Ways To Fund Your Surrogacy Journey

We can all agree that a lot can be spent on a surrogacy journey whether it be time, patience,

emotions and of course money. A major part of deciding whether to move forward with a

surrogacy journey is cost and whether it fits in your family planning budget. Hearing the mere

price tag of a surrogacy journey can be intimidating as the average surrogacy journey can cost

between $100,000- $190,000 depending on the state and surrogacy agency that you have

chosen for your journey (we highly recommend using a surrogacy agency to help protect both

intended parents and surrogate throughout the process). While there is no one-size-fits-all

solution to funding your surrogacy journey, we have compiled a list of ways that may assist you

in getting a little closer to your baby via surrogacy.  

Donations 

When it comes to receiving donations, the hardest part can be mustering up the courage to ask!

However, friends and family can be a good place to start. If you are not comfortable asking

directly, you can create a fundraising page such as GoFundMe or a Facebook Fundraiser and

invite friends and family to check it out! Once people hear about the challenges intended

parents may have starting a family, they often want to help. If you share your story and describe

how the money will be used, they are more likely to donate to your cause. 

This same approach also applies for in-kind donations from services and businesses such as

fertility centers and even fertility attorneys. Some fertility clinics and services may offer a certain

number of donated services per year for intended parents who otherwise would not be able to

afford a surrogacy journey. But, you’ll have to ask!

Grants & Scholarships

Grants and scholarships exist! And they are a great option to help defray a portion or in some

cases all of the cost of a surrogacy journey. We advise you to do as much research as possible

to understand deadlines, requirements and the criteria for each award. The great news is that

there are some amazing foundations whose sole mission is to help provide intended parents

with financial assistance to build a family using assisted reproductive technology. While a good

Google search for “Surrogacy Grants” is a great place to start, we have provided a few

foundations whose funds can be applied to surrogacy. Be sure to read the qualifications and

requirements of use for the grants as some may require that funds be applied to specific areas

of treatment on a surrogacy journey.

Gift of Surrogacy: https://www.giftofsurrogacyfoundation.org/ 

Cade Foundation: https://cadefoundation.org/ 

Hope for Fertility: https://www.hopeforfertility.org/ 

Baby Quest: https://babyquestfoundation.org/ 

Surrogacy Miracles Family Foundation: https://surrogacymiraclesconsulting.org/foundation/ 

The application process is different for each foundation, so be sure to read the instructions before applying. 

Fundraising 

You may wonder, what’s the difference between asking for donations and hosting a fundraiser.

The key difference is that a fundraiser offers something in return for donations. Some ideas

include: 

A Puzzle Fundraiser: Purchase a puzzle, and “sell” each puzzle piece for a certain

amount. For each piece “purchased” place the purchaser’s name on the back. Once each piece

is purchased, frame the puzzle and hang it in your home.  

A T-shirt Fundraiser: Create a T-shirt campaign, design and sell shirts. Some examples

of companies that provide this service include Bonfire, Everpress, Printful, and Custom Ink 

Fertility Financing

We like to think of financing your surrogacy journey as investing in your future family. Fertility

financing includes budget friendly monthly payment options that can cover some or all of your

journey with a loan to be paid back over time with interest. They require an online application

and may be able to provide approval within hours. These financing solutions cover various types

of fertility treatments and can provide direct payment to your service providers within days.

Some fertility financing options include: Lending Club, CapexMD, Prosper, New Life.

Additionally, some agencies may offer their own financing programs.

Reduced Agency & Clinic Costs 

There may be an opportunity for intended parents to receive reduced rates from their agency or clinic. Some agencies provide incentives to decrease costs, offer payment plans and/or fee

schedules to make payments more manageable for intended parents. While this may not be a

guarantee, it’s worth an ask when signing up with your agency or clinic. 

Employer Benefits

More employers than ever have added fertility benefits as part of their health coverage which

may include surrogacy. Take a look at your employer benefits package to check for coverage of

fertility treatments but, be sure to ask your insurance provider if the costs of fertility treatment,

medication or procedures also apply for a surrogate or a surrogacy journey. In some cases, it

may only apply for fertility treatments specifically for the intended parents, which can still assist

with the cost of doing an egg retrieval or creating embryos before a transfer with your surrogate.

We hope you found this information helpful! There are many ways to fund a surrogacy journey

and above are just a few ways to consider on your path to parenthood.