I am convinced that if international adoption is something you are supposed to do, the funds will come. It may not be easy (in fact I would be nearly as confident that it WON'T be easy) but come they will, and usually not much ahead of when you really must pay a particular bill. Every adoption story reads a little differently and the financing is approached in many different ways as well. I don't presume that how it worked for us is how it will work for you, but for what it is worth this is our story of how we managed to raise the funds to bring the Little Princesses home.
2012 - 2013 The first thing we did was to drain our meager checking and savings accounts, followed pretty quickly by a loan that maxed out the available balance in the 401K. These funds went to cover application fees, legal documents, home study, required physicals (for the pets too!) and the initial agency fees.
We began using a container to hold our spare change. Ours was a bear named Tryco from the Asian grocery store. Little gelatin treats came in him, and when they were gone we were left with this container they came in. Perhaps the most powerful thing about putting our change in there was that it made us mindful that every little bit saved got us a little bit closer. I remember one time fairly early in the process. I had been out grocery shopping and was very thirsty. I really WANTED a large drink, but I decided to buy a small and put the 50 or so additional cents that I would have spent into Tryco. I believe these little bits went a long way. Sometimes family members who "knew" Tryco would stick some change in, or hand us some bills and say to feed Tryco with them. There was one time that an agency bill was due and we were short a hundred dollars or so. We emptied the bear (not the first time) and found pretty much exactly the amount needed. Don't think the little bits don't matter -- it all matters!
Our dossier and middle set of agency fees were chipped away by a combination of cutting expenses and fundraising - I'm talking nearly eliminating Christmas/birthday gifts, little spending anywhere except for things like food or needed clothing for our new additions, cheap to the point of even buying the cheap coffee to save a few bucks! Our lifestyle has never been luxurious so there were no vacation budgets or the like to cut. This was sacrificial cutting back and every dollar counted. We took odd jobs and tried several different ideas for raising additional funds.
Fundraising
ApParent Project Bracelets - I really believe in their cause and was thrilled to help them help families in Haiti while at the same time earning funds to bring our girls home. We raised about $1000 through them. Visit them at http://www.apparentproject.org/fundraisers/4572681975
Crafts- one of our very talented adult daughters created a crochet Asian doll and animals and sold them on Etsy for us. This raised a few hundred dollars.
Another married daughter is a cosmetologist. She hosted a "Hair for There" event where she cut hair for donations to our adoption fund. This raised about $500.
Facebook and Ebay auctions - We cleared out books, dvd's, clothing, etc. and sold many donated items as well. Lots of work but it raised about $1000.
Amazon Affiliate link - We had our link active in November and December so had the benefit of people shopping for gifts. We raised about $50 this way.
Not worth the time/investment for us were:
Adoption T-shirts
Candy bars and chips at a regular event we attend
Laundry soap in buckets
We participated in online campaigns to raise awareness and generate donations:
Reece's Rainbow - focuses primarily on fundraising for orphans with Down's Syndrome but will help with any special needs adoption by setting up a tax deductible means of donating. They required a thorough application and a letter from our social worker or copy of our homestudy. There was a significant donation requested also. It was very worth the time and expense. Many people we don't even know contributed through this means, and it raised about $5000!
Give1Save1 - promotes a family through video each week encouraging visitors to donate a dollar. Our fun "Find you in Shenzhen" MUSIC VIDEO was made for this fundraiser! We raised over $700 with this campaign.
Forty Days to Forever - was a Lenten emphasis drawing awareness to orphans. It featured a different child/family each day. We raised $526 through this event.
Grants.
These were a tremendous amount of work. The documentation required was extensive, and most also involved asking references to submit required forms or letters. One even required an interview with our pastor with a list of specific questions he was to ask us. Honestly I wondered at times if it was worth as much effort as it involved. We applied for many, many grants. In the last couple of weeks before travel they became very instrumental in helping with our largest expenses. They were totally worth the time and effort we spent on them. We received grants from:James 1:27 Fund (through a local church)
Rescued Adoption Fund
Hand in Hand (matching grant - we were required to mail letters asking for support)
JSC Foundation
Families Outreach
Very important to us was the outpouring of love from family, friends, and complete strangers. From just a few dollars all the way up to several thousand dollars, it was all significant to us, and appreciated, and made a difference.
One last thing, check with your employer. Ours had a benefit plan to help reimburse some of the fees associated with adoption. In our instance, this benefit couldn't be claimed until the adoption was finalized, so it couldn't be used directly to help bring our girls home. However, since we knew it was available we were able to borrow some funds that we could then repay rather quickly upon our return home from China.
Please don't just give up the dream/calling of adoption because you don't have the funds. Keep trying and saving and praying! The amount looked impossible to us too, but the funds were always there just when we needed to have them.
P.S. An update to this post as an illustration of how every story is different, even within the same family! 2013-2014 We began the adoption of our Prince a mere two months after The Little Princesses came home. Amidst the adjustments, the medical appointments, the twice a week therapies, and the running a household with two additional (needy) children in it, things were just different. I did not have as much time to dedicate to fundraising and applying for grants. Here is how things came about with Isaac.
1. We had some left over funds once we received the employer reimbursement and repaid our personal loans. We invested much of these funds into the initial fees and agency fees for Isaac's adoption.
2. 401K loan maxed out again for USICS and agency fees.
