Fundraising can be a necessary and important part of the adoption process. Today, we’re giving you info about an effective (and creative!) way to fund your adoption. Try hosting a drive-through barbecue!
Lifetime recognizes that each family’s adoption journey is unique, as well as how they approach their adoption fundraising. You may have to explore options beyond your own savings to cover the costs of domestic infant adoption. In the past, we’ve written about adoption loans and grants, an adoption affiliate program, yard sales, and adoption crowdfunding sites. 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.
We encourage you to remain focused and persistent in your adoption fundraising. Finding the funds to adopt will take resourcefulness and determination. Don’t give up!
Adoption fundraising isn’t the easiest, but the moment you bring your baby home, you’ll agree that the fundraising is totally worth it!
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
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