adoption funding 4/26/14
TRANSCRIPT
Financing Adoption:
Innovative Funding Solutions and How The Church Can RespondRich Metcalfe
Adoption is all about God
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. Psalm 68:5-6
In you the orphan finds mercy. Hosea 14:3
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17
Pure and genuine religion if the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27
What about us?
Adoption is a picture of the GospelFor as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:14-16But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-6
“For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills...” Psalm 50:10“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25,26
One last thought…
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:5 and 9
A person who pleads for a cause
Advocate
someone who expounds or interprets
Exponent
person who uses the mind creatively
Intellectual
highly cultured or educated
Highbrow
So, when we fundraise we remember that we are being an Advocate…… a person who pleads for
the cause of orphans or expounds and explains their
plight by using the mind creatively in an
intellectually appealing and highly cultured manner!
Why is this important?...
The “Wyatt’s” of the world are why it’s important!…
Wyatt – orphaned in Lithuania Born with:
Cleft lip & palate
1 finger on each hand
2 toes on each foot
Severe hearing loss
Congenital heart defect
Wyatt in orphanage
Wyatt – in CA hospital after adoption
Rock climbing?
A Father to the fatherless…
God truly…
“sets the lonely into families….”
- Psalm 68:5,6
Financial Need & Resources The Cost of the adoption - often the greatest challenge
Overview of the Costs of Adoption
Domestic Adoption – $8-35k + International Adoption - $25-$45k +
Adoption Funding Solution Tools
1. Direct Grants
2. Matching Grants
3. Interest-Free Loans
4. Fundraising Support (gifts, donations without a grant/loan)
Direct Grants
Direct gift to cover adoption expenses
www.showhope.org & others
Adoption Matching Grants Matching Grants of up to $4,000/per child ($2,000-$3,000 average)
Kingdom Activity: see adoption as “missions in reverse”…bringing the mission field home
LS offers a $1-for-$1 match – mobilizes the Body of Christ!
Lifesong provides ‘Adoption Support Raising’ kit E.g. Harlow family - $2500 Matching Grant – raised over $11K
Average Scenario: Matching Grant of $2,500 - mobilizes an additional $5,000 - average total grant funds for your adoption = $7500
*Key Strategy: mobilizes Body of Christ and leverages funds to bridge financial gap
Adoption Matching Grants – the process Opportunity to glorify God and mobilize the Body of Christ Invite others to invest in the Kingdom Overview of Process
Couple shares adoption journey & making needs known (i.e. letter, blog, Facebook, etc.)
Matching Grant $ amount – adds significant momentum Lifesong writes Letter of Support – (adds validity to grant/support raising) People can donate tax-deductible gifts to Lifesong ‘preferencing’ an
adoption if done appropriately RESULT!:
Church body becomes engaged – not just financially, but prayerfully, etc. Funds are distributed to adoption agency on the child’s behalf
100% of donations allocated to adoption grants – no administrative costs!
Federal Adoption Tax Credit Currently there is a federal adoption tax credit
of up to $12,970 per child for unreimbursed “qualified adoption expenses.”
See IRS Tax Topic 607: Adoption Credit (www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html), which provides general information about the current federal adoption tax credit.
Note: Please be sure to consult your tax adviser for additional information and to understand how the federal adoption tax credit works and may impact you.
Interest-Free Loan
Maximizes stewardship by utilizing Federal Adoption Tax Credit – reducing the initial, upfront ‘cash-flow crunch’
An Interest-Free Loan allows a family to capture $12,970 Federal Tax Credit
Couples sign a covenant agreement to repay Monthly or Annually (can use Fed Tax Credit to repay loan)
The loan is repaid & then circulated to another family
*Key Strategy: funds become self-sustaining, where the loan repayments each month/year help to fund new families
How does an “Adoption Fund” fit with your church mission/vision?
Meet Needs – Orphans find homes, Families are assisted, Churches become more active
Share Jesus – Adoption provides an opportunity to share the Gospel
Encourage Others – We are able to put our faith in action, to develop relationships and encourage & support others
Live out Loud – As we care for orphans and help with adoption, the community around us see the body of Christ at work
Top 3 common ‘barriers’ & their solutions… Barrier: Church staff “plate is already full” to administer fund
Solution: Lifesong can manage/facilitate the Fund & carry the administrative load on behalf of church, using mutually agreed upon criteria (reviewing applications, accounting, donor receipts, disbursing funds on behalf of adoption, etc.)
