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Circle Egg Donation Program

Egg Donation is the process using donor eggs to grow your family. Using an egg donor to have a baby is a special way to fulfill your dreams of parenthood. Circle offers an Egg Donation program for intended parents where they will partner with our experienced team, have access to our extensive egg donor database and find an egg donor match.

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 Your Guide to Egg Donation

Your Guide to Egg Donation

 What is Egg Donation

What is Egg Donation

Egg donation is the process of a fertile woman donating her eggs to allow another woman to conceive a child, whether she’s the intended parent herself or a surrogate for heterosexual or homosexual couples/individuals.

At Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation, we pride ourselves on working with women who donate their eggs for reasons that go beyond financial incentives. Our egg donors are wholly dedicated to making the dreams of intended parents come true, and they’re totally prepared — emotionally, mentally and physically — to do just that.

Why do parents use egg donation?

For some parents, they know immediately that they require donor eggs. For other parents, the need to find an egg donor comes after they have tried to grow their families on their own. The intended parents who cannot have children on their own and require egg donation include:

  • Women who wish to become mothers but carry genetic conditions that could pose a threat to a child
  • Women facing infertility or a medical condition (such as cancer)
  • Same sex male couples
  • Single men

However you've come to egg donation to become parents, building your family through egg donation is a wonderful way to fulfill your dreams.

Egg donation and in-vitro fertilization (IVF)

Part of the egg donation process includes In vitro fertilization (also known as IVF). In this process sperm is combined with an egg outside of the body to produce fertilization. The process also includes the transfer of the embryo into the intended mother (or, in the case of surrogacy, the gestational carrier). The recipient of the embryo will be required to take IVF medications in order to prepare her body for a pregnancy.

Egg Donation Process

Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation is a full-service egg donation agency; coordinating all aspects of your egg donation—from screening and matching to contract negotiation with our in-house legal team.

Our process involves:

  • Reviewing and processing applications
  • Educating potential egg donors
  • Conducting psychosocial screenings
  • Connecting intended parents and egg donors
  • Coordinating with your IVF clinic
  • Managing your egg donor’s travel and monitoring needs
  • Drafting and negotiating a contract between you and your egg donor
  • Protecting your parental rights

As a parent in our egg donation program, you will follow a process that guides you along your journey from establishing yourself with a clinic until your egg donor’s egg retrieval.

Types of Egg Donation

There are 4 different types of egg donation: Known Egg Donation, Semi-Known Egg Donation, ID Release Donation and Anonymous Egg Donation.

Known egg donation. For known egg donation, Circle will share contact information between egg donors and intended parents. This allows you to build a relationship, get to know each other, and enables you to have contact with each in the future.

Semi-known egg donation. In this type of egg donation, first names and area of residence are shared between the egg donor and intended parents. Then, donors and parents may choose to have some limited (and anonymous) contact with each other.

Anonymous egg donation. In this type of egg donation, non-identifying information is exchanged, but there is no direct contact between intended parents and their donor. Any communication or information is managed through the agency.

ID Release egg donation. Similar to an anonymous donation, the egg donor and intended parents will have no contact, however with ID Release identifying information will be released if a donor-conceived child at legal age requests details.

Circle Egg Donation encourages known egg donation between intended parents and egg donors. Known egg donation allows intended parents to get to know their egg donor, and her motivations for donating her eggs. It also creates an open channel for future communication between the egg donor and the parents, as well as for the child, should the child wish to learn more about where s/he came from.

Almost all of the egg donation matches at Circle Egg Donation are Known Egg Donations. When deciding which type of egg donation works best for your family, please remember it is a very personal decision, and one to be made that’s best for your situation and wishes. If you are most comfortable with an anonymous donation, we will happily support your decision.

 how much does a surrogate make?

Egg Donation Costs

Egg donation can cost anywhere between $25,000-$35,000, exclusive of IVF clinic fees. An egg donor's fee can also vary since egg donors set their own fees, though most of our first-time egg donors ask for compensation between $9,000-$10,000. In some instances, an egg donor may be compensated higher if she's an experienced donor.

Our Egg Donation Program fees are made up of the following costs:

  • Egg Donor Agency Fee
  • Estimated Legal & Screening Costs
  • Third Party Expenses and Contingencies
  • Egg Donor’s Estimated Payment
  • Egg Donor Costs at Match
 How Egg Donors are Screened

How Egg Donors are Screened

Many women who apply to become egg donors do so because someone close to them has experienced infertility, or they are parents who wish to give that same joy of parenthood to others.

In addition to a desire to help others, egg donors who work with Circle must meet a variety of medical, psychological, and demographic screening requirements to make sure they’re a healthy reproductive match for your family.

