Adoption Grants
Sophie's Foundation is thrilled to be able to offer adoptive families partial funding in order to alleviate some of the financial stress that is involved with the process. In order to assure that the money entrusted to us is used wisely, the guidelines below have been created and adoptive familes are required to follow them. Please be sure to download the application at the end of this page after reading through the guidelines. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
1. Prospective adoptive parent(s) may apply for a grant after they have an approved home study by a licensed adoption agency. A copy of the home study must be included with the grant application. Requiring that prospective adoptive parent(s) are home study approved before applying for a grant promotes wise stewardship of the financial resources entrusted to Sophie's Foundation.
2. The prospective adoptive couple will be responsible to complete the provided Financial Assessment Sheet and to return this with the rest of the application. This information will be used to determine eligibility for financial assistance. Clarification from the adoptive couple may be requested by the Adoption Grant Committee of Sophie's Foundation.
3. Confidential Reference Forms are provided (see application packet), and must each be completed by the adoptive parent(s) employer(s)and adoption agency. Please provide these individuals with a stamped, addressed envelope for them to send their form directly to Sophie's Foundation.
4. This grant program is available only to legal U.S. citizens.
5. Applications are reviewed by our Adoption Grants Committee on an individual basis. You may request special consideration in cases where time is an issue by attaching a note to your application. Applicants (approved and denied) will be notified via mail in a timely manner following the determination.
6. The Adoption Grants Committee of Sophie's Foundation will take all of the prospective adoptive parent(s) information into consideration, provided however, the decision to sponsor or not sponsor a particular adoptive parent(s), and the designated amount of the grant shall be determined in the sole discretion of Sophie's Foundation. Need will be assessed based on the total estimated cost of the adoption minus the amount of any applicable federal and state adoption credits for which they qualify.
7. In return for a financial grant, Sophie's Foundation requests a picture of your family and/or child (after the child is home). We also request a letter from you describing the completion of your adoption journey. These will go on file to prove that the adoption was in fact completed, and that the funds were used as promised. We also request permission to use these things in our newsletter or other publications to help promote our goal to bring families together as well as to encourage other adoptive families. It is hoped that families receiving support will some day actively participate in the fundraising activities of Sophie's Foundation.
8. THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMPLETED IN FULL or it will not be processed and reviewed. Sophie's Foundation will not be responsible for following up on incomplete applications.
Federal Tax Credit
Effective January 1, 2002 adoptive families whose combined family incomes are under $150,000 will be eligible for up to a maximum of $10,000 tax credit related to adoption expenses incurred for the year an adoption is finalized. Families with adjusted gross incomes below $225,000 receive a phased-out portion of this credit. For families that have a tax liability less than $10,000 in a given year, this amount can be carried forward over 5 years. This provides some significant financial relief for those who adopt. Special consideration could be given to families who, because of the number of children in the family, level of income, self-employment status, etc., are not able to benefit from the adoption tax credit because they do not pay federal taxes. However, these families would still incur adoption expenses. Tax laws are subject to change. Please consult your professional tax advisor for up to date information. Sophie's Foundation does not provide tax advice regarding potential adoption credits.
Funding
Monies for this grant program are received from general fundraising events, grants from other charitable organizations/foundations, and from individual and corporate contributions. The Adoption Grant Committee always has the final say in how funds are distributed.
Disbursement
All grant monies will only be disbursed for qualified adoption expenses that have been pre-approved by Sophie's Foundation.
Grant monies will not be paid directly to the adoptive family.
Grant monies will be paid for approved expenditures to the appropriate agency or lawyer.
Sophie's Foundation under no circumstances shall be responsible for any obligation incurred by the prospective adoptive parent(s) for adoption related obligations.
No party shall be deemed a third party beneficiary of any grant awarded.
We apologize for the inconvience, but found it necessary to temporarily take down our Adoption Grant Application.