If you’re hoping to adopt, you already know one of the biggest hurdles: cost. Domestic adoptions can range from $20,000 to $45,000 or more. That’s why so many hopeful parents turn to adoption fundraiser ideas to help close the gap — and they work.
We’ve helped thousands of families adopt since 1986, and we’ve seen couples raise $5,000, $15,000, even $30,000 through creative, community-driven fundraising. Below, we share 15+ adoption fundraiser ideas — from simple lemonade stands to high-yield crowdfunding campaigns — that have helped real families bring their children home. And remember: raising funds for adoption doesn’t have to be done alone. Your community wants to help. Let them.
Quick Answer: Best Adoption Fundraiser Ideas
The most effective adoption fundraiser ideas include:
(1) Crowdfunding via GoFundMe or AdoptTogether, (2) Custom adoption T-shirts, (3) Drive-through BBQ, (4) Taco Night, (5) Bath bomb sales, (6) Suitcase fundraiser, (7) Lemonade stand, (8) Fantasy football league, (9) Yard/garage sale, (10) Virtual auction.
Combining online and in-person methods raises the most funds fastest.
1. Crowdfunding: The Highest-Yield Adoption Fundraiser
One of the more popular adoption fundraiser ideas we’ve seen lately is crowdfunding. Crowdfunding offers an effective way to raise funds by asking many individuals to contribute, typically in modest amounts. It is often facilitated through online platforms that seamlessly integrate with social networking sites, facilitating easy sharing of fundraisers among supporters.
Among the most widely used crowdfunding platforms for adoption are GoFundMe, AdoptTogether, Honeyfund, and AdoptionBridge.
When using crowdfunding, it’s crucial to articulate your adoption journey with clarity and sincerity. Share your motivations, financial needs, and ways for others to participate wholeheartedly.
Additionally, some crowdfunding sites operate on an “all-or-nothing” basis, meaning that you need to reach your fundraising goal to access any funds. Therefore, it’s important to thoroughly review and comprehend the guidelines, terms, and conditions of your chosen platform before starting your campaign.
2. Matching Gift Campaign
Ask one generous family member, friend, or family advocate to pledge a matching gift — for example, “I’ll match every dollar raised up to $2,000 during the month of October.” Matching campaigns create urgency and double the impact of every donation.
Announce the match on your crowdfunding page and social media. Donors love knowing their contribution will be doubled.
3. Adoption T-shirts: A Fun Way to Spread the Word & Raise Funds
Another fun adoption fundraising idea is to sell adoption t-shirts, and this has become one of the most popular adoption fundraising ideas. First, find an economical t-shirt vendor. Next, design your adoption shirt and set the cost. Here are some ideas for adoption slogans to put on the t-shirt:
- Love. Hope. Adopt. #larsonfamily
- Families Don’t Have to Match
- Love Makes a Family
- Family Ever After
- You Were Born in Our Heart
One online t-shirt fundraising site, Bonfire, gives you a risk-free way to create and sell custom t-shirts. They do not charge you any upfront costs or shipping, and you do not have to keep an inventory of shirts at your home. Bonfire prints and delivers the t-shirts to your supporters!
If you have time to keep track of inventory and shipping, you can manage your t-shirt fundraiser yourself using Fund The Nations. This company has a wonderful selection of pre-made adoption designs or they can customize shirts just for you.
Share your link for the t-shirt fundraiser site on Instagram and Facebook so your friends and family can order them. You can also sell the shirts at a local craft fair or your church’s bake sale. Be sure to have your entire family wear the shirts so they can advertise your fundraising.
4. Drive-Through BBQ
Putting on a drive-through barbecue is a fun way for your friends and loved ones to get involved, and help you out in your adoption journey. Here are some tips to get you started…
It’s smart to plan and organize everything as much as possible. Consider whether you’ll cook the meat ahead of time and then re-heat it, or barbecue on-site on the day of your fundraiser. Decide on what sides or appetizers you’ll include. Some ideas include dinner rolls, salad, or beans. Also, you’ll want to sell tickets, so you get a good idea of how much meat to barbecue.
If you need a grill or smoker, ask around. “I borrowed a smoker from one of my church friends who had his made a few years ago. The smoker is huge; it has 4 racks!” shares one adoptive mom, Cindy.
Enlist people to help you out. Your friends and family could assist you with tasks like unloading supplies, making side dishes, barbequing the meat, serving, and spreading the word about your event. Using Facebook to market your barbecue fundraiser to your local community is a great idea. You can advertise it for free by creating a Facebook Event!
