybe bbq, to see if they would be willing to donate a portion of the proceeds for a specific time frame? I love doing fundraising so let me know if you need more ideas. I can come up with tons of things.

It seems your approach in the first question turns people off. Not knowing the important information that you already put back 15k towards your new child. But it comes off as you cannot afford the new child and are scraping money together because you want the child and it will be a huge struggel.

Instead of fundraiser for our adoption case try wording the phrase differently. Like baby fund, or family vacation, people want to help out when it seems like they are mearly helping not supporting. its a wording thing. when you host your sentsey partys make sure you let others know they are helping not supporting. i dont have a way with words like others, but i def understand the fundraiser for an adoption is a major turn off.

I have no clue. But just wanted you to know I pray for your journey.

I wonder if business like Chick filet or ice cream shops or something like that will hold a fundraiser for you.......... they do it for the cheer teams or HS for things . You go on one night and 25 % of the proceeds go to the need. So then you advertise and hope to get as many people coming to eat that night between 4-9 and then the rest is history :0)

I'd get a solid colored T-shirt printed with some type of catchy saying like "Family Matters"; "We'll Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends" or whatever you come up with on the front and a single line across the top of the back saying "and these people have our backs!" Then let friends who make a donation sign their name on the T-shirt back with the fabric marker. It will be something you can wear and draw attention to your cause.