I. What is the history behind InterDoptee?
II. What are the requirements for receiving a scholarship from InterDoptee?
III. How is InterDoptee organized?
IV. How is InterDoptee funded?
V. Why should I support InterDoptee?
VI. How do I make a donation?
VII. What if I still have questions?

I. What is the history behind InterDoptee?

InterDoptee was organized exclusively for charitable purposes in March of 2005. It was formed to recognize and support the efforts of international adoptees. International adoptees are persons adopted to a country other than the one where they were born due to factors such as war, poverty, social upheaval or population control. The Adoption Institute estimates that approximately 15,000-20,000 children are adopted each year worldwide (National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, 1996). Though United States citizens adopted children from 106 different countries in 2001, nearly three-quarters of all children came from only five countries. The number of children adopted by United States families from other countries has grown each year and has more than doubled in the last 11 years (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services and U.S. Department of State).

According to the U.S. Department of State, between 1971 and 2001, U.S. citizens adopted 265,677 children from other countries. South Korea alone has sent nearly 200,000 children overseas for adoption, approximately 150,000 to the United States and 50,000 to Europe, Canada and Australia. Next to Korean adoptees, Chinese adoptees, approximately 20,000, represent the largest group of Asian children adopted by American families (The Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice).

The U.S. Department of State also notes that the number of Russian adoptions and other countries of the former Soviet Union has increased since the collapse of the Union. In 2002, 4,904 Russian children were brought into American homes (compared to 12 adopted in 1991). Other popular areas for adoptions are Central and Latin America; which include Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. They began in the mid-1980s due to war and now Guatemala represents the third largest number of foreign adoptions by American families.

At one time, Romania and Cambodia were active in sending children overseas. In 1991, during the peak of Romanian adoptions, 2,552 children were adopted by American families. However, since that year, adoptions have been restricted, or halted, in an effort to revise the adoption process from corruption. Due to stricter policies in place to prevent baby trafficking Ukraine and Vietnam are experiencing fluctuations in the number of adoptions that occur each year.

Adopting children from abroad has shifted from being primarily humanitarian to its current trend where childless couples, single parents, or homosexual partners adopt in order to establish a family. Peter Dobbs, a German adoptee writer and public speaker on adoption issues, assumes this practice will continue as long as the pool of healthy, domestic adoptees in the United States continues to decrease, while the competition and waiting period increases. Also, international adoption is favorable to people who do not meet various prerequisites (such as age or lifestyle choices) for domestic adoption. Furthermore, adopting outside of the United States offers many more people choices, such as choosing the child’s age or sex.

Although these conditions are favorable for the parents adopting, the effects of international adoption on the intercountry adoptee should also be discussed. Adoptees are frequently expected to integrate seamlessly into their new families, despite emotional upheaval from one’s culture or environment. Even infants who are adopted and have no recollection of their experiences prior to being adopted will typically seek answers to identity, belonging, and ethnicity beginning at adolescence. At an early age, most adoptees become aware that they are different from their adoptive parents. Although many adoptees possess similar morals, tastes and values, it conflicts with how the world sees and understands them. Trans-racial or multi-cultural issues and stereotypes of the assumed nationality are adoption issues the general public may not be familiar with. Also, when adoptees have contact with people from their homeland they are often unable to make connections with them. An adoptee who has lost most of his or her birth country’s language, heritage, culture and history finds it awkward or difficult to relate to the native person.

Another effect intercountry adoption has on the adoptee is when one searches for birth family or adoption records. Many adoptees return to their native country in an attempt to discover their past or to find biological family members. They have a range of experiences. Many make lasting connections to newly found friends and/or family. But some feel rejected a second time when birth family does not want to meet or sustain a relationship or when natives invalidate the adoptees’ needs, which may be due to language and cultural barriers. For example, in 2000, the former President of South Korea, Kim Dae Jung, made a public apology to the hundreds-of-thousands of Korean children who were exported around the world in order to spare their communities the “shame of their existence” (Peter Dobbs). Even today, many natives refuse to acknowledge that adoptions take place in their country.

Unfortunately, a situation that no parent wishes for his/her adopted child is when the adoption process is disrupted. Dr. Juliet Harper, a senior lecturer at Macquarie University in Australia and a Child Psychotherapist, cites parents disrupting the adoption for reasons such as the age of the child was older than desired, they weren’t provided enough information about the child or the information was misleading, negative circumstances on the first encounter, the child's early history created attachment problems, the child did not relate to the parents or did not fit into the family, the child was not the one they had prepared for or the child was angry or oppositional (Peter Dobbs). From the adoptee’s point of view, adoptees resented not having a choice in the matter of which family they were placed into, rejection by society or certain family members. Dr. Harper also recognizes that the child may have had inadequate preparation, not knowing what was expected from him/her (Peter Dobbs). In these instances, adult adoptees feel abandoned by the entire system and have no family or roots to call home.

