My Master List of Adoption Grants
In our adoption journey so far, we have applied to a number of adoption grants. There are many out there, and I have spent quite a few hours doing some extreme google searching to find adoption grants. So in an effort to help others, here is my master list of all the adoption grants I could find. I hope you find this list to be helpful!
Two tips for you as you apply for adoption grants:
Be as personal and genuine as possible in your application.
Get references ahead of time (many grants ask for reference letters - usually 2-3 - so it's helpful to already have them on hand).
Also, if you want to follow along on our adoption journey, you can find us on YouTube and Instagram.
Note: Unless otherwise specified, in order to apply for the following grants, you must be home study approved, working with a licensed 501c3 adoption agency, and at least one of you must be a US citizen.
Amount: $2000+
Fee: $50
Religious: Yes
Deadlines: application period opens multiple times throughout the year - check their website/social media for updates
Requirements: must be a domestic adoption
Amount: approx. $10,000
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Note: this is a "sponsorship," not a grant. 35K Campaign sponsors one family at a time, raising donations and running fundraisers, with all funds raised going to the current sponsored family.
Amount: up to $10,000
Fee: $20
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: income less than $150,000
Amount: $500-$15,000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 3 per year
Amount $1000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must live in Minnesota
Amount: $1000-$4000
Religious: no
Requirements: must be African American or biracial
Amount: varies
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be actively connected to a local church affiliated with the Anglican Church of North America
Amount: varies
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling?
Requirements: must be adopting a child with Down Syndrome
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 2 per year
ASSOCIATES HOME LOAN ADOPTION GRANT
Amount: $1000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Amount: $500
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must live in Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 3 per year
Requirements: income cannot exceed $120,000
Amount: varies
Religious: no
Requirements: must be an international special needs adoption
Amount: varies
Religious: no
Deadlines: check the website for when the grant cycle is open
Amount: varies
Fee: no
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be a domestic adoption, "look book" must be finished
Amount: $5000
Fee: $75
Religious: no
Deadlines: 1 per year
Requirements: must have a medical diagnosis of infertility. Grants are awarded through a lottery process.
Amount: up to $10,000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must have a medical diagnosis of infertility
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must live in a Georgia county with a Called to Care chapter or a county that is directly adjacent to a C2C chapter
CHICAGO COALITION FOR FAMILY BUILDING
Amount: up to $10,000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 1 per year
Requirements: must have an annual income of less than $200,000; must have a diagnosis of infertility unless you are single or part of a same sex couple; must reside in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, or Wisconsin.
Amount: varies
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be an international adoption
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be a Christian couple in Georgia
Amount: varies
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be members in good standing with a Christian church in Georgia
Amount: varies
Fee: no
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 1 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: no
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must live in Columbus, Georgia or the surrounding area
Amount: $5000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be childless; must be adopting older or special needs children
Amount: $1000
Deadlines: 1 per year
Requirements: priority will be given to families residing in York County in South Carolina
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 1 per year
Amount: $1500
Fee: $25
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Note: you can apply for this grant before your home study is completed
Amount: $5000
Religious: yes
Requirements: must live in one of the following Pennsylvania counties: Lycoming, Clinton, Union, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, or Sullivan
Amount: up to $4000
Religious: no
Requirements: must be a cancer survivor
Amount: $1000-$2000
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 2 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Amount: varies
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must have committed to an international adoption of a child with non-correctable medical needs from an Eastern European country
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be an older child or special needs adoption; income must not exceed $100,000
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: can apply while home study is in process
Amount: up to $15,000
Fee: $50
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Amount: up to $5000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 6 per year
Requirements: must live within 100 miles of Gigi's Playhouse in Des Moines; must be adopting a child with Down Syndrome
Amount: $1000
Fee: $25
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 3 per year
Requirements: must be married
Note: this is a matching grant
GOLDEN DAWN ADOPTION ASSISTANCE
Amount: up to $2000
Fee: $20
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be adopting special needs or hard to place children
Amount: varies
Religious: yes
Note: this is a matching grant
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: $500-$20,000
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Amount: varies
Religious: yes
Requirements: must be a regular attendee/s of a Wesleyan church for at least one year
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 6 per year
Requirements: must be adopting waiting children - older children, those with special or medical needs, and/or a sibling group
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must have income under $100,000
THE HOPE FOR FERTILITY FOUNDATION
Amount: $250-$5000
Fee: $50
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must be married; must have been diagnosed with infertility
INTERNATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME COALITION
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Requirements: must be adopting a child with Down Syndrome; must be a domestic adoption
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be adopting children in the highest risk categories: older children, children with special needs, children with complex disabilities, etc.
Note: this is a matching grant
IT'S A CHILD'S LIFE FOUNDATION
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Requirements: must be matched with a child
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be living in Minnesota; must be a Christian couple married for a minimum of 3 years between the ages of 30 and 50
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 3 per year
Requirements: must have income under $120,000 for a family of four
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: $50
Religious: no
Deadlines: 1 per year
Requirements: must be treated by a Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist (REI) in the US
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be married; income must be below $120,000; cannot have more than 10 children
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: up to $3000
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be a heterosexual married Christian couple
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be married
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be a domestic adoption of an African American child or sibling group, special needs, or older child of any race
Amount: final 8-15% of adoption costs
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be matched with a child
Amount: varies
Deadlines: 1 per year
Amount: $1500
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must be matched with a child
Amount: $500-$2000
Fee: $15
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: multiple throughout the year
Requirements: this grant is for post-placement international adoption services and support such as occupational therapy and counseling or significant medical expenses
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must currently be serving in a local church as a minister or a missionary with the North American Mission Board or the International Mission Board
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be matched with a child
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: grant window opens multiple times a year.- follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more updates
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be working with a Christian adoption agency; must be within $5000 of the full adoption costs
Amount: usually $500
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Note: as long as one of you is a U.S. citizen, you can live overseas and apply
Amount: $1000
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be married
Note: you can apply even after the adopted child is home
Amount: $500
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be adopting a child from an orphanage or foster care
Amount: varies
Fee: $20
Religious: no
Requirements: cannot currently have children and must be diagnosed with infertility
Amount: $500-$5000
Fee: none
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be a Jewish couple living in the Dallas area; must be diagnosed with infertility
Amount: $500-$6000
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 6 per year
Requirements: must be married; must live in Georgia
Note: offers a matching grant and a legal grant
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
RACING FOR ORPHANS WITH DOWN SYNDROME
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be an international adoption of a child with Down Syndrome
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Note: offers a matching grant, and a plane ticket grant to cover the adoptive's child's ticket home.
Amount: varies
Fee: $25
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be an international adoption of a child with diagnosed special needs
Note: this is a family sponsorship program; adoptive family can live in US or Canada
Amount: $500-$10,000
Fee: $65
Religious: no
Deadlines: 4 per year
Requirements: must be diagnosed with infertility; must be a first responder (firefighter, paramedic, EMT, 911 dispatch, police officer, nurse, etc.) or active military member
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be adopting a child with special needs
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: rolling
Requirements: must be married
Amount: $5000
Fee: none
Deadlines: 2 per year
Requirements: must be Jewish
SEECAAS HOPE FOR ADOPTION FOUNDATION
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Amount: $6000-$10,000
Fee: none
Religious: yes
Deadlines: 4 per year
Amount: varies
Fee: none
Religious: no
Deadlines: 2 per year
Note: this grant helps families cover the cost of utilizing specialized medical professionals to provide comprehensive support, helps you work through any and all medical information provided about a potential child, and offers post-placement support.