3. Isaac's NGO (Non Government Organization) did some fundraisers and contributed towards his homecoming.
4. We opened a Reece's Rainbow account which allowed friends and family to contribute in a tax deductible way.
5. Fundraising: We were able to do some fundraising with the ApParent Project again. This time we sold their metal Christmas tree ornaments. This was by far our most successful fundraiser.
6. More Fundraising: We raised a small amount of funds from an online auction and making some jewelry. We also had the puzzle piece fundraiser again, as well as the Amazon link. None of these raised very much, but in international adoption, every little bit helps!
7. A friend in our homeschool co-op took it upon herself to ask for donations towards our traveling expenses. We were so grateful for the support from them and others.
8. Grants: WACAP grant, James 1:27 Fund, A Children's Lantern, and Families Outreach NOTE: APPLY EARLY! Most of the grants will take several weeks to process. I honestly didn't get on them in time to have the best chance at receiving them. For instance, we actually got two calls after we returned home offering matching grants! I'm not sure how I could have pulled off doing it differently, but if it is possible for you, apply early.
9. As much as it hurt - a lot went on credit cards. We've certainly gone into debt for less important things!
10. Employer reimbursement to help pay down the credit card balance.
11. An interest free loan from Lifesong to help pay down the still rather large credit card balance.
UPDATE: 2014-2015, in this our third process we were totally BROKE. Not only did we have nothing in reserve, but we were still in debt from Isaac's adoption. (still are in fact.) We honestly didn't see a way to make this happen, but it seemed to us that if Pat was supposed to be in our family money was a really dumb reason to not go get him. So we stepped....
It was amazing to see!
Our Fundraisers:
Puzzle Piece
Christmas Ornaments
through ApParent Project
Tag his Bag DETAILS HERE
Valentines Day/CNY online auction
Martha and Mary home
décor
Jamberry Nails
Reece's Rainbow Family Sponsorship account set up for tax deductible giving
Grants:
Madison Agency
In His Hands (Pat's hosting family arranged this)
Hand in Hand -
matching - friends and family nearly doubled the amount that was needed to match!
Heart of the Bride
Show Hope
Families Outreach
James 1:27
5/5/5/for Families (through Reece's Rainbow)
We made a formal request of our son's SWI to waive a significant portion of the orphanage donation fee in an amount to match the agency's fee reduction. They agreed.
And the same day we received our Travel Approval we received word that we had WON A SWEEPSTAKES!!! Really?
Laura Valentine
Ministries - $5000 sweepstakes? !!
Having been home for nearly a month, I still look at this list in
amazement and wonder. Thank you to each one of you who played a part
(through giving, prayer, and moral support) in bringing our boy home!
Research to cut your costs. I researched the trends in flights
and lodging options literally for months. We found some amazing flights
on sale that surprised even the travel agent. I was able to request of
them the specific flights and options that I found, and they remarked on how surprised they were at the cheap flights I'd found! Through hours of
research I also found an affordable apartment. We ended up being able to take all the kids for about the same amount as our other trips without them. More specifics and
links are found in the page Adoption Travel with Extra Children if you want additional details about that.
I've had many ask why we were so successful in receiving grants for Pat's process. The simple answer is that God intended for that to be large part of Pat's story. The more difficult answer is we were actually BROKE. As in we actually, really needed the help to make this happen. The next key is to APPLY EARLY. As soon as your homestudy is completed and you qualify to apply, DO IT. Some of these applications will take literally months to be considered by the grant agencies.
There are many grants out there. Google them. Read their requirements and if you qualify, apply! We applied for many more than we received.
Each grant application is a little different, but most required the same elements and documentation. Make multiple copies of :
Family photo
Photo of child you are adopting
Reference letters from friends
Reference letter from pastor
Statement of faith for wife and husband
Homestudy
Your adoption story - why you are adopting
Tax documents for the past two years
W2 for the past two years
Your family income and expenses
A cheat sheet of sorts where you keep a running total of the adoption expenses - what you've paid, what is still due, and the projected amount for travel
Have envelopes on hand ahead of time. Check and double check that everything required is included with your application. As you complete the applications put them in the envelopes. I spent the extra to send them in Priority mail envelopes so the rather large packet of papers would arrive unfolded, but primarily so I could track their progress to be sure they arrived. If you set up an account with the post office online and print your label from home you will save a little bit on the cost to mail each envelope also.
This was my process: I set up a folding table in my room where little hands wouldn't bother the papers. I put the applications in the order in which I wanted to apply for them (based on deadlines, how confident I was we would qualify, and honestly if a $500 grant required the same effort as a $5000 grant the larger one was completed first.) Then I plunked out the applications one after another. It is a long process. It was the equivalent of a full time job for a few weeks. I wanted to quit on some of them - I nearly did! But often the grants with that one little extra piece that is required will be the one that surprises you and comes through. Just do it! If you don't apply then the answer is always no.
One final word of advice, spend a lot of time and thought on your "story." There are limited funds and so many people apply for them. Give the people considering the applications something that will stick in their minds. I suspect Pat's story of having spent several years in the orphanage with two of our daughters helped. They have a sweet story of how they were reunited when he was hosted in the States. Your child has a story too..... be sure to present it so your child is remembered in the stack of applications.
Adoption is one of the hardest things you will ever do. It is also one of the most rewarding. May God bless you along your journey.
I appreciate the fact that you used your own $$ first before seeking other methods. Seeing people just throw up a Paypal button and beg daily on FB for cash without making any attempt at self-sacrifice at home drives me bonkers.
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