Barbecue your own meat or chicken; it’ll allow you to keep more of the profits from your adoption fundraiser. You could tell your grocery store what you’re buying all the meat for. They may even give you a volume discount once they hear it’s for a fundraiser to adopt a baby.
5. Taco Night
Some adoptive families have hosted a taco night for their fundraiser. Tacos are relatively cheap to make, and most everyone likes them!
Find an inexpensive venue to host your event, like a church basement or outdoor park. Create a menu and buy the food. Be sure to post your Taco Night information on Instagram or Facebook, so your friends and family know the date and time.
Decorate the venue with colorful balloons and streamers, and hang signs that say, “Thank you for helping us welcome our baby home through adoption!” Sell the taco plates for anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on whether people add rice and beans to their tacos.
6. Virtual Auction
Reach supporters who can’t attend in-person events with a virtual auction. Ask local businesses to donate items or experiences — restaurant gift cards, spa treatments, handmade goods, sports tickets.
Set up the auction on a platform like 32auctions.com or BetterUnite, and promote it heavily on Facebook and Instagram for 7–10 days. Virtual auctions work especially well when you already have an active social media following.
7. Homemade Bath Bombs: A Top Adoption Fundraiser Craft Idea
Bath bombs are economical and easy to make. You can make some sweet-smelling fizzy balls that people will love to buy with just a few ingredients. Find a recipe that you like best, make them and then sell them on Facebook, at your local craft show, or directly to your friends and family. Design cards that explain that all proceeds will go for your adoption. People love donating to such a worthy cause.
Here’s a recipe by one of Lifetime’s adoptive moms, Angie, who used bath bombs as part of her family’s adoption fundraising efforts.
Bath bombs
Ingredients:
- 4 cups baking soda
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 2 cups citric acid
Directions:
- Mix the dry ingredients. Then add 24-32 drops of essential oil to the dry mixture. Never use peppermint. It burns!
- Add 2 cups of melted coconut oil, mixing slowly.
- It’s ready when you can squeeze some of the mixture in your hand and drop it in the bowl without it falling apart.
- If you want to color, add it to the coconut oil and whisk it before you add it to the dry ingredients.
- Pour two tablespoons of bath bomb mixture into each mold. Let them sit for 24 hours to dry completely.
- Wrap them in shrink wrap to keep them fresh and dry.
8. Yard Sale or Garage Sale
A classic for good reason. Ask friends, family, and neighbors to donate items they no longer need, like furniture, clothing, kids’ toys, and kitchen supplies. The more inventory you collect, the more you earn. Post your sale on Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, and neighborhood apps to drive traffic beyond your street.
Set up a donation jar and a small sign explaining your adoption story — many shoppers will give extra when they know the cause. A well-stocked yard sale run over two weekend mornings can raise $500–$1,500.
9. Bake Sale
A bake sale is low-cost, easy to organize, and works at church, school, farmers markets, or community events. Package everything individually in clear bags with a label that reads: “Baked with love to help bring our baby home.” Price items at $2–$5. Ask friends and family to bake too — more variety means more sales. Combine with a lemonade stand for a full snack booth experience.
10. Parents’ Night Out
Offer childcare for a Friday or Saturday evening — set a flat rate of $40–$60 per family. Invite your friends with young kids to drop them off for a few hours while they enjoy a date night. You can host it at your home or a church hall. If you already have children, they’ll love the playdate! This idea works best when you have a community of parents around you who know and trust you.
11. Fantasy Football
A lot of people are into fantasy football. So why not use fantasy football to raise money for your adoption? Set up a buy-in limit at $25 a team. Make sure your co-workers, family, and friends know that all proceeds go towards your adoption. Get a trophy for the person who wins, and be sure to thank them for helping you raise money to adopt.
12. Lemonade Stand
Set up an adoption fundraising lemonade stand on selected weekends. You could even get friends’ children, nieces, or nephews involved and have them make signs and hand out cups of lemonade. If you already have children, they’ll love getting the chance to help raise money for a new sibling.
Set a large jar on your stand for donations to your adoption fund. Be sure to keep people up to date on how much you raised so they can celebrate with you!
13. Both Hands Project
The Both Hands project is a unique fundraising model that combines service and sponsorship. Your team completes a home repair or improvement project for a widow or single mom in your community.
Supporters sponsor your team — similar to a charity run — and donate to your adoption fund. This model is deeply meaningful and tends to raise significant funds because it gives donors a tangible act of service to support.
14. Social Media
Facebook and Instagram both offer built-in fundraising tools. You can set up a Birthday Fundraiser or a standalone fundraiser linked directly to a platform like GoFundMe.
