Become an Egg Donor

There are many reasons we have a stellar international reputation among Egg Donors, but if you are asking us, it’s because our heart is in it. But there are a lot of other reasons. Here are a few:

1. We Can Relate - Everyone on our staff has been touched by infertility, either by helping others or needing help.
2. We Care - Bottom line is, we really care about the entire experience for you - not just how many eggs are retrieved.
3. We Are There To Guide Your Journey - We are with you for your entire journey – from our first conversation until you are back home after your egg donation.
4. We Encourage You -  We will ensure that you feel great about what you did -- with some compensation to show for it, too!
5. We Have Experience - Last but not least, Egg Donor agencies come and go, but we’ve been in business helping to create families since 2004. We are here to stay.

Contact with your Intended Parents all depends on everyone's comfort level. On your questionnaire you can specify if you are open to communication. Here are the most common communication options:

Anonymous:

Some Egg Donors and Intended Parents prefer to be anonymous. This means you will have a limited amount of information about each other.

Semi-anonymous:

This is an option where you may meet via a video chat that we arrange and host. You get to talk to your Intended Parent/s, share about yourself and ask any questions you may have. You do not exchange any additional contact information to remain in touch. No full names need to be revealed

Open to Future Communication:

In this scenario, you are not committing to any ongoing communication. But at some point, when the child is older, they may want some sort of contact and/or have questions. In this case, during the legal phase, arrangements would be made for you to reach out to each other – usually through a third party.

Open Communication:

This is where you receive each other’s full names and contact information. You can directly reach out to each other at any time.

If you aren’t sure what you’d like to do, don’t worry, lots of Egg Donors aren’t sure. We can assist you with all of this and go over all of the options with you.

In most cases an Egg Donation can move rather quickly – it can be as short as 8 to 12 weeks from when you are selected until the eggs are retrieved. In some cases, it is 3-4 months depending upon where you are in your menstrual cycle once you are matched. During that time, you will have a medical evaluation done by the fertility doctor, sign contracts (you will have your own attorney that represents you paid for by the Intended Parent/s), and start medications, be monitored by a fertility clinic nearby your home and then come for the egg retrieval. Like we said, pretty quick.

No, it will not.  Here's why...Even though you were taught in biology class that each month one egg is released down the fallopian tube, it’s actually a bit more complex than that. What really happens  is that each woman:

• Starts her life with a finite number of eggs - usually about 300,000 – 400,000.
• Once she reaches puberty, each month anywhere from 10 – 40 eggs start to grow in sacs (aka follicles) in her ovaries. Only one matures and ovulates – the other 9 – 39 are absorbed back into her body, never to be used again.

Now, when you do an IVF cycle to retrieve eggs:

• You are given fertility medications that allow all 10 – 40 or so eggs to mature and not ovulate.
• They will be harvested and potentially fertilized.

So, when you donate your eggs:

• You are not using up any more eggs than you would if you were to ovulate naturally.
• Instead of the eggs being absorbed back into your body, they will now be used to help someone to create their very wanted family.

What an amazing gift to give for something you weren’t going to use or need anyway!

Yes! Your compensation is 100% yours and nothing will be taken from your fee by the agency or any other participating party. Additionally, when you do your Egg Donor cycle you will also receive travel expenses (ground and airfare, when needed), lodging, per diem, legal fees, etc. 

We work with the best fertility clinics in the country - many located on both coasts. In most cases, you are able to complete the majority of your egg donation cycle at a local monitoring clinic near where you live. You will only have to travel two times:

1. For your initial screening
2. For the egg retrieval

A travel companion is required for the egg retrieval trip, so you will not have to travel alone. All of the expenses for both of you will be taken care of.

Your egg retrieval will be painless.  You will receive a light sedation for the retrieval. There are no incisions and you will not have any scarring – the eggs are retrieved by a thin device passed through your vaginal wall. Most women go home (or to the hotel) to take a nap after the retrieval, wake for dinner and feel fine the next day. You will most likely feel ready to travel within a day or two after the retrieval. Some Egg Donors report feeling bloated for a week after the retrieval– water and protein are great for helping with the bloating.

In almost all case the answer is yes! Most Egg Donors are surprised at the warm feeling it gives them to be such a pivotal player in helping a very wanted child come into the world and are quick to offer to do it again.

The ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) suggests that a woman not donate more than 6 times. This has not proven to impair your own family building when the time comes.

In all honesty, there are many factors that go into what Intended Parents are hoping to find in an Egg Donor including:

• Certain looks
• Level of education
• Good genetics in hereditary diseases
• Health
• Ethnicity
• Height
• Talents - i.e.: sports, art, music, academic achievement, etc

A first impression can often be the most important factor and in this case it is your photographs.
When selecting photographs:

• Please submit ones where you feel you look your best.
• Show off the qualities you are most proud of – including sports or academic achievements (i.e., a graduation picture).
• Include family photos and childhood shots.