At Circle Egg Donation, we hold our egg donors to high standards. How we select egg donors results in an egg donation database that is regularly updated with hundreds of bright, healthy and generous women who are hoping to help intended parents achieve their dreams of having a family.

Circle egg donors will complete an in-depth profile that asks for the egg donor’s biographical information, self-reported health and family history, education and career path information; she will also provide photographs and a video. Every egg donor applicant is pre-screened by Circle's Egg Donation Team, and she is further educated about the egg donor process, and has the opportunity to ask questions of experienced egg donors. If the applicant meets all our egg donor requirements, she will move into the next phase of the screening process.

Once selected, the egg donor is further evaluated by one of Circle’s licensed social workers and she completes a psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed psychologist. The egg donor also attends a medical screening with your IVF clinic where she will complete genetic testing, among other things.

Just as important, our egg donor application is designed to only admit egg donors who are donating for all the right reasons. As a result, you can feel good knowing that your egg donor is emotionally invested in the success and happiness of your parenting journey.

What to Look for in an Egg Donor

Finding the perfect egg donor can feel like an overwhelming task. How do you begin to find an egg donor who will help you grow your family?

When looking for your perfect egg donor match, think about the type of woman that you're looking for. Some intended parents look for a young woman who has similar qualities that they possess. Other intended parents look for an egg donor who complements their personality or appearance.

Education? Appearance? Ethnicity? Personality?

As you start your search, it's a good idea to have some thoughts as to what's important to you in an egg donor match.

And remember, nature vs nurture – not every characteristic or trait is hereditary!

The first place most intended parents start their egg donor search is in an egg donor database. Most Egg Donor databases are set up so that you can search for an egg donor by certain criteria. Circle's egg donor database is easy to use, and easy to navigate.

It can be helpful to make a list of search criteria before you begin. Things to consider are:

  • Physical attributes (hair/eye color)
  • Race/ethnicity
  • Education
  • Previous fertility
  • Geography

Within each donor profile, you'll find a tremendous amount of additional information, including:

  • Personal information
  • Favorite hobbies, activities, foods
  • Family medical history
  • Motivation for becoming a donor

You may not know what you're looking for in a donor, and that's okay! Some intended parents take the "I'll know her when I see her" approach.

How to Find an Egg Donor

Starting your search to find an egg donor may feel a little overwhelming at first, and you're likely going through many emotions as you begin.

There are many egg donation agencies out there, many clinics also have an egg donor database and you will also come across egg banks in your search. The benefit of working with an egg donation agency like Circle Egg Donation, is that we will help you choose an egg donor, and then support you for the duration of your journey. We'll work with your IVF clinic of choice, and coordinate all steps of the process. It's why we're the best egg donor agency!

Here are the key steps in your egg donor search:

  1. First, you’ll create an account for access to Circle’s donor database. You’ll be able to browse profiles of potential donors and see which ones catch your eye. Many intended parents begin by looking for certain physical traits they’re seeking in their child (such as hair or eye color), which we make sure donors clearly capture in their profile photos. It may be a little daunting at first, but you’ll get more confident as you go, and our team will always be available to offer expert guidance.
  2. Next, you can delve deeply into an egg donor profile. This is an in-depth profile she submits describing her personality, interests, background, etc. It will also note if a woman has 'proven fertility' - meaning she has given birth to a healthy child, or her donated eggs have led to successful pregnancy for other intended parents. By the time you move on to the next step, you should feel very comfortable and familiar with the candidate.
  3. Determine the type of egg donation you wish to do. The Circle team is very enthusiastic about ‘known egg donation’ - meaning we encourage the intended parents and the person donating eggs to be open with their identity and stay connected with each other - from matching to pregnancy and beyond. Occasionally, however, you’ll see an anonymous donor profile. We understand that donating eggs is a very intimate procedure, and some egg donors and intended parents have good reasons for wanting to protect their identity. We respect and support this decision.

Whenever you’ve settled on a potential donor that you feel connected to, just let Circle Egg Donation know. They’ll help you set up a video call, so you can get to know each other even better (this can be done anonymously if you prefer). The whole process is very flexible, and depends on your comfort level.

 Why Choose Circle Egg Donation

Why Choose Circle Egg Donation

Circle is a premier egg donor agency with the experience and passion to help you find a perfect match. We have over 25 years of experience, and are partnered with outstanding IVF clinics and other field-leading institutions around the country.

Joining our Egg Donation Program gives you access to our egg donor database and dedicated egg donation support team. Our staff brings a wealth of egg donation experience – including women who have donated their eggs multiple times to help families; we are confident that we can help you choose the perfect egg donor. We’re ready to guide you through the entire egg donation process and help you coordinate with an IVF clinic of your choice.

