Men Having Babies created the Gay Parenting Financial Assistance Fund as part of our mission to promote the affordability of surrogacy and other parenting related services for gay men through financial assistance and the encouragement of transparency and customer feedback.
Why is this fund needed?
Due to biological and social constraints, gay men as a category face the most obstacles in their quest for parenting, not the least of which is financial. Heterosexual couples, single women and lesbian couples can become biological parents relatively easily, and those who need more advanced infertility services can approach the dozens of foundations that provide financial assistance to infertile people. However to date there was not a single comparable fund to assist gay men, who are not considered “infertile” even though they need substantial third party assistance in order to become parents. A wide survey we conducted found that gay parents spend an average of about $110k on their parenting journey, and that many have underestimated the required costs by ten thousand dollars or more. It is not surprising that about 50% of responding intended parents have expressed an interest in financial assistance to people who cannot afford the entire process.
What will the fund do?
The Gay Parenting Financial Assistance Fund will provide grants to gay men who require financial assistance in their quest for parenthood. Our goal for the 2012-2013 fiscal year is to raise $200,000 so that we can give out several $10k and $20k financial assistance grants. The funds will come from event sponsorship fees paid by supporting providers (the 2012 NY seminar has already raised over $40,000), and from direct donations by parents and allies. Rules regarding fund distribution and eligibility will be set in early 2013. We will also encourage our supporting service providers to match the cash grants with significant discounts to fund awardees.
Other solutions
In an effort to promote transparency and affordability, MHB gathered hundreds of surveys that provided feedback and ratings of agencies and clinics. The detailed feedback includes satisfaction levels, effectiveness measures, and real cost figures that already helped many save tens of thousand dollars by identifying affordable effective providers and creating downward pricing pressure.
Comedy fundraiser / community celebration featuring Judy Gold
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