As Giving Tuesday approaches, we’re unsure whether more folks might wonder how to donate to an adoption agency, or why adoption agencies might even be worthy of donations?
Either is a question that’s surely worth asking.
How to Donate to an Adoption Agency
The “how” is easy: to donate to Abrazo, you can either send or drop off a tax-deductible donation of any amount, or donate via our website using a credit card, or make an in-kind donation.
On Giving Tuesday, which is always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Facebook is contributing 8 million dollars to match donations to qualified nonprofits 11/30/21 (starting midnight, until the matching funds run out, which happens fast, considering how many nonprofits are competing for those funds.) Click the link above to donate right now!
However, the truth is that nearly all nonprofit agencies have struggled to stay afloat through the pandemic, so gifts of any amount are gratefully welcomed at Abrazo, at any time.
Before donating, you’ll want to verify that the adoption agency you’re supporting is a bonafide nonprofit, or 501c3 organization– as Abrazo is. Make sure you know it’s a licensed agency, as Abrazo is. And find out how much of your gift will go directly to the organization (100% of the proceeds of donations to Abrazo made via Facebook go to the organization directly, vs. gifts made to PayPal, which keeps a small percentage as a processing fee.)
Some folks help by selecting Abrazo as their chosen charity in the Amazon Smile program. One friendly soul recently designated Abrazo their chosen charity for a percentage of all their eBay sales. We’re so touched by this person’s desire to help. Some Abrazo adoptees and birthparents have even “donated” their birthdays to raise money for Abrazo on social media. (Even if you have nothing to give, posting a positive online review is an appreciated donation of your time.)
Every bit counts, and we’re grateful for every kind soul that cares enough to help.
Not Just Monetary Contributions are Needed
If you’re considering making a material donation, do contact the nonprofit in advance to find out if it’s a gift that program can truly put to good use. Abrazo recently received a donation of boxes of new stuffed animals purchased by a generous adoptive father who wanted our visitors to our playroom, Chase’s Castle, to have a toy of their own to take home with them– a more appreciated gift, of course. Abrazo families have much appreciated the use of a high-end stroller, high chair and car seats donated last year by the orthodontist who cares for our executive director’s sons. A friend of our paralegal, who owns a clothing boutique, recently came by with bags of new and gently-used women’s clothing, which brought much joy to birthmoms in need of post-birth wardrobe additions. And thanks to an AbrazoMom whose company had a surplus order on-hand, Abrazo has enough donated plastic name-tag holders to get us through to the Tricentennial. (Toys, office supplies, maternity clothes, baby items, and women’s care products can always be put to good use here– while offers of used boats, nonlocal timeshares, or aging livestock cannot.)
People sometimes inquire about volunteering at an adoption agency? Indeed, Abrazo has been blest to have Dr. Jan Faulk-Eggleston, an adoptive mom, volunteering with Abrazo weekly and selflessly, for more than a year. Volunteers have to be able to pass a criminal background check, TB test and commit to confidentiality, so Abrazo is only able to accept a very limited number of in-office volunteers. We can also put out-of-office volunteers to good work, too, though, and we’re thankful for our out-of-office volunteers Karlee and Sammy Sue and Lala, who have helped with outreach this past year.
But why would adoption agencies need donations, anyway?
It’s easy to assume that adoption agencies are rolling in big money, especially when you hear what the average adoption costs, nowadays. However, deduct how much of that is being paid for attorneys’ fees, medical care and birthparent housing and care, then factor in the costs of advertising, insurance, and office overhead, and you begin to understand why small honest nonprofits are struggling.
And that’s before one even considers all the extra, free programming and support services offered by small nonprofits like Abrazo– such as our Birthmother’s Homecoming retreat, our Camp Abrazo summer reunion, our annual birthmother scholarship campaign, the GED programs, and our Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas stocking drive each year. Or our keep-in-touch campaigns with incarcerated birthdads and birthmoms, our care packages to special needs families, our relief grants for parents who have lost their housing in natural disasters, and our compassionate aid to parents suffering fetal demise or miscarriages. None of this is aid that adoption agencies are required to provide, and very little of it is offered by programs other than Abrazo. But all of it is funded through the generous gifts and grants given to Abrazo by our loyal friends and supporters each year.
Adoption agencies aren’t getting rich– at least, the truly good ones aren’t (nor should they.) We have no corporate funding source, no multimillion dollar endowments, and no holdings other than our used furniture and rebuilt computers. Since 1994, when we first opened, Abrazo has been dedicated to doing more with less, and going the extra mile on behalf of our clients. Our greatest asset is our people– our staff, and our clients and alumni– and we are truly grateful for the support of our community, which helps us do so much more than any other local adoption agency does.
So as the holidays approach, please keep the best little adoption agency in Texas in mind, as you consider end-of-year giving. If you need more information on how to donate to an adoption agency or why that agency should be Abrazo, just contact our office for additional details.
