During the course of each of their three adoptions, Gene and Lucy Wyka realized how lucky they were to be able to afford the time and costs involved in adoption. They could not help but see why their dream of a family became reality while so many others did not. Gene and Lucy originally established the Gift of Adoption Fund as a private foundation. Until 1999, approximately twenty applications were received and two to three grants awarded each quarter. As word of the Gift of Adoption Fund began to spread, applications increased dramatically from twenty per quarter to one hundred and twenty per month by midyear 2000. It became obvious that with its current structure, the Fund was not even scratching the surface of the need for adoption funding. In the Fall of 2000, the decision was made to change the legal status of the Gift of Adoption Fund from a private foundation to a public charity. This change allowed affiliate organizations, or Chapters, to function as fundraising partners while sharing in the non-profit status of the founding organization.

In the near future, local chapters will greatly enhance the Fund’s capacity. Currently, there are six Gift of Adoption Fund Chapters in six states, including Wisconsin, Florida (2), Illinois, Oregon (Columbia River Chapter), and Minnesota (Amy Silberberg Chapter). Today, the Gift of Adoption Fund receives between 50-100 applications each month for review. 

To date, the Gift of Adoption Fund has awarded over $1.6 million to over 450 different families in the form of grants. These grants do not cover the complete cost of adoption.  Our expectation is that adoptive parents need to be invested in realizing their own dream of building a family. The Gift of Adoption Fund provides assistance in the form of a one-time grant. This grant provides that final needed amount, individual to each applicant, that enables parents and child to become – finally, a family.

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