PSA for those thinking of adopting

I got this forward in my email today.  I have no reason to doubt its veracity, so I am passing it along:

Basically-- all the info you need to apply for a GRANT for up to $15K to help LGBT adoptive parents.

See here:



From: Help Us Adopt < helpusadopt@helpusadopt.org&gt;

To: sjweissman@aol.com

Sent: Tue, Sep 21, 2010 2:51 pm

Subject: Friend of Brian Ellner

HI Steven....

My name is Becky Fawcett and I am a friend of Brian Ellner....I am also co-founder & ececutive director of Helpusaodpt.org --a national 501c3 financial grant program that helps couples/individuals (including same sex couples) with the costs of their adoptions by awarding grants of up to $15,000. www.helpusadopt.org

I met with Brian yesterday because we are not receiving as many grant applications from the LGBT adoptive parent community as we would like. Since 2007 we have only been able to award one (out of 35) grant to a same sex couple and we would like to see our number of LGBT grants increase...but we're stuck--because without the applications we can't award the grants!!!


We are trying to network with lawyers who have LGBT clients and are involved in the field of adoption to let them know that we exist so that they can urge their clients to apply for a Helpusadopt.org grant! Brian suggested I be in touch with you to get some advice/direction/names of people I could be in touch with on this.....


Here is some basic info on our organization and our committment to LGBT adoptions:


Helpusadopt.org does not define family and supports LGBT adoptions!

Helpusadopt.org was created by adoptive parents Becky and Kipp Fawcett in 2007. The Fawcetts were so grateful for the fact that they had the financial means to adopt their son Jake in 2005 that they looked to make a donation to an existing organization that would help ease another family’s financial burden. However, what they found were organizations that defined family and adoption. Armed with this knowledge and their belief in family undefined, they decided to create a grant organization that does not define family or adoption --- Helpusadopt.org was born.

Helpusadopt.org is a national 501c3 financial grant program that helps couples/individuals (regardless of race, religion, gender, marital status and sexual orientation) with the costs of their adoptions (domestic, international, special needs or foster care) by awarding grants of up to $15,000.


Although Helpusadopt.org has received very few same sex couple applicants in the two years that they have been awarding grants (they actively seek more), in December of 2009 they awarded their first same sex couple grant to Caroline and Elizabeth from North Carolina. In their own words this is what they have to say about Helpusadopt.org:


“When my partner and I began looking at adoption grants, we didn’t think we’d ever get one. Many grant organizations openly favored heterosexual, married, Christian couples. Then I found Helpusadopt.org and I was encouraged to see that FINALLY, same-sex families were welcome to apply and that the average grant size was substantial ($7,500). Helpusadopt.org understands the challenges same-sex couples face when adopting and we are truly grateful that they exist to help families like ours! When so many other doors were closed to us, Helpusadopt.org’s door was open.â€


Helpusadopt.org awards $50,000 in grant money twice a year (June and December) and as we approach the deadline for our December 2010 round of grants (October 15th) we are frustrated to see that we do not have a single application from the LGBT community.


“We have the funds to award to LGBT couples seeking to adopt, but without the applications obviously we can’t award the grants.†States Becky Fawcett, executive director of Helpusadopt.org “The non-discrimination factor is one of the main premises on which we created and built Helpusadopt.org and I can’t for the life of me figure out why more LGBT couples aren’t applying, but I won’t stop trying until we are awarding LGBT grants on a regular basis.†continues Fawcett.

Fawcett, has retired from her PR firm, The Fawcett Group PR, to run Helpusadopt.org on a full time basis and pro-bono. “It’s really quite simple…..thiis is what I was born to do. But I’ll never take a penny from Helpusadopt.org---how could I? I am so grateful that I was able to adopt on my terms and it’s important to me to be able to turn around and help others achieve their dreams of parenthood.â€


Spend a few minutes with Becky Fawcett and you’ll see that she’s not only authentic; she’s determined to make a difference in the world of adoption, especially to families who have faced closed doors due to discrimination. She’s even walked away from donors who’ve asked her to adjust Helpusadopt.org’s definition of family.


Helpusadopt.org’s doors are wide open to the LGBT community….they’re just waiting for the applications!


For more information visit: www.helpusadopt.org for our grant application and the guidelines. Or call 917.684.5484 or email becky.fawcett@helpusadopt.org


Thank you for your time Steven and I look forward to hearing back form you!

all the best,


becky fawcett


--


Becky Fawcett
Co-Founder
Executive Director
Helpusadopt.org
917.684.5484
http://www.aninfertileblonde.com/ (my blog)