Giving Tree Surrogacy — An Independent Overview

For families navigating the path to parenthood through a gestational carrier, choosing the right agency is one of the most consequential decisions of the journey. Giving Tree Surrogacy, headquartered in Irvine, California, has operated as a full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency since 2015. This overview examines what the agency actually does, how it describes its processes, and what prospective intended parents and surrogates should understand before engaging. Giving Tree is a matching and coordination agency — it is not a fertility clinic and does not employ physicians or perform IVF procedures. Intended parents who also need embryo creation will work with a separate reproductive endocrinologist for the clinical component; see our guide to California fertility clinics for options in the state. Giving Tree coordinates closely with IVF clinics throughout the process.

Staff and Leadership

Giving Tree was founded in 2015 on the stated premise that personal experience with third-party reproduction makes for better case management. The agency describes its leadership team as collectively holding over 50 years of combined experience in surrogacy, egg donation, and related fields. Notably, many staff members are themselves former surrogates, egg donors, or intended parents — a staffing philosophy that shapes how the agency presents its approach to empathy and practical guidance.

Among the staff visible through the agency's public-facing profiles, Alaina Schafer serves as Director of Egg Donation and has been featured on the agency's podcast discussing egg donor coordination. Additional team members include Erica Almendarez, Ying Asano, Isabela Mendoza, and Sarah Martin. The agency employs approximately 24 people overall. Specific credentials and titles beyond Director of Egg Donation are not individually disclosed on the public website, which is common among surrogacy agencies as distinct from fertility clinics.

The agency characterizes its internal culture through a framework it calls ROOTS — an acronym standing for values of respect, empathy, collaboration, and commitment to a positive impact. The ROOTS philosophy is meant to reflect the "deep, nurturing foundation" that supports the agency's client relationships, an analogy they draw explicitly to the anchor-like support that sustains growth over time.

Surrogacy Services

Giving Tree describes itself as a full-service international surrogacy agency, meaning it handles or coordinates every stage of the gestational surrogacy journey beyond the IVF procedures themselves. The agency's services for intended parents include:

• Surrogate recruitment, screening, and matching — the agency sources and pre-screens candidates before presenting them to intended parents
• Escrow and financial management — all surrogate payments are managed through third-party escrow providers
• Legal coordination — the agency works with attorneys on surrogacy contracts and pre-birth orders, though legal fees are separate line items
• Psychological evaluation coordination — required for surrogates and typically offered to intended parents as well
• IVF clinic liaison — Giving Tree coordinates directly with fertility clinics, including pre-approving surrogate medical records before matching
• Egg donation program — operating as a separate program within the agency, with both fresh and frozen donor egg cycles available and an online donor database accessible after registration
• International surrogacy program — serving intended parents who reside outside the United States

The agency also operates a SPAR (Special Program of Assisted Reproduction) pathway for HIV-positive intended parents who wish to pursue gestational surrogacy safely, coordinating with specialized fertility clinics that follow medical protocols designed to protect surrogates and resulting children.

The Matching Process

Giving Tree's most prominently marketed differentiator is what it calls the HEART matching approach — a proprietary framework built around five principles.

H — Holistic Understanding. The agency conducts in-depth intake with both intended parents and prospective surrogates, gathering personal histories, aspirations, and concerns before attempting any match. E — Expedited Matching. The agency claims the fastest matching time in the industry, with access to their surrogate pool beginning immediately upon a client retaining services. A — Aligned Values. Matching specialists consider communication preferences, personality compatibility, and views on medically sensitive decisions such as embryo transfer numbers and selective reduction. R — Rigorous Selection. Surrogate medical records are reviewed and pre-approved by IVF clinics before matching occurs, reducing delays and the risk of disqualification mid-journey. T — Trust Building. Both parties are encouraged to share openly before committing to a match, and a meet-and-greet call is required before any match is finalized.

The agency describes a five-step process: pre-match preparation for surrogates; intended parent profiling; specialist review and selection; a match call between both parties; and formal confirmation. Giving Tree states a 99% match meeting success rate, and emphasizes that no algorithm drives the selection — every match is reviewed by experienced human professionals. Intended parents who do not feel a match is right are returned to the search for a new candidate; the agency states they will never be rushed into accepting a match that does not feel right.