Why you should grow your family with Circle Egg Donation:

  • Personal experience. We are an agency made up of parents, surrogates and egg donors through the program. We’ve been in your shoes, and we understand what you’re experiencing.
  • Emotional and legal support. The decision to use an egg donor is a big one and we promise you’ll be emotionally and legally cared for and protected. We have social workers and lawyers on staff who support our intended parents on their journeys.
  • Match options. Circle Egg Donation provides four different types of match options allowing intended parents to choose the option that best fits their family.
  • Team approach. Circle provides intended parents with a coordination team, attorney and accountant to provide support and guidance throughout the process. Your support team will coordinate with your IVF clinic and egg donor, and lead you through your journey; you will never be left alone to manage any parts of the process.
  • Clinic partnerships. Circle Egg Donation will work closely with your IVF clinic. If you do not yet have a clinic, we will be happy to introduce you to some of our clinic partners.

Egg Donation Program

Using donor eggs to grow your family is exciting, however it can also add feelings of stress to what is naturally a very emotional journey.

Working with an egg donation agency helps to eliminate the unknowns, so you can focus on what’s important: growing your family.

At Circle Egg Donation, intended parents will experience the following benefits by with with us:

  • We assist intended parents with all necessary legal work throughout the process. This includes guidance and your contract with your egg donor.
  • All egg donors are screened by licensed professionals. Our egg donors meet ASRM and clinic requirements, and are donating their eggs because they want to help others.
  • We coordinate medical arrangements with the IVF clinic. This is a process new to you, so we would never expect for you to manage all of the intricate details. Our team will manage it all, so you don’t have to.
  • We handle all travel arrangements and financial reimbursements to your egg donor. This is something you should never have to worry about, we’ve got it covered!

The Circle Egg Donation team does everything in our power to make your egg donation experience seamless and hassle-free. That’s why we offer Unlimited Egg Donor Matching, meaning we’ll keep matching you with new Circle Egg Donors until a live birth is achieved. It may take more (or less!) time than you expect, but working with our team means you’ll eventually find the right donor. It’s just one more thing you don’t have to worry about.

Become a Parent

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Frequently Asked Questions

It's natural to have questions about being an donor egg recipient and the egg donation process. We've helped so many become parents through egg donation, we're happy to answer any and all of your questions. Frequently asked questions and answers are below. If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

What should I look for in an egg donor?

There are many different criteria by which you can search for your prefect egg donor match. Some intended parents look for egg donors who physically resemble family members. Other intended parents focus on personality traits they'd like to see in their future children. While other parents make the donor's family medical history a priority.

Can I work with my current IVF clinic?

Yes! You may use a fertility clinic with which you already have a relationship if they do third party egg donation. If they don't, Circle can help you select a clinic. We have built relationships with clinics from all over the United States. We will coordinate with your clinic throughout the entire process.

How do I join an egg donation program?
The first step in learning more about becoming a parent through egg donation is to set up a consultation with our Egg Donation team. During your meeting you can discuss your hopes for parenthood through egg donation, the egg donor process, egg donation costs and how to best match with an egg donor. You can start by filling out this form.
Do those who donate eggs get a say in who receives their eggs?

Intended parents review and choose an egg donor from our egg donor database, however all matches Circle facilitates must be mutual in order to proceed. Egg donors will not “choose” who their intended parents are, and who will be receiving their eggs, however, donors are able to choose whether or not they will match with intended parents who select them.

How are egg donors and intended parents matched?

Intended parents search for an egg donor in our egg donor database, which is filled with hundreds of bright and giving young women. Intended parents are able to create a profile and search for donors based on characteristics such as hair color, education, location, etc. After reading comprehensive egg donor profiles, intended parents will let the Circle Egg Donation team know when they have found a donor with whom they wish to match. If both parties agree on the match, the matching process will commence.

Does my egg donor need insurance?

Intended parents will purchase an insurance policy for their egg donors (estimated around $800 for complications insurance on the donor). A donor‘s health insurance will not cover any complications due to the act of egg donation, so the insurance policy is put in place for all donors whether they are insured through their own plan in the marketplace or not.

Does my egg donor need to travel? Who pays for her travel expenses?
Your egg donor will be required to travel twice during her donation to the intended parents’ IVF clinic. The first trip will be for her medical screening to ensure she is a good candidate for egg donation. The second trip will be for the egg retrieval itself. Your donor may also attend local monitoring appointments at a clinic near where she lives. All of the donor’s travel expenses (including meals) are paid for by the intended parents. Circle Egg Donation helps coordinate all egg donor travel.