Frequently Asked Questions
The Seed Scout Purpose, Mission & Process
The Seed Scout is a comprehensive known sperm donor matchmaking resource for family planning. We developed an extensive, personalized screening process for known donors so that we can provide you with the best options to meet your unique needs.
At the Seed Scout, we believe that navigating the donor journey should be a fun, exciting step towards building a family. Here is what the process looks like:
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Step 1: The Seed Scout learns about what you are looking for!
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Step 2: We will show you a catalog of donors that match your criteria and/or we will conduct a search to find additional suitable matches.
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Step 3: Once you have decided on your two favorite donors, we introduce you to them.
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Step 4: Once you and your donor mutually match, we will walk you through the necessary next steps.
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Note that we offer services if you plan to do IVF, IUI or ICI but you must use either a fertility clinic or a nurse-midwife in order to use our services.
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So how are we different from a sperm bank and why does it matter?
More Options: The Seed Scout has a wide range of options and choices as compared to sperm banks. Each bank only has a limited number of donors to choose from. The Seed Scout has over 200 donors and we are adding more every week. We conduct new searches for each and every client to help find their perfect match.
Family Limit: The family limit at The Seed Scout is capped at THREE. That means that your donor will only match with a maximum of two other families. This means the number of half-siblings that your children will have will be exponentially lower than sperm bank donors where family caps generally do not exist. Some donor sibling cohorts can have over 100 children!
Personal Experience: You get to meet your donor beforehand at The Seed Scout. A donor contributes half of your children’s future genetics so getting to know them beyond a very basic profile is incredibly important. You will have peace of mind knowing that they are a good person.
Donor Contact: Your future children have the opportunity to reach out and/or know details about their donor at the age of your/their choosing. At sperm banks, even “open ID” does not guarantee that a donor will be responsive if and when a child reaches out. Donor conceived people are strongly advocating that all donors should be known donors.
Annual Medical History Update: The Seed Scout donors provide you with an annual update on family medical history. Sperm banks are not obligated to provide any updates on donor family medical history even if they are aware of such updates.
Age of Donors: Donors at The Seed Scout must be at least 24 years old. Sperm banks will recruit college-aged donors who are often not mature enough to make such an important decision.
Donor’s Family Photos: The Seed Scout provides you with photos of your donor’s family so you can see what their parents and siblings look like. Sperm banks only provide a few photos of the donor, sometimes only one baby photo.Anyone who is looking for assistance in finding a known sperm donor to help grow their family is a perfect match for us. This includes LGBTQIA+ couples, single parents by choice and couples with male-factor infertility.
Logistics & Cost of The Seed Scout?
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Our fees: We believe in transparency. Depending on what you want and need, the pricing will vary. The general costs for our services are listed on the “Packages” page.
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Donor fees: We require clients to pay their donor a minimum of $5,000. That amount is paid directly to the donor.
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Other fees: In addition, we estimate the costs for medical testing, a legal agreement, and other necessary logistical steps to be approximately $7,000. These fees are all paid directly to providers, lawyers, etc.
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Generally, there will be 3 or 4 donations made. Historically, our clients have received anywhere from 10-20 vials from ~4 donations.
Our best estimate for the known donor process is that it can take approximately one month to choose a donor and three months to move through the next steps. There are so many variables that dictate how long this process takes, which means timelines vary from client to client.
Regardless of your timeframe, please contact us to set up your free call because we can still give you information about your options and suggestions for moving forward.
All About The Seed Scout Donors
We have many different avenues to find sperm donors, though we want to assure you that none of our donors are found from anonymous sperm banks, facebook groups, or any apps or websites. We have our own list of over 200 donors that are ready, willing, and excited to donate.
If none of those individuals match your criteria, we conduct personalized searches and outreach to find the right match.If you choose our standard package, a donor can donate to 3 families through The Seed Scout. If you choose our exclusive package, the donor only donates to your family through The Seed Scout. We have a clause in our contract with the donor that they have not and will not donate to any banks, Facebook groups, apps/websites, or other matchmaking services. We require that you add the same clause into your legal agreement.
Donors are still permitted to have children of their own, donate to a close friend or to family members if needed.Paige, a board-certified pediatrician, created a comprehensive medical history form that each donor fills out before donating. We review all potential donors' medical questionnaires regarding their personal and family medical history and ask any necessary follow up questions. You have the option to hire a third party genetic counselor to review a donor's health history, evaluate risks, and help you make an informed decision.
Unfortunately, there is no method for The Seed Scout to confirm a donor’s medical history for accuracy. However, we have found that our donors tend to be incredibly thorough when describing their family medical history because we do not disqualify donors for having a medical history.
We have a long list of health conditions we ask about to help prompt them. We always encourage donors to check with their parents and siblings to ensure their health background is as complete as possible. We also inform donors that they are to provide updates about their family medical history to their recipient families on at least an annual basis until children reach 18 years of age.
Legal Protection for Your Family
It is important to note that we are not able to provide legal advice. Laws are constantly evolving and we cannot predict what the Supreme Court or State Courts will rule in the future. We can help guide you in the process of picking a lawyer.
Second-Parent Adoption: We require a second-parent adoption for the non-biological parent (if applicable).
Legal Agreement Parties: We require that both parents, the donor and the donor’s spouse (if applicable) sign the agreement.
Attorneys: We require that the couple/individual and the donor have their own independent attorneys.
Psych Evaluations: We require multiple psychological evaluations (donor session, client session and donor/client session).
Location of Insemination: We require inseminations to occur at a medical clinic or with a nurse-midwife.The Oklahoma case was a highly unusual scenario and none of our required protections were followed. Please feel free to ask us additional questions about the facts of this case.
