How do you make adoption financially possible? For many hopeful adoptive families, the cost of adoption can feel like one of the biggest obstacles to growing their family. But there are resources, strategies, and creative ways to help make adoption more attainable.
In this episode of Let’s Talk Adoption, Kim and Heather welcome Kelly Ellison, an adoptive mom, financial coach, and nationally recognized adoption funding expert. Kelly shares practical advice on finding adoption grants, navigating the application process, and exploring fundraising opportunities to help families raise the money needed to adopt.
With more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Kelly founded Your Adoption Finance Coach in 2013. Since then, she has helped more than 20,000 families raise over $22 million toward their adoptions. She also founded Vesta for Families in 2018 and brings a wealth of knowledge about nonprofit funding, financial planning, and adoption fundraising.
Whether you’re just beginning to explore adoption or are already working toward bringing your child home, this conversation offers encouragement and practical steps to help you approach the financial side of adoption with greater confidence.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
- Where to find adoption grants and how to identify funding opportunities.
- What makes a family a good candidate for an adoption grant.
- How to approach grant applications and make your application stand out.
- Fundraising ideas for adoptive families, including ways to think beyond traditional crowdfunding.
- Common mistakes families make when pursuing adoption grants and fundraising.
- Practical first steps for creating an adoption fundraising plan.
Meet Our Guest: Kelly Ellison
Kelly Ellison is an adoptive mom, certified trainer, financial coach, and founder of Your Adoption Finance Coach and Vesta for Families. She holds an MBA from Rockhurst University and previously hosted Your Adoption Coach Radio. Through her work, Kelly has helped thousands of families navigate the financial challenges of adoption and find ways to fund their family-building dreams.
Sponsored by the Lifetime Adoption Foundation
This episode of Let’s Talk Adoption is sponsored by the Lifetime Adoption Foundation, which supports birth mothers who have chosen adoption for their children and provides educational scholarships to birth mothers who have placed a child for adoption.
Continue the Conversation
Listen to more encouraging conversations about adoption, parenting, birth mothers, and the adoption process by visiting our Episodes page.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our conversation with Kelly Ellison as we continue exploring adoption funding strategies and resources for hopeful adoptive families.
