The cost of adoption can be overwhelming to prospective families. Before I began my adoption journey, it was baffling to me why it was so expensive to give a child in need a home. Shouldn’t it be free to willing and capable parents?

As with so many other facets of the process of adoption, I had a lot to learn! We chose international adoption from China to grow our family. One glance at our agency’s fee sheet quickly outlined where the tens of thousands of dollars would go to make this possible

There were fees for a social worker to do a home study to make sure we would provide a loving, stable home. Our adoption agency had to have money to find our daughter and prepare all the necessary paperwork to bring her home. There are forms with fees submitted to both the US and Chinese governments. We had multiple costs associated with the orphanage and legal process of taking guardianship. It makes sense that we would want competent, hardworking people taking care of these important tasks for us. You can’t hire these people without salaries!

By far, our biggest expense was travel. International flights aren’t cheap, especially when scheduled with only a couple weeks’ notice! Plus, we had hotel stays, food, travel, translators/guides, and everything that comes along with a two-week stay in a foreign country. After going through it all, I realize that it isn’t possible to do these things without spending money.

On the other hand, I also knew that we didn’t have $35,000+ just sitting around. We dedicated months and months to saving, fundraising, and grant writing to fund our adoption. (You can read about how we came up with the entire amount without debt here.) All of this together allowed us to bring our daughter home, but our biggest influx of money came via a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans.

As a former nonprofit grant writer, I felt comfortable with the idea of applying for grants. But the pressure is more intense when it is your own personal story and finances at stake. It is more intimidating if you aren’t familiar with completing applications and submitting them to foundations and grantmakers.

That’s where I come in! Now that my daughter has been home more than a year and we are on the other side of the fundraising days. So I want to share my experience to make this a little easier for you. Whenever possible, I also want to get information directly from the source to help applicants put their best foot forward.

I reached out to Reed Yackley, Creative Director at Lifesong for Orphans to get some insight into what makes a great application to his organization. He was kind enough to answer my questions, which I have organized below for you.

What to Know Before Submitting a Grant Application to Lifesong for Orphans

Lifesong for Orphans is a Christian-based nonprofit organization that supports adoptive families. They describe themselves this way: Lifesong seeks to mobilize the Church to care for the orphan, where each member can provide a unique and special service: some to adopt, some to care, some to give.

They have a great reputation as a stable source of support for many families who need financial assistance for domestic and/or international adoption. I know from personal experience that they are great to work with because my family received a matching grant from them to help bring our daughter home from China.

Types of Available Funding

My family received a matching grant from Lifesong, something they are well known for in adoption circles. This means that if your family is chosen as a recipient, you must raise the amount awarded and Lifesong will match that with a grant. The average matching grant is $2,500.

It may seem a little daunting, but it is totally worth it. They provide a fundraising kit with several tools to help you raise the amount needed. My favorite tool is the online crowdfunding site mySTORY that works like a Go Fund Me page, except tax deductible and without excessive fees.

Reed said, “Some families have chosen to only raise enough to cover their matching grant, while others have raised enough to complete their adoptions.  We expect a matching grant to help the family raise much more than the face value of the match.”

We received a $4,000 matching grant. Though I was initially nervous about raising that much money, it was a tremendous blessing to us! By asking family and friends to donate through the mySTORY account they provided to us, people gave us donations that exceeded the amount needed. With the grant and donations, we received a total of $12,810.74 through Lifesong! This was more than one-third of our costs!

Lifesong has interest-free loans as well. These typically range between $3,000 and $5,000 and repayment coincides with receipt of the adoption tax credit.

In addition to the matching grants, loans, and fundraising kits, they also have Both Hands projects where you ask for sponsorships and volunteers to work for a day in a widow’s home. This allows your supporters to care for orphans and widows with one project. The same application is used for all these programs.

Tips for a Great Application

Lifesong allows families to submit only one application to them (or one of their adoption fund partners) per adoption. Reed said that the best time to apply is after completion of the home study. Do not apply if your home study isn’t finished. This is a requirement for review, so submitting too early is only wasting your time. (Time is a precious commodity when going through an adoption!)

Also, be sure to complete everything on the application. Don’t leave any questions blank; you can put “N/A” if it isn’t applicable to you. Ask someone to check over it for you before submission to ensure everything is answered.

Reed said honesty is important in your responses. “Be honest. We want to know [your] heart and God’s leading in [your] life,” he told me.

You can also refer to their frequently asked questions page for more information to consider.

Selection Process

Lifesong has publishes their criteria for being selected on their website. Traditional, two-parent Christian families are their goal for adoption placements. There are five factors that facilitate their selection process: leading of the Holy Spirit through prayer, needs of the child, financial need of the family, support letters from the church the parents attend, and availability of funds.

“We review all applications in the same way,” said Reed. “Each application is reviewed by one of our coordinators. As part of their review they may follow up with a phone call or email to the adoptive family with some additional questions.”

I received a phone call from a Lifesong staff member before we were awarded the grant. It was a delightful conversation where she asked me questions about how we came to the decision to adopt and questions about our faith. I’m sure they like interacting with the applicants to get a better feel for the family than what reading about them can provide.

Reed told me that they seek to award matching grants or interest-free loans to as many families as possible. The ability to do this depends on the availability of funds. Typical processing time for applications is four to six weeks.

Other Helpful Information about Lifesong for Orphans

“Beyond adoption, Lifesong serves orphans and vulnerable children across the world through Gospel-centered, holistic care,” Reed stated. “Churches can reach orphans and vulnerable children through a partnership with Lifesong to help in global orphan care or by starting an adoption fund to serve families in their community who are adopting.”

They also provide pre-adoption resource guides and post-adoption counseling support. If you have questions about grants, loans, or any of the other services provided by Lifesong, you can call the main office at (309) 747-4527, email info@lifesong.com, or visit their website at lifesong.org. You can also email me or comment below with questions for me

Thanks again to Reed Yackley and the staff at Lifesong for Orphans for helping with this article! I’ll be profiling more grantmaking and fundraising resources in the coming months. Sign up for my newsletter to be notified when new information is added. You’ll also get a free copy of my 101 Adoption Fundraising Ideas list!

You may also like:

How to Run a Successful Superhero Cape Adoption Fundraiser

6 Expert Tips for a Successful Adoption Fundraiser Yard Sale

Eight Ways We Raised $35, 123.51 for our Adoption Without Debt

And check out my Adoption Journey page