adoption grants & loans
Home > Adoption Grants & Loans > How the Process Works
We realize international adoption can be expensive. Lifesong for Orphans (LS) encourages God’s people to adopt a child by relieving some of the financial burden of adoption – through grants and help in raising funds.
We offer “Matching Grants” (ranging from $1,000 - $4,000) to help mobilize the Body of Christ (your church, family, and friends) to come alongside you and make an eternal investment in the life of an orphan child!
This is a dollar-for-dollar match that serves as a catalyst in raising funds to help you cover adoption costs. LS enables financial contributions to be tax deductible to encourage generous support of your adoption.
We also offer “Interest-Free covenant loans up to the amount of the Federal Adoption Tax Credit (currently $13,170). Families enter into a covenant agreement to repay the loan through manageable monthly or annual payments by utilizing the tax credit.
Criteria for Grant
Our goal is for children to be adopted into traditional 2 parent Christian families. We determine the financial assistance to be given based upon the following criteria:
- Leading of the Holy Spirit
- Need of the child (special needs, older child, etc.)
- Financial need of prospective adoptive parents
- Referral and level of support from local church pastor/leadership
- Availability of funds in Lifesong
Process Overview:
- Please apply for a grant/loan when your “home study” is complete.
- Complete and submit an application requesting a Matching Grant, Interest Free Loan, Fundraising Support, or Both Hands.
- Lifesong will prayerfully consider your request for financial assistance and make a determination to approve or decline your request, indicating the specific amount (if approved).
- For matching grants, we will also establish a “goal-date” to have all funds received by Lifesong in order to be applied towards the ‘dollar-for-dollar’ Matching Grant. This goal date is typically 6-8 weeks from the time a grant is approved, but will vary according to each adoptive families needs.
- You develop a mailing list of 100-200 potential supporters. This group would include individuals from your church, family, friends, business contacts, co-workers, etc.
- Support Raising Kit – Each support raising ‘kit’ includes the following items. You will mail this kit in one envelope to each of your potential supporters.
a. Sample Support Letter – We will provide you with a sample “Support Letter” you will customize, briefly sharing how God has led you to adopt, where you are at in the adoption process, child’s information and pictures - inviting them to support you in prayer and financial gifts as led by the Lord.
b. Lifesong Letter of Support – We will provide you with a “Lifesong Letter of Support” letter from LS leadership that articulates God’s heart for orphan, the need, and our specific support of your adoption. We will explain our funding commitment and briefly how that works. This letter will be sent with your customized “Support Letter.” Our letter serves as a reinforcement of your request for prayer/financial support and may provide some ‘validation’ to the process. - Donated funds are sent directly to Lifesong and tax-deductible receipts are sent to each donor.
- Please send “Thank-You” notes to each of the individuals who have supported you financially. Lifesong can provide you with the list of donors to do this.
- Lifesong is a 501c3 non-profit organization and retains discretion and control over the use of all donations. Although this may cause some concern for families and donors, it is our intention to honor the wishes of donors as much as possible.
- Lifesong’s Grant monies will be available to be applied to your adoption expenses after your Goal Date. Payments will generally only be made to an adoption agency, homestudy agency, etc. In certain cases reimbursement can be made for expenses paid, with proper documentation.
- You send a follow-up letter to your supporters shortly after your child joins your family, along with a family picture so each supporter sees what God did in your adoption and can continue to pray for your family.
"Not only did your Adoption
Matching Grant provide us with
much of the final funding needed,
but it also enabled us to approach
our friends and family for help in
a way that excited them to participate in our undertaking."
— Doug and Michelle Mann