Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE FAMILY FORMATION CHARITABLE TRUST (“FFCT”)

The mission of the American Academy of Adoption Attorney Family Formation Charitable Trust is to provide financial assistance to those individuals and nonprofit organizations seeking to build families through adoption and assisted reproductive technology. The Trust is supported through a variety of fund raising efforts, including personal contributions of Fellows of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys, personal contributions of personal donors, corporate giving, grants, educational programs, and through charitable events.

The below Guidelines/FAQ are provided to give guidance surrounding the application and selection process. Please review this information carefully.

1. What is the range of the grant amounts?Grants will range from $500.00 to $2,000.00.

2. When will applications be reviewed and grants awarded?Applications will be reviewed by a grant review committee of the FFCT Board and awarded two times per year in conjunction with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (“AAAA”) Fall Conference in October and the AAAA Spring Conference in late April/early May. Grant applications submitted by September 1 will be considered in for the fall grant and the outcome of the application will be provided to the applicant by the end of October. Applications submitted by March 1 will be considered for the spring grant and the outcome of the application will be provided to the applicant by the end of April. The grant review committee reserves the right to interview the applicant by telephone and request additional information prior to making final decisions.

3. Who may apply?
The application process is open to individuals, or couples, seeking to build their family through adoption or assisted reproduction as well as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that serve individuals seeking to build their family through adoption or assisted reproduction.

Individual applicants and non-profit organizations are considered on two-different tracks and, as such, are considered separately by the selection committee.

Family members and close personal friends of the FFCT Board are prohibited from applying for grants.

4. Will applicants need to be a United States citizen?
At least one prospective parent in a relationship will be required to be a United States citizen.

5. Will the Trust consider or give preference to marital status, gender, race, creed, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or number of children in the home? 
No. The Trust does not consider or give preference to an applicant’s marital status, gender, race, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, political belief or physical handicap, or number of children in the home.

6. For organizations that apply for a grant, must they be a non-profit agency?
Yes, the organization must be a non-profit with a 501(c)(3) IRS designation. This designation must be submitted with the application.

7. Are the grants limited to certain types of adoptions or assisted reproductive technologies?
Grants will support both domestic and international adoptions. However, grants will not be considered for stepparent adoptions or second parent adoptions. Grants will also support all types of assisted reproductive technology services (“ART”) including, but not limited, to gestational surrogacy, traditional surrogacy, and egg, semen, and embryo donation matters.

8. Will the application be online and where should it be sent upon completion?The application is only available here on our Grant Application Page.  The application should be printed, completed, and then returned by US mail to the Academy Executive Administrator along with the application fee to Jennie Sullivan, Academy Executive Administrator, 859 Riverside Drive, Unit #11, Greenwood, IN 46142.

9. Is there an application fee?There is a $25.00 application fee payable by check required per application for both individuals and non-profit organizations.

10. In addition to the application and fee, what else must be submitted to complete the application process?Applicants must also submit:
(a) A statement (no more than 2500 words), which should outline the details of the individual adoption or ART procedure or organizational program the applicant is undergoing and why the applicant is seeking assistance;
(b) Verification of income for individuals in the form of a copy of tax returns from the past two (2) years and either a paystub or letter from employer demonstrating current income. For non-profit organizations, the most recent letter from an accountant referencing an independent audit has been completed and that the organization’s financial statements are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles should be submitted;
(c) Proof of Homestudy (for applicants seeking assistance for an adoption). There should be a statement from the homestudy provider stating that the applicant(s) has an approved homestudy that is current per the guidelines of the applicant’s home state.
(d) Two (2) personal references for all individual applicants, if not included as part of a homestudy.
(e) Applicants seeking assistance for an ART procedure must also include a letter from a physician verifying that the physician is assisting them with assisted reproduction.

11. Is a homestudy required to be submitted?For an individual applicant pursuing a grant to assist with a medical assisted reproduction technology matter, no homestudy is required. For an individual applicant pursuing a grant to assist with an adoption matter, the applicant must have a valid homestudy. The homestudy, however, does not need to be submitted. Rather, the applicant must provide a statement from the homestudy provider on their letterhead verifying that an applicant has an approved homestudy on file that is current per state guidelines.

12. For what may the financial assistance be used?The grant is intended to provide financial assistance for costs generally associated with the adoption and/or assisted reproduction process, including, but not limited to: court costs, home study fees, counseling fees, legal fees, other professional fees, travel fees, lab fees, agency fees, medication not covered by insurance, physician and/or medical provider fees, as well as pregnancy related expenses for birth parents as permitted by applicable state laws.

13. Will priority be given to certain types of adoptions (i.e., disrupted adoption, adoption dissolution, special needs adoption, foster care adoption, private adoption, international adoptions, etc.) or certain types of medical assisted reproduction technologies?No.

14. Will financial hardship be a requirement or rather just a consideration?For individuals, financial hardship is a major consideration in reviewing grant applications. However, no formal income guidelines are required to be met. For non- profit organizations, grants are expected to benefit individuals within particular programs rather than simply cover administrative costs.

15. Will the applicant be able to reapply if either denied or provided a grant? Applicants may reapply in either situation but can only submit one application per calendar year. An application fee must accompany every application.

16. May an applicant submit a request for financial assistance for an adoption or ART case that is already completed?Yes, so long as the adoption or ART case has been finalized/completed within the last year. Please note, however, that applications are reviewed on a case by case basis with an emphasis on the considerations noted above.

17. When must the grant be used by the recipient?Grants must be used by the recipient within eighteen (18) months of receipt. The FFCT reserves the right to request a refund of the grant if the conditions under which the grant was awarded are not fulfilled or that the grant was not timely utilized. If the grant recipient abandons their adoption/ART plan or does not timely utilize the grant, the recipient agrees to so notify the FFCT in writing and return the grant money for future distribution.