EDISON, NJ - Middlesex County College (MCC) will be hosting its 8th Annual Casino Night at the college center, at the Edison Campus, on February 22, from 5:30 p.m. If you are an adult and above the legal age for gambling, and more importantly if you have the money to indulge, there is no dearth of options at the casino. Here are a few ideas to make the most of your time at our casino: Place your bets and use your skills to play a game of Poker with some interesting players.

It is no secret, adoption can be very expensive.However, there are several ways to ease the expense. Here is my list ofadoption grants you should apply for. These are in no particular order. I don’thave any personal affiliation to any of them nor does Adopting.org have anypersonal affiliation to them. I also added some other ideas on how you canafford an adoption.

Before I get too far into my list, I also wantto advise you that there are severaldifferent types of grants. Twodifferent types that I am familiar with are fundraising grants and directgrants. What is the difference? Fundraising grants are simply that, you raisethe money. Direct grants are grants offered by an organization that gifts youthe money, free and clear.

Fundraising Grants

Fundraising grants allow people to make atax-deductible donation toward your adoption. There are several websites thatallow this to be accomplished; this is usually called adoption crowdfunding. Ihighly suggest you do your research and choose the site you feel the mostcomfortable with.

We started the adoption process back in 2012 andstarted fundraising through an organization called Ordinary Hero. They havechanged the way they do things a little since then but they have a greatfundraising tool for adoptions and mission trips. You can check them out at their website. You sign up to be anaffiliate and whenever someone purchases products from the market, you receive30 percent of the sales. This was a really great tool for us and a lot of ourfamily bought things that would then be given to the children in Ethiopia, soit was a double win!

However, there are several crowdfunding sitesout there now. One really nice feature of these sites is that it allows peopleto make a tax-deductible donation and some sites allow a monthly giving option.As you all know, some adoptions can be a very lengthy process. This allows youto raise more money for a longer period of time. This can be a win-win for allinvolved!

In addition to fundraising grants, there is also the possibility of just fundraising to offset some of your adoption costs. Some of those ideas include, but certainly are not limited to, the following: creating adoption T-shirts and selling them, personal fundraiser letters sent to family and friends, creating adoption bracelets and selling them, having a garage sale, having a bake sale, having a cookout to sell food, silent or online auctions, toy auction, offering gift wrapping around the holidays, creating a run/walk, cookbook fundraiser, ice cream social, chili cook-off, fantasy football/baseball/etc., March Madness, barn dance, casino night, murder mystery night, bingo night, car wash, paint party, karaoke party, and many, many more. Get creative and know that nothing is really off-limits if you feel comfortable doing it and it will bring people to your event!

Direct Grants

Before you begin, I highly suggest you beprepared. Most adoption grants require you to fill out extensive paperwork.This can feel burdensome and overwhelming. The more information you are able toobtain beforehand and be prepared to fill out, the easier the process will be.Grants will be awarded in various amounts depending on each organization. Thesefunds can be used to pay adoption-related expenses for domestic, international,foster care and/or embryo adoption costs. You can apply for as many adoptiongrants as you want, just remember it does take a lot of time to complete eachapplication.

How does the adoption grant process work?

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As indicated above each adoption grant has itsown set of requirement in order for you to apply for them. They also have theirown application and paperwork process. Make sure to read each grant carefully and apply for the one thatwill best suit your specific situation. Once your application is submitted, thegrant organization will review your application and will award grants as theydeem appropriate. Be aware that you will not receive every grant you apply for.Each organization usually has a limit of funds they give out at any given time.Do not let this stop you from applying for another grant or continue applyingfor grants. You never know when you will receive a grant!

Once you are notified that you will be receiving a specific grant, they will then deposit the funds with your adoption agency/organization. These funds then will be applied to any outstanding balances you owe to the agency. This was a great financial relief for us. We only did the fundraising grant and received one small grant from our adoption agency, but even with those, it was a huge saving in our adoption costs. I highly recommend applying for adoption grants!

List of Adoption Grants:

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Here is a list of adoption grants that I felt drawn to and I found to be easy to apply for. Please note there are several other adoption grants available. A simple Google search will result in hundreds if not thousands of adoption grants available. Some are specific to your type of adoption or where you live. I highly suggest you do your own research and find ones that pertain to your specific adoption. I will also remind you that I am not affiliated with any of these organizations.

Adoption Hope Foundation

Adoption Hope Foundation is a grant directed at families from the state of Connecticut. They award grants varying from $500–$15,000 to help offset the cost of adoption. Grants are awarded three times a year in February, June, and October. In order to apply, you must have a valid home study and be working with an accredited adoption agency. You must also be a U.S. citizen and reside in the state of Connecticut. Your application must also be submitted prior to the placement of a child. For more information, check them out at their website.