Share regular updates with photos, milestones, and personal notes from your adoption journey.
Short video clips perform especially well — even a 30-second “why we’re adopting” video can go viral within your network and dramatically expand your donor base.
15. The Suitcase Fundraiser: A Creative Adoption Fundraiser Idea
Another adoptive family came up with a clever way of raising money for their adoption by selling spaces on their suitcase. First, they bought a big suitcase, which would go with them when they traveled to meet their baby one day.
Then they sold spaces for people to write a verse, their name, a word or message, or draw a picture on their suitcase cover. It’s a sweet way for an adoptive couple to take their friends and family along on their adoption journey while helping pay for some of their adoption costs. Plus, the suitcase cover will become a keepsake for you once you adopt!
16. Employer Matching/Workplace Fundraiser
Check with your HR department about employee adoption benefits and matching gift programs. Some employers match charitable contributions, which could apply to your adoption fundraising if done through a qualifying nonprofit.
You can also ask coworkers if they’d be willing to participate in a workplace fundraiser — a casual potluck lunch, a donation jar in the break room, or a team participation in your fantasy football league (see idea 5!) Many colleagues are happy to help once they hear about your journey.
Frequently Asked Questions on Adoption Fundraisers
How much does it cost to adopt, and how much do I need to raise?
Adoption costs typically range from $20,000 to $45,000 or more, depending on whether you’re pursuing domestic, international, or foster care adoption. Most families don’t need to fundraise the entire amount — combining an adoption fundraiser with grants, loans, and the adoption tax credit can make the process affordable. The federal adoption tax credit is up to $17,280 per child for adoptions finalized in 2025.
What is the best adoption fundraiser idea for raising funds quickly?
Crowdfunding through platforms like GoFundMe or AdoptTogether is generally the fastest way to raise funds for adoption, because it reaches your entire network at once and can be shared on social media. A well-told adoption story on a crowdfunding page can raise thousands of dollars in days.
Are adoption fundraiser proceeds tax-deductible for donors?
Generally, donations to a personal GoFundMe or adoption fundraiser are not tax-deductible for donors. However, if you fundraise through a registered nonprofit like AdoptTogether (a project of Hoping Hearts Foundation, a 501(c)3), donors may receive a tax deduction. Always consult a tax professional.
How do I start an adoption fundraiser?
Start by setting a clear fundraising goal based on your estimated adoption costs. Then choose one to two methods that fit your personality and community — for example, an online crowdfunding campaign plus one in-person event. Share your adoption story authentically, and give regular updates so donors feel connected to your journey.
Is it okay to do multiple adoption fundraiser ideas at the same time?
Yes! Most successful adoptive families combine methods. A common approach is to run a crowdfunding campaign continuously while also hosting one to two in-person events such as a BBQ or taco night. The in-person events generate excitement and drive traffic back to your online campaign.
Take the Next Step
You’ve worked hard raising funds for your adoption — and that commitment is a sign of the amazing parent you’ll be. When you’re ready to take the next step, Lifetime Adoption is here to guide you. We’ve helped thousands of hopeful families grow through open adoption since 1986, and we’d love to help you too. Get free information today, or give us a call at (727) 493-0933.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 21, 2021, and has since been updated.
Founder of Lifetime Adoption, adoptive mom, adoption expert, and Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P).
Since 1986, adoption expert Mardie Caldwell has been dedicated to bringing couples and birth parents together in order to fulfill their dreams.
“Many years ago, I was also searching for a child to adopt. We didn’t know where or how to get started. Through research, determination, and a prayer, our dream of a family became reality. I started with a plan, a notebook, assistance from a caring adoption consultant and a lot of hard work; this was my family I was building. We had a few heartaches along the way, but the pain of not having children was worse!
Within weeks we had three different birth mothers choose us. We were overwhelmed and delighted. Many unsettling events would take place before our adoption would be finalized, many months later. Little did I know that God was training and aligning me for the adoption work I now do today. It is my goal to share with our families the methods and plans which succeed and do not succeed. I believe adoption should be affordable and can be a wonderful “pregnancy” for the adoptive couple.
I have also been on both sides of infertility with the loss of seven pregnancies and then conceiving by new technology, giving birth to a healthy daughter. I have experienced first-hand the emotional pain of infertility and believe my experience allows me to serve your needs better.
It is my hope that for you, the prospective parents, your desire for a child will be fulfilled soon.”
We did puzzle pieces and a quilt that people could buy inches on! They were our most successful fundraisers and so fun! Now they hang in our nursery!
Thank you for sharing, Casey! What a sweet keepsake for years to come.