Based on the recent trends and statistical data, InterDoptee believes international adoptions will continue to occur. Thankfully, many adoptive parents, birth family, adoptees and adoption professionals have responded to the ongoing interpersonal and relational dynamics that surround international adoption. There are support groups, therapists, research and reading materials, and web sites devoted to the adoption triad (birth family, adoptive family, and adoptee). In fact, many organizations are established for the benefit of the specific ethnicity of the adoptee. InterDoptee, as an organization, would like to recognize the international adoptee population as a community. Although adoptees come from various countries, backgrounds and experiences, InterDoptee believes sharing these differences will bring unity and empowerment, while also advancing the status and welfare of those involved. To accomplish this task, InterDoptee will provide educational or professional scholarships to internationally adopted persons. Not only will it promote adoptees’ achievements, but it will also raise public awareness of adoptees and their needs. Our long term strategy is to create a network of caring international adoptees and supporters who are willing to positively shape the future of the international adoptee community and the community at large.

InterDoptee is an adoptee led organization that gives adoptees a voice within the community. The founders are internationally adopted and have been through their own unique trials. When they recently went back to their birth country to teach English, they had difficulty finding teaching jobs because students considered Caucasians to be the best native English speakers. They know how it feels to not fit in and not look like their friends. Adoptive kids will eventually form an opinion of themselves. Some parents will encourage their adopted children to discuss their feelings and experiences, but not everyone will have that opportunity. InterDoptee encourages self expression, involvement in many forms, and information sharing that creates awareness within the community. In return, we hope adoptees will become involved and give back what they can to help future adoptees through the same process.

This is the heart of InterDoptee. It is people like us, working through the complexities of our adoption experience and helping each other and the ones to come through it. Adoption is not a Chinese, Korean, Guatemalan, or Russian issue, it’s an international one. By uniting, we can start making a national and global impact. We are no longer inactive participants. We are voices that can speak for the ones who cannot, the young, and the disenfranchised. We are here to change the course and direction of our lives and do it for the benefit of everyone involved.

II. What are the requirements for receiving a scholarship from InterDoptee?

Scholarships given by InterDoptee will be gifts for the purpose of furthering education or enrichment activities and are not subject to repayment. Any internationally adopted person may apply for a scholarship in pursuit of furthering InterDoptee’s mission statement. Categories for such scholarships are as follows:

1. Academic Support
Students may apply if they are about to attend or are currently attending a four-year college, graduate or professional program. Scholarships may be applied towards tuition, books, supplies, course-related materials or other academic fees. Students must write a statement of purpose, which includes reasons why a scholarship would benefit him/her and how it would impact the lives of other adoptees or the community at large. Recipients must maintain a C average throughout the academic year to be awarded the full amount.

2. Professional Support
Any international adoptee who wants to further the interests of the international adoptee community may apply for a professional scholarship. These awards will be based on prior achievement and/or the potential to improve the welfare and status of international adoptees. Applicants must also write a statement of purpose that explains the benefits a scholarship would have on him/her.

Awards are not automatically renewable and are not guaranteed for any consecutive period. Students are encouraged to reapply the following year. The amounts of each scholarship will vary based upon availability. Consideration will also be given but not limited to merit, need or pursuit of excellence in a particular field.

Candidates must be internationally adopted and planning to attend or are attending an institute of higher education, i.e., college, graduate, medical or law school. Professional candidates should apply if they are seeking funds to complete a community project that will benefit the adoption community or if they are improving that status of the adoption community among the public at large, i.e. art projects, creative projects (such as prose, poetry or memoirs).

There are no limitations based on employment status, gender, race or religion. Candidates should not apply if they are directly related or involved with the organization or its board members, i.e. siblings, spouses, immediate relatives or persons who have the type of relationship that would potentially influence how the board would vote. Applications are kept anonymous and are judged as such by the board.

All scholarship entries will be reviewed on a competitive and anonymous basis. The board reviews and votes upon all applications. Recipients will be notified in writing. Candidates who do not receive a scholarship will also be notified in writing and encouraged to reapply for the following year. Applications will be available from January 1st through May 31st. Winners will be announced in July. The approximate number of eligible individuals may vary from 50,000 to 75,000 individuals.

InterDoptee critiques all candidates’ essays for scope, clarity, purpose and insight. For academic awards, we also consider factors such as grade point average, major and soft factors, such as leadership skills or outstanding performance in a specific area. Professionals have another set of criteria to be judged upon. We will base our decisions based on the quality of proposals, a demonstration of need, the amount of research and planning conducted and the visibility or impact the project/proposal would have on the community at large.

The number of gifts awarded annually ranges from: 1-5 awards (based on availability and number of applicants). InterDoptee would like to provide a minimum award of $100 up to $250 for the first year and raise the amount to $250 annually after successful fundraising has been established. We anticipate selecting two winners annually after about three years of consistent growth. For the present time, we shall only award one scholarship.