Costs and Agency Fees

Giving Tree does not publish a complete fee schedule on its public website, which is typical for full-service surrogacy agencies whose total program costs vary significantly based on surrogate base compensation, clinic costs, legal fees, insurance, and other variables. Interested intended parents are invited to book a free, no-obligation consultation to receive a full program breakdown.

What the agency does disclose is surrogate compensation structure, which forms a large portion of any total surrogacy cost. First-time surrogates working with Giving Tree can earn up to $92,000 in total compensation; experienced surrogates can earn up to $115,000. Base pay is disbursed over 10 monthly payments beginning within seven days of a confirmed fetal heartbeat. In addition to base pay, surrogates receive itemized bonuses and allowances:

• $1,000 sign-on bonus
• $500 medical clearance bonus
• $500 medication start bonus
• $2,000 embryo transfer bonus
• $500 monthly allowance throughout the pregnancy
• Housekeeping, childcare, and maternity clothing allowances
• $2,500 wellness gift package
• $5,000 for C-section delivery
• $10,000 for carrying multiples (twins or more)
• $300 per week for breast milk pumping if applicable
• $5,000–$10,000 additional for HIV/SPAR program intended parents

All surrogate-side medical costs, travel expenses, health insurance, life insurance (up to $750,000), legal fees, and psychological counseling are covered by intended parents as pass-through costs rather than folded into agency fees.

For intended parents who need assistance financing the total program cost, the agency's website lists a financing options page with information on third-party lenders and programs designed for family building costs.

Intended Parent and Surrogate Experience

Giving Tree serves a broad range of intended parent profiles. The agency explicitly supports heterosexual couples dealing with infertility or medical conditions that preclude carrying a pregnancy, LGBTQ+ individuals and couples of all identities, single parents by choice, and HIV-positive intended parents through the SPAR program. The agency's stated position is that "parenthood belongs to you" regardless of family structure, and it presents itself as a non-judgmental partner across all of these paths.

For surrogates, the agency emphasizes ongoing support throughout and beyond the pregnancy — including what it calls "4th trimester" care after delivery. A peer community and mentorship connections are offered so surrogates are not navigating the experience in isolation. The agency also runs a referral program through which surrogates can earn additional compensation by recommending qualified candidates.

Giving Tree's podcast is an accessible entry point for both surrogates and intended parents to hear from staff, past participants, and specialists about what the journey involves. The agency also maintains a "Legacy of Love" charitable initiative and a dedicated support page for IVF clinic providers interested in partnering with the agency.

As a Wix-hosted site without a publicly accessible review aggregation widget on its pages, prospective clients should seek independent reviews on platforms such as Google, Yelp, and the agency's Yelp profile before making decisions.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Giving Tree Surrogacy a fertility clinic?

No. Giving Tree is a surrogacy matching and coordination agency, not a fertility clinic. It does not employ physicians, perform IVF procedures, or operate a laboratory. Intended parents who need embryo creation work with a separate reproductive endocrinologist chosen independently or with the agency's help. Giving Tree coordinates with IVF clinics to pre-screen and approve surrogates' medical records before matching occurs.

What families does Giving Tree work with?

The agency serves heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, single parents by choice, LGBTQ+ individuals of all identities, and HIV-positive intended parents through its SPAR program pathway. It also serves international intended parents living outside the United States through a dedicated international surrogacy program.

How long does the matching process typically take?

Giving Tree claims expedited matching as a defining feature of its program, stating that intended parents gain access to the surrogate pool immediately upon signing with the agency. However, actual matching timelines depend on individual compatibility criteria, clinic pre-approvals, and surrogate availability. Prospective intended parents should ask the agency for current average match timelines specific to their profile during the initial consultation.

Can someone become a surrogate without existing health insurance that covers surrogacy?

Yes, according to the agency. Giving Tree states that surrogates do not need surrogacy-specific coverage to apply. The agency reviews each applicant's current insurance and works with intended parents to arrange any additional coverage required. All IVF procedures, medical appointments, copayments, deductibles, and other journey-related medical costs are covered by the intended parents as part of the total program cost.