The more photos you give for us to choose from, the better. So please, send as many as you have.

Each Intended Parent has their own set of preferences when searching for an Egg Donor. Of course, if they like what they see, they will continue on to review your entire profile.

While we feel all eggs are created equal, some qualities can be in higher demand. Some things that do tend to command a higher fee are those Egg Donors with:

• Certain ethnicities (i.e., full Chinese).
• Education from more well-known and prestigious schools.
• Specific talents or particular looks.

Of course, like anyone that does a job well and gains experience, you will receive a bump in fee each time you make a donation. If other agencies offer higher compensation for those qualities - we will match those fees. Just let us know.

Once you are matched we will check with the Intended Parent/s’ fertility clinic and follow their directions. If you are required to remove it and there are any costs incurred for the removal and replacement of the IUD, you will be reimbursed for all related expenses. About 50% of clinics require the IUD to be removed.

Yes, you can donate your eggs if you are on birth control. Most of our donors are already on some form of birth control, and it should not impact your egg donation. In fact, birth control pills are often given to the Egg Donor by the fertility clinic for the cycle. You can also still be an egg donor if your tubes are tied. 

Everyone is recommended to have their own medical insurance, but in case you don’t have it, when you are matched we will purchase special insurance dedicated to Egg Donors prior to starting your cycle.  This insurance will cover you during your Egg Donor cycle and offers coverage for up to 3 months.

You will not be out one penny for your journey. All of your expenses (travel, medication, legal fees, etc.) will be paid for through The Fertility Agency by your Intended Parent/s. 

Remember, 100% of your compensation will be paid to you.

Although we do not issue a 1099 tax form, your compensation is taxable and we always suggest you reach out to a tax advisor for advice on filing this income.

Here is how it works:

1. Someone that needs help having a family and cannot produce their own eggs (maybe they are a man, maybe they had cancer, there are many reasons).
2. They contact us, receive a password and sign onto our secure database to view profiles.
3. They usually isolate certain characteristics that they want (like hair and eye color, etc.) to narrow down the choices.
4. They tend to find a few profiles that appeal to them and they will think about it and discuss it with each other and friends and then select someone.
5. Another way it can happen through our TrueMatch™ program.  This is a matching technique unique to our agency where we help the Intended Parent/s narrow down their Egg Donor choices and help them find someone just like you. During this matching process we will check in with you to find out your availability and willingness to travel.

Another way it can happen through our TrueMatch™ program.

TrueMatch™ is a matching technique unique to our agency where we help the Intended Parent/s narrow down their Egg Donor choices and help them find someone just like you.

We will check in with you during this matching process to find out your availability and willingness to travel.

After you are matched and start the egg donation process, you will have ample time to be able to notify work and get days off in advance, if needed. Fortunately, the majority of the process -- like paperwork, screenings, contracts, and most of the medical calendar -- can be done while still being able to go to work. 

You can start and pause your application at any time. If you aren’t sure if you’re ready to start or what the time commitment is, we suggest you speak to one of our Egg Donor Coordinators. They can answer your questions, discuss the timeline and walk you through the medical portion of an Egg Donor journey.

We often work with Egg Donors who are experienced, and who have worked or are working with other agencies. As long as you are open with us and tell us if you are currently matched or have recently cycled, then we are more than happy to work with you between cycles.

It is not uncommon for our Egg Donors to not know all of their family history or some of their personal information off the top of their head. Our Egg Donor Coordinators are here to work with you, review of your application and assist in gathering as much information with you as possible. This is also a great opportunity for you to learn more about your family history and background. 

The quicker you complete an application and get a profile set up in our database, the faster you will potentially get matched to cycle. The time it takes to get matched depends on who is searching for your particular qualities and characteristics -- but  our TrueMatch™ Specialist will work hard to send your profile out to all of the Intended Parent/s that are looking for someone just like you.  

We have been helping people have babies through egg donation and surrogacy since 2004.  Our staff would be more than happy to help you navigate our website to find testimonials from our very own experienced Egg Donors, and you can speak with one of our Egg Donor Coordinators to talk you through any of your concerns. We can introduce you to previous Egg Donors, as well as you can speak with the fertility clinics that we work.

While many people are familiar with the concept of Egg Donation (and might even know someone who has been an Egg Donor or needed one), for a lot of people this is still an unfamiliar concept.  You have no responsibility to share this information with anyone that you know, It is good to remember:

1. It is safe.
2. It is beneficial to you.
3. It is beneficial to others.

But if you don’t want to tell others, no judgement here. We will respect your wishes and your information is always protected – we will never share it unless you give us permission to do so.

If you would like to know the outcome of your donation - let us know when filling out your application. This is agreed upon between you and your Intended Parent/s during the contract process.