Be The One

Be The One provides $500 grants to families inthe states of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The board of Be The One meetsquarterly to review and disperse grants. In order to apply, you must have aletter from your adoption agency stating that you are in the process ofpursuing an adoption. You must also provide a letter from your home churchpastor recommending you for the grant. You also need to provide a list of theadoption expenses as provided by your adoption agency, including what has beenpaid, if anything. Lastly, you need to print and sign a copy of Be The One’sStatement of Faith. For more information, you can check them out at their website.

Dream4Adoption

Dream4Adoption is a non-profit organization that awards adoption grants in the amount of $1,500 directly to your adoption agency. They also provide an additional $500 once you complete the post-adoption process. Dream4Adoption offers grants twice a year, May through September and November through March. In order to apply for their adoption grant, you must complete their application, complete and sign their consent form, submit three 500-word reference letters, submit a family photo, submit two recent paystubs, a 2,500-word essay, and a check for $35. This adoption grant does require you to pay the $35 fee. Some adoption grants have a cost associated to them and some don’t. This offsets some of their costs of providing the grants. Make sure you know if there is a fee associated with the grant you are applying for. For more information, check them out at their website.

Forever Families Foundation

Forever Families Foundation is a non-profitChristian ministry that was started in 2013 to help provide financialassistance to Christian families who are adopting domestically orinternationally. In order to apply for this grant you need to be completing aspecial needs adoption or an older child, ages 5 and older. You must also havea completed home study and be working with an agency that is a non-profit.Lastly, your household income must not exceed $100,000. Awards for this grantare given out on a case-by-case basis. Application deadlines are April 30, 2019,and December 31, 2019. For more information, check them out at their website.

Gift of Adoption Fund

Gift of Adoption Fund awards grants of up to$10,000 monthly to qualified applicants. There is not an application deadline.However, you must have completed your home study and not have completedfinalization. Gift of Adoption Fund provides grants to families who arepursuing both domestic and international adoptions. You must be a U.S. citizenand must show a need for financial need. For more information, check them outat their website.

Helpusadopt.org

Helpusadopt.org awards a grant four times a year. The deadlines for postmarking are as follows: December 7, March 23, June 8, and September 7. In order to receive their grants at least one applicant has to be a U.S. citizen, must have a completed home study, must not be pregnant, must demonstrate a financial need, must be working with a licensed adoption agency or attorney, and the adoption must not yet be finalized. For more information, check them out at their website.

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Kids of Kyla

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Kids of Kyla awards grants to families who arepursuing adoption or are under the care of a licensed infertility specialist.Priority is given to families who live in the state of Colorado, however, it isopen to other states. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, must demonstrate a needfor financial assistance, must show they are committed to raising additionalneeded funds, and must complete their application process. Their applicationprocess includes an application, checklist, monthly budget, net worth, signedauthorizations, completed essay questions, two years of tax returns and aletter on clinic letterhead (if pursuing infertility treatments/grants). Formore information, check them out at theirwebsite.

The Never Alone Foundation

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The Never Alone Foundation offers grants twice ayear. The next deadline is June 15, 2019. NAF only offers grants to familieswho are adopting internationally. You must have a completed home study and youmust not yet have completed the adoption process. Grant money is not allowed tobe used for travel purposes. Grant awards vary in amounts and are sent directlyto the adoption agency. Grants also must be utilized within 12 months of theaward date. If the money has not been used, it must be returned to thefoundation. All grant recipients will be required to submit a follow-up reportat six months and 12 months following the grant award; it must includestatements from the adoption agency, therapist(s), and/or medical serviceproviders to allow the foundation to see how the grant award is being utilized.

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Make sure you also check with your adoptionagency to see if they offer any grants. Our agency offered a small $500 grant,but remember every dollar and every penny counts!

Adoptions are expensive. I don’t want someone to be discouraged by that statement. It is true, they are expensive, but there are so many ways to offset those costs. Affording an adoption is possible. I urge you to apply for as many adoption grants as you are able to in order to offset some of the costs associated with adoptions and/or infertility treatments. As mentioned above, I do not have any personal affiliation with the above-mentioned grants but I found them to cover a lot of areas and needs. I encourage you to do your own research and see what grants you find. Maybe some will be the same, maybe some will be different. There are hundreds if not thousands of agencies, organizations, and people out there who have spent a lot of time, energy, and money to be able to provide financial assistance to those pursuing adoption. Good luck to you in the future, and I hope you receive a grant to help offset the costs.