Students who are entering their first year at an academic institution will be required to submit proof of registration or enrollment to receive the first installment of their scholarship. A copy of an official transcript after a full semester of the academic calendar year will be required for the second and final installment of the award. If the candidate’s grade point average falls below a 2.0 out of a 4.0 grading scale, or “C” average, the remaining portion of the scholarship will be forfeited and redistributed into next year’s scholarship fund.

Professional scholarships will be reviewed on a case by case basis. There are no formal requirements that must be met. Awards are based on the willingness to further the goals of the international adoptee community.

Employment is not a factor in selecting candidates for scholarships. Recipients may qualify for scholarships but the candidate’s reasons for obtaining a scholarship must not compete or be in conflict with the organization or its values.

The board of directors oversees the scholarship proceedings. Under the discretion of the president, the president may select a director to establish a scholarship committee when the number of applicants exceeds twenty. Disbursement of the funds will be done through the director of budget and finance. The director will award ½ the grant at the beginning of the semester and the other ½ at the beginning of the second semester. If a student falls below a 2.0 the remaining portion will be forfeited and redistributed into next year’s scholarship fund. The director will send grants directly to a school under an arrangement whereby the school will apply the grant funds only for enrolled students who are in good academic standing.

Professionals receiving funding should report any final conclusions to any project, appointment, or study that he or she was involved in. Due to the subjectivity of this award, a unanimous vote by the board must approve this award. If there is a violation or misappropriation of funds, the winner will automatically receives a revocation of any rights or participation with InterDoptee. He or she would no longer be eligible for any future award or position with InterDoptee.

Due to the small nature of this program, no committee members are needed at this time. John Stockbridge, President, shall oversee the scholarship process. The board of directors shall vote and select scholarship winners. A majority vote must be taken in order to award any academic scholarship. Professional scholarships must have a unanimous approval.

When there are twenty or more applications, a formal committee will be established by the president. The president shall nominate a committee head and the board shall vote on the nomination. That nominee will be approved with a quorum of present voters. After accepting the nomination, the committee head will find volunteers to select and review all applications. Guidelines for the committee shall be as follows:
1. No less than three members shall comprise the committee.
2. Committee members must be of sound judgment and outstanding character.
3. A majority vote must be met to approve any academic scholarship winner and a unanimous vote for any professional scholarship winner.
4. Committee members may serve for two consecutive one year terms and may reapply to the committee after absolving his/her position for one year between terms.
5. Replacement of committee members may be made at any time due to a violation of the above terms or due to resignation or failure to report as required for the position.
6. A majority vote by the board of directors shall select a vacancy for the committee.

III. How is InterDoptee organized?

InterDoptee is organized by a board of directors who meet quarterly. Events, such as fundraisers and other social gatherings, will be held two to three times a year in the Houston, Texas, area. The board members and volunteers organize the fundraisers and events as needed. The amount of time devoted to activities are generally fifty percent (50%) internal and fifty percent (50%) external.

Currently, internal activities include appointing a board of directors (5%), meeting with the board to discuss organizational goals (10%), constructing bylaws (5%), creating a web site and quarterly newsletter (10%), and planning a promotional and fundraising campaign (20%). These are pertinent activities in which to organize, plan and execute the goals of InterDoptee. The planning meetings are done via e-mail, teleconferencing or in person. The additional fifty (50%) percent of the time is spent looking outward at recruiting volunteers (15%), coordinating the fundraising projects (20%) and promoting scholarships to eligible candidates (15%). These activities are necessary to develop consistent growth and to generate vitality within the organization. InterDoptee hopes to increase the amount and number of scholarships awarded each year annually.

IV. How is InterDoptee funded?

The majority of the financial support will be provided through participant contributions from the international adoption community and the community at large. To carry out the mission of the organization, InterDoptee will host fundraisers and sponsor events. InterDoptee believes including the general public in these events will educate people about adoption issues and encourage people to get involved in the lives of other adoptees. We specifically target international adoptees to participate in the organization as well. InterDoptee will write letters discussing the goals of the organization and the contribution one could play within the organization. InterDoptee cannot grow without their leadership and involvement. Any money received will also be applied to the scholarship or general operating fund.

V. Why should I support InterDoptee?

InterDoptee operates on an all volunteer basis. No proceeds or donations directly inure or benefit any volunteer or board member. Founded and led by international adoptees, they are personally invested in the future successes of the international adoption community. Supporters of the organization receive updates via e-mail and donors also receive newsletters mailed to them at no charge. Participants are invited to help with fundraisers, disseminate information and attend benefits, galas or conferences. A blog and web site also keeps members of the adoption community connected and informed of events and ongoing issues.

VI. How do I make a donation?

If you would like to make a financial contribution to the organization, we have provided a way to make a donation online, using a secure web site approved by GuideStar. There is a minimum $5 donation and the credit card companies deduct 3% of the total donation for processing. For your convenience a link can be found on our homepage. You may also send a check to our mailing address.