Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any other questions please email us at info@fertilityfriendsfoundation.com
How often are the grants awarded?
We disburse grants two times yearly, based on the availability of funds. We do not distribute grants at any other time during the year other than after the grant deadlines.
What is the age limit to apply?
All applicants must be between 18 and 50 years old.
Do I need to be diagnosed with infertility to apply for a grant?
Applicants must have a medical diagnosis of infertility certified in writing by a medical provider with the following exceptions:
- applicants who are part of a same-sex couple
- applicants who are single
Applicants must have seen a Reproductive Endocrinologist within the previous 6 months.
Will you consider single applicants and/or members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community?
Yes, Fertility Friends Foundation will consider single and/or members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We believe in selecting applicants who are diverse in terms of ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, relationship status and medical history.
Do you award grants to those with children?
Yes, but the selection process favours applicants who do not have children yet.
How will the grant be distributed?
Fertility Friends Foundation will send the grant directly to the recipient’s fertility clinic, surrogacy agency, genetic laboratory, etc. We do NOT send funds directly to recipients.
How much money is awarded in each grant?
Fertility Friends Foundation typically awards grants for amount of $5,000.
What is the cost for fertility treatments such as egg donation and surrogacy?
As with in vitro fertilization, costs of fertility treatments can vary greatly.
Egg donation can start at $50,000, but, again, there is a wide range of costs, depending upon the clinic and donor selected.
Surrogacy fees can be as high as $85,000 when including an agency fee, lawyers’ fees, surrogacy payment, and medical costs.
Unfortunately, the cost of fertility treatments is steep.
How are grant recipients selected?
A committee comprised of the Board of Directors and members of our medical and financial committees will review applications.
Can I apply for a grant more than once?
Applicants may apply several times. A $50 fee is required with each application. Medical and financial circumstances can change, and applicants must submit a new application for each round of consideration.
Why is there an application fee?
The application fee covers administrative fees associated with fundraising and operational expenses, including publishing the grant funding periods and reviewing the submissions. The application fee is $50 per application.
Can I use the grant to complement a government-funded IVF cycle?
No, our grants are not intended to complement expenses associated with a government-funded IVF cycle. We allocate our funds to couples and individuals who, have already used their IVF government funded cycle, cannot take advantage of it or do not have access to it.
Do applicants need to be residents of Canada?
At least 1 of the applicants need to be permanent resident or Canadian citizen. All applicants need to reside in Canada.
Is there a minimum or maximum annual income to be able to apply for a grant?
No. The cost of living in Canada varies and no specific income figure is relevant for all people.
In all cases, tax returns and pertinent information must reflect an ability to support a child financially.
How many grants are awarded each year?
The number and amount of each grant will vary upon availability of funds. The grants will be awarded approximately four weeks after the application deadline. We notify applicants via email.
When will grant recipients be announced?
Grant recipients will be announced after 4 weeks within the application deadline. All applicants will receive an email announcing whether or not they got the grant.
What costs are covered by the grant?
The grant can be used to cover expenses associated with assisted reproduction such as IVF, egg and sperm donation, and gestational surrogacy. The grant does not cover the cost of FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), egg freezing/ sperm freezing, and fertility medication.
What if I have already started a treatment?
Unfortunately, we do not reimburse for treatments that have already begun.
Why isn't Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) funded?
Unfortunately, we do not give funding for Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). We don’t fund FET because we consider this procedure to be a result of treatments that have already happened. As we don’t reimburse treatments that have already begun, we decided to not fund FET.
How quickly must the grant be used?
The grant must be used within 6 months after being awarded. If you do not use the funds within that time and do not have any extenuating circumstances, the grant will be withdrawn.
Can grants be used to cover cycles and procedures that have already been completed?
Grants cannot be used to cover cycles and procedures that have been already completed.
I was not selected to receive a grant. Can you tell me why?
The selection process is difficult and we are not able to award grants to everyone that applies. There are many deserving applicants that we have not been able to give grants to, but we will not discuss any reasons with applicants on why they did not receive a grant.
How much does IVF cost?
The cost of any infertility treatment such as IVF can vary greatly from one clinic to the next.
In general, IVF costs can range from $10,000 to at least $15,000 per cycle plus medications and can go as high as $25,000 for example in cases involving third party.
This does not cover additional procedures that might be necessary such as genetic screening of embryos.
Join Us in Lending a Helping Hand
Grant Application
Grants are open to individuals or couples who hope to build their family through assisted reproduction. Our committee takes financial hardship seriously and consideration will be given to each grant recipients.
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Have questions about Fertility Friends Foundation? Reach out to us and we will be in touch. Let’s help those in need of fertility treatments.