Barrier: Church feels uncomfortable/awkward approving/denying their own families (viewing financials, etc.) Solution: Lifesong can provide all the screening, reviewing, approving/denying as
a ‘partner’ on behalf of the church, using mutually agreed upon criteria for those decisions
Barrier: Adoption Fund is unfamiliar territory Solution: Lifesong has passion, and expertise in adoption funding processes,
maximize stewardship, use existing grant/loan procedures, IRS approved, ECFA approved (establishes financial integrity & avoids recreating the wheel)
Administration of Adoption Funds for Church at no cost to Church or Fund!
What are you good at? What do you enjoy?
Construction
Teaching/Education
Relationships
Letter writing
Entrepreneurship
Accounting
Medical
Team building
Technology
Photography/
videography
Running/Walking/
Cycling
Managing and Organization Skills
Funding Tool
Help a WIDOW & ORPHAN!
Innovative tool to remove financial barrier A team fixes up a widow’s home Renovation provided for free to widow (donated labor & construction
materials) Sponsorship donations help fund adoption expenses
How does this help fund adoptions? 100% of donated sponsorships are used for adoption expenses Disbursed as Adoption Grant & Adoption Loan (thru Lifesong)
Other fund raising ideas:
- Spaghetti suppers / meals- Family fun days- Coffee / Shirt sales- Skill / Gift auctions- Yard sales- Bingo Night- 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney- 147 Million Orphans
www.147millionorphans.com
- …
Real life example – Scott & Jennifer Adopting 1 yr old, cleft lip, India (already had 2
children in family)
Adoption Cost: $31,350 $3,300 – from savings $10,000 – withdrew from retirement fund $2,500 – adoption Matching Grant (from Lifesong) $12,906 – donated, result of Matching Grant $3,000 – adoption grant from Katlyn’s Fund $2,000 – unexpected property tax refund $300 – garage sale proceeds that friend held
Real life example – Tim & Susan Adopted 2 yr old, China (already had 5 children in family)
Adoption Cost: $25,050 $2,000 gift from their church $2,000 savings $2,000 sold personal items $3,000 Matching Grant (given by Lifesong) $9,716 donated, result of matching grant $1,000 result of giver after reading newsarticle $2,000 (2) anonymous givers $1,000 each $3,500 sister donated FF miles to pay for flights/airfare
Other Grant Organizations… www.showhope.org www.lifesongfororphans.org (matching grants, direct grants) www.carolinespromise4u.org (North Carolina only) www.ggam.org (matching grants) www.micahfund.org (Midwest only – black & bi-racial adoptions) www.nafadopt.org www.achildwaits.org www.ourcreatorshope.com www.lydiafund.org (International Adoptions) www.katelynsfund.org www.hadassahshope.org www.cadmanfoundation.org
Other Tools & Ideas…
Tax Credits Federal (as mentioned previously) State
Employer Adoption Assistance A number of companies have adoption assistance
programs built into their benefits with some providing between $2,000--$10,000
The military provides $2,000 www.adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org
While Jesus was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14:3-9
While Jesus was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14:3-9
I did what I could.
You did what you could.
We did what we could.
What if…
3 Options - in Creating an Adoption Fund
1. Church CREATES own 501(c)3 (non-profit organization)
2. Church MANAGES own funds, donations, distributions, screening, qualifying, etc.
3. Church PARTNERS with a group like Lifesong for Orphans, ABBA Fund, etc. to administer the fund on behalf of the Church
www.showhope.org for more info on these options
Option #1 - Creating own 501(c)3 Organization
Option #2 – Manage Fund in-house Setting Your Course
Questions for creating grant guidelines What types of adoptions will we fund? Who is eligible? How far along in the process must families be in order to
apply? What percentage of the total adoption expenses will this
grant supply? Who on the team will make the grant decisions? How will the funds be disbursed? What if any follow-up will be required from grant families?
Managing accounting, donation receipting, verifying qualified
expenses, funds disbursement, IRS guidelines, etc.
Option # 3 – Partnering with an Organization to Administer the Fund
Benefits of using a Funding Partner Flexibility - church can be as involved or uninvolved as desired
Speed - a fund can be established in 1-2 days
Administratively easy – partner will facilitate the Fund and provide administration (at no cost to the Church or Fund)
Qualify/approve families (based on mutually agreed upon criteria) Administer the Funds, as agreed by Church/Lifesong partnership Disburse funds on behalf of adoption expenses Provide tax-deductible receipts, mailings, accounting records
Reports - full transparency in QuickBooks, and Fund Reports & Status given as often as Church desires
100% of Donations Allocated to Fund - no admin costs deducted
“Win-Win-Win” situation – Church is actively seen as engaged in adoption ministry; financial roadblock is removed for family; orphan child is adopted; with little/no admin burden for church
Synergy - We can do more together than sometimes can be done on our own