Location: if this were the wrong decision you'd already know it
Posts: 40,909
Fundraising - what ways are acceptable and advice needed
We feel that we have been called to adopt, for so very many reasons, and are now facing the massive financial responsibility that comes with adoption. We have decided on our country, after a great deal of research, and are committed. (While I appreciate the advice to adopt in the foster system, etc. it isn't an option for our family, for many reasons)
So - my question is this:
What are some legitimate ways to raise funds for such a venture?
DH doesn't want to have a formal fundraiser because he thinks it is too much work. (I headed one up about five years ago and to say it was time-consuming and stressful is a vast understatement). He also doesn't want to invite his co-workers or family to such an event because he's afraid of being judged and doesn't want them to think we're going through with something that we cannot afford. I think we should at least give them the information and let THEM decide if they want to participate/contribute. Long story - but ultimately, he's not budging, but is praying that the means will be provided for us. I believe we have to be proactive and we're trying to reach a compromise.
So - any ideas? (Aside from adoption loans and grants, which we will apply for, but aren't a very good guarantee). I know there are a lot of particulars on ebay now about fundraising, as well as raffles and the like. I just don't know what the guidelines are.
How about a p/t job? It's good that you're checking into loans, you can use the adoption tax credit to help pay them off. I know some families just take out a line of credit, then use the tax credit to pay it.
ETA, have you checked into adopting from the state? It doesn't cost a dime
__________________ “The real leader has no need to lead he is content to point the way” ~Henry Miller
Location: if this were the wrong decision you'd already know it
Posts: 40,909
Yes, we've looked into adopting domestically (and from the foster system) and we aren't eligible for a healthy child, nor one under the age of 6. While we know and understand the need for adoptions in situations like this, we feel that because of our family size, it would not be in the child's nor the family's best interest to take on a special needs older child at this time. It's sad - and it was a very difficult (prayer-led) decision, but it just isn't something we are able to do right now. (And the state will not allow us to take on a severely disabled child because we already have four children in the home, so they limited us as well). But, were we aware of the need earlier in our family-building, we certainly would have adopted from the foster system years ago.
eta: I also checked into some part time jobs, but because DH travels extensively and at the drop of a dime (and our lack of a support network at home for child care) I'm not able to commit to a regular schedule. <sigh>
Location: if this were the wrong decision you'd already know it
Posts: 40,909
Potentially...
I sew a little, nothing spectacular like some of the seamstresses here, though. It all seems like drops in the bucket, for a sum this large. Sometimes it is just overwhelming to imagine this much money all at once.
Oh I know what you mean. Even though Terrick is only 3 1/2 weeks old we also feel compelled to adopt down the road. I guess I should start saving now but there are alot of other things we need to save for first.
I am subscribing to this thread hoping you get good advice so down the road we can borrow it
__________________
Jackie
Mom to 5 boys: Tristan (9), Trevor (6), Taylon (3), Tevin 6/10/03, and Terrick born 4/30/05
Location: if this were the wrong decision you'd already know it
Posts: 40,909
Thanks, Jackie
Sometimes I feel nuts for doing this - well, I feel OTHERS feel I'm nuts
I feel at peace.
Some ideas I have thought of, but don't know how to go about doing them are:
A book (I have written this, it's an adoption book with a story about animals who adopt - I intended it to be cross-culture so that it would apply to many different adoptive families). I just don't know how to go about printing it and then distributing/selling it.
I thought about selling those rubber bracelets - but they're kind of out of vogue now
I desperately want to do another silent auction/dinner, and know I can, but DH won't go for it. We raised almost $5000 for another family doing this, but he says it's not cool to do it for ourselves.
I don't have any raising money ideas other than the regular ones (pt jobs or wahm or loans).
I wish someone had come up with a fundraiser for us when we adopted Daniel and Maylen from Peru and Bolivia!!! That would have rocked!
Although I've never heard of one, tell your dh that having a fundraiser is a walk in the park compared to the journey on which you are about to embark. If you are doing international adoption, a major fundraiser would be the easiest part of it.
I wish you the best and hope you come up with a solution. Our adoption journeys are precious. I hope it works out for you.
__________________
Denise
Mama of three by adoption and birth (ages 18, 15 and 13)
You said a part time job would be hard, but could you get a newspaper route?
I know that sounds so unfun or not cool, but twice now in our marriage we've done this. It's a pain because it makes a vacation difficult (arranging a substitute) but it really can bring in some good money.
We did it back when dh couldn't legally work - and it helped. Then we stopped. Now that we're trying to save some money, we just started up again. I really kind of enjoy it. It's early in the morning, the first two weeks were hard for me to get used to going to bed at a decent hour (9-10) and then getting up at 3. However I am used to it now, and I finish about 5 or 5.30 and can go home and go back to bed. It doesn't take time away from the family since they're all sleeping... and dh helps me on the weekends.
We do about 100 papers, and our check is usually around $300 every two weeks... won't make us rich, but not too shabby for two hours a day.
"When they came for the gypsies, I said nothing, because I wasn't a gypsy. When they came for the homosexuals, I said nothing, because I wasn't a homosexual. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Catholic......then they came for me, and there was no one left to defend me." -Christian Minister Niemoller
Location: if this were the wrong decision you'd already know it
Posts: 40,909
Great ideas - I'll have to look into the paper route. However, I'm not entirely sure how feasible it would be when DH is travelling - since I"d have to load four kids up in the car with me But, there are a few other "free" publications that might need distributors on evening hours or weekends that I could look into.
What kind of WAHM ventures are there that haven't been covered already?
Everyone seems so talented - and I can't really invest much into a "business" right now that has much overhead. But, surely there is SOMETHING!
throwing ideas out here..
yard sale some big items and declutter little stuff at the same time
maybe look into a housecleaning job where you clean someones house once or twice a week you could take your kids along with you and if they're old enough maybe they could help out
a bake sale
maybe you could put an ad out for babysitting occasionally, nights and weekends you can make some nice money!
What kind of WAHM ventures are there that haven't been covered already? Everyone seems so talented - and I can't really invest much into a "business" right now that has much overhead. But, surely there is SOMETHING!
Starting a WAHM business will likely not get you the kind of money you are looking for until you are well established. In many cases, you will be in the red for the first few years.
__________________
Look mom, I can fly!
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The US will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressor.
George W. Bush
January 2, 2005
_______________________________
maybe you could put an ad out for babysitting occasionally, nights and weekends you can make some nice money!
I have a friend who babysat for a few months (she would do late nights and overnights) and made enough money to cover her breast augmentation in a relatively short amount of time. It was a hassle at times to have more children around (her dh was even deployed at the time), but she wanted her BA badly enough to work through the issues that went along with babysitting of that nature. She has 4 children of her own.
Linear Mode
