There is an ever growing demand for IAC's services and we need more funds if we are to continue to respond effectively to those who need adoption support and to expand our services to benefit future generations of children and adopters.
In November 2008 IAC was registered as a Voluntary Adoption Agency and we are now able to be involved in the direct placement of children from countries overseas. Our aim is to develop a linking service, initially seeking accreditation to work in India, Philippines. IAC aims in the future to increase the range of countires to which it applies for accreditation as, without such arrangements, adoption from some states of origin is not possible for UK applicants. Such close working links would contribute positively to ensuring that the child's welfare remained central to the adoption plan.
Why is funding required?
The new services will ultimately be self-funding. Following the pattern of other countries with far longer intercountry adoption histories than ourselves, adopters will largely meet the cost of the services. Financial support and support in kind should also be available, in due course, through collaboration with other UK agencies where synergies exist with IAC and with whom IAC is already in active dialogue.
However, we require pump priming/seed corn funding now if we are to achieve our aims. IAC will need to appoint new members of staff, to extend the hours of some who are employed on a sessional basis and to train current staff towards a new agency focus. Travel to the states of origin is self-evidently required in order to formalise partnerships and on the ground arrangements there to ensure that the highest possible service standards for families and children will be achieved.
Of course whilst this project requires active fundraising other IAC services also still rely on our fundraising activities.
IAC does not make a charge to members of the public who contact the Advice Line, although there is a fee for most IAC publications and for other IAC services. A small percentage of our income comes from local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies who subscribe to IAC in order to receive information and advice, publications and a priority service for staff and adoptive families living in their area. Otherwise we are entirely reliant on donations and grants to finance our core activities.
Donating to IAC can help the agency in a number of ways.
With the funds we currently have available we are only able to offer an Advice Line service to the public for four days per week. Your contribution could help us offer a service over the full working week - £300 covers the cost of running the Advice Line for one day.
Our Information service relies upon our being able to link and research countries overseas and then to disseminate this information to both professional and personal enquiries, ensuring that people receive up to date and accurate information.
IAC is also developing our intermediary services for adopted people and birth relatives. A donation would support the essential counselling and research work that forms part of this service.
So what can you do to help?
Fundraising is vitally important to organisations like ours. Without individual and corporate help IAC would not be able to provide the quality services for which there is so much demand.
Individual giving is warmly welcomed and this is often a one off gift, perhaps to honour the services of IAC, or to celebrate a child’s adoption, birthday or christening. Legacies are an additional and much valued source of support from friends of IAC and their family members.
As an alternative you could organise your own event on behalf of IAC or attend one of ours! If you are searching for ideas please contact Gill Haworth directly.
The importance to IAC of having runners in the London Marathon can’t be emphasized enough. The income that is raised every year by runners fundraising for IAC is of critical importance. If you would like to support our 2010 runners now, visit our Fundraising page to find out more.
Fundraising is hard work for this particularly specialist organization.In the absence of government aid, help is highly valued from corporate sources. In-kind assistance through donation of services or goods or through sponsorship of events, sponsorship of our web site or newsletters, or simply advertising in event programmes or contributing to the support of a new service are all ways that companies and businesses can help us permanently influence the lives of others. By taking an active part in our campaigns vital funds will create the kind of help that our families and their children need.
So please, please give now and give generously. It is easy to do - just use the Justgiving.com