I love hearing stories of people successfully raising money to adopt. I see the hard work they put into the process and it’s the best feeling in the world to see their hard work payoff. That’s how I felt listening to Melinda Simmons talk to me about their journey to raise $36,000 for their international adoption. They did it and with time to spare. In our podcast episode, that you can listen to here, we discuss several ways they used to raise the funds. Check out our 7 resources for adopting debt free.
Melinda raised money by designing custom t-shirts. It’s a great way to get local friends involved in the journey to adoption. Think about your neighbors, school friends, teachers, co-workers, family friends, family, church members, business associates, clients, and other adoption loving community members that would buy your t-shirt.
I love the message that the Simmon’s family made with their T-shirts. Shout Their Worth was written on their shirts. What mantra or slogan would you like to promote during your adoption process?
2. Instagram
Melinda had an Instagram following that she sold 300 beaded bracelets for $10 a piece. It might not seem like a ton, but it helped pay for the home study. Think about the resources and talents that you have. Could you raise $1000 with that special talent? Post about it on Instagram and other social media.
I recently saw a woman that posted amazing paintings for sale to raise funds for their Ukrainian adoption. They were beautiful. I was so impressed that she was using her talents to reach a financial goal that would change their lives.
3. Chipstarter
If you didn’t get a chance to Melinda talking about making their video for Chipstarter, then be sure to click on the podcast interview. Her story is fantastic. I love that she just knew they were going to be chosen. I had that same feeling when I saw my daughter for the first time. We didn’t get her for another 8 months, but I just knew.
Take a look at the Chipstarter winners for 2018 in the link above.
“Hogwarts Running Club (HRC) is a virtual running club operated by Random Tuesday, Inc. (RTI), a 501(c)3 organization. Hogwarts Running Club is not endorsed, sanctioned, or in any other way supported directly or indirectly by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J.K. Rowling and her representatives. HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and related indicia are trademarks of and (C) Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Harry Potter publishing Rights (C) JKR.”
You can nominate an organization to receive funds from Hogwart’s Running Club. Just click on the link above and send them an email.
What a surprise it was for Melinda to find out that Reese’s Rainbow had a grant designated for their Ezra. They raise funds for Down Syndrome and other special needs children. No matter which adoption agency you use, the money is designated for that particular child.
If you want to donate $10, $50 or $100 to help other families adopt a child with Down Syndrome or special needs, then visit the above link to donate to Reese’s Rainbow. You can also see waiting children that are searching for their Forever Family. Is there a picture that speaks to your soul and you just KNOW this child was meant for your family? Check out the waiting children with Reese’s Rainbow.
To all my racing friends out there, this virtual 5k is a great opportunity to help raise funds for a child with Down Syndrome. If you are a runner and you do participate, I would love to hear your story and experience with being a part of Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome.
7. Work Bonus
Find out from your HR department if your company provides adoption reimbursement. This won’t help you before the adoption, but it will help afterwards. Make sure to keep a copy of receipts and follow any requirements that your employer has to receive the reimbursement.
Curious about the employers that are adoption friendly? Check out the list of employers that the Dave Thomas Foundation has compiled. During this time of low unemployment, it might behoove you to find a new employer that is adoption friendly. That would definitely be a great bargaining chip while negotiating a new job offer.
Preparing Financially for Adoption Course
We created the Preparing Financially for Adoption Course to help you adopt debt free.
We want to make the process of saving up money for adoption stress free. We’ve included tips for fundraising, borrowing money, tracking your expenses, being organized with your money, and downloads to help you present expenses to your accountant.
As you go through the course, we encourage you to join our Paying for Adoption group on Facebook.
