Everything You Need to Know About Stardust Grants
We offer fertility grants for Jewish couples and individuals in the Tri-State area
We know how stressful it feels to struggle with building the family of your dreams. We’re here to relieve one small part of that stress, no matter what your Jewish family looks like. We recommend reading through this entire page to understand all the ins-and-outs of who’s eligible, how to apply, and what to expect.
How We Help
We ease the financial and emotional burden of infertility in 4 ways:
Grants between $1k–15k for eligible fertility treatments
Up to 20% cost reduction for services at our partner clinics
Best fertility medication pricing at specialty pharmacies
Peer support through our Constellations program
Who We Help
We help Jewish couples or individuals of any race, religious affiliation, family structure, or sexual orientation who meet the following criteria:
You are a resident of CT, NJ, or NY
You have one parent who is Jewish and you intend on raising a child with Judaism as the only religion practiced in the home
You have proof of infertility from medical doctor (unless medical history or physical findings dictate earlier evaluation and treatment)
You have the means for child support and adequate living arrangements, along with basic health insurance for mother and baby
You have no more than one child
Our Grant Types
Up to $15,000
Our core grant covers a broad range of fertility treatments - IVF, IUI, donor materials, and surrogacy - for Jewish individuals and couples in NY, NJ, and CT. Grants are awarded on a quarterly cycle and are paid directly to your clinic.
Standard Stardust Fertility Grant
Up to $5,000
This grant covers egg or embryo freezing and IVF for Jewish women facing a cancer diagnosis with a narrow window to preserve fertility before treatment begins. Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis due to urgency.
Sharsheret Oncofertility Grant
Treatment Coverage
Our Standard Grants cover the following treatments:
IVF (including with ICSI and/or PGT)
IUI
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Donor Materials (egg donor/ embryo donor/ sperm donor) + IVF
Surrogacy (must have paid initial installment, matched with a surrogate, and can provide proof of funds - combined income must be less than $500K annually)
The following treatments/criteria are ineligible:
Embryo banking
Egg freezing
Reciprocal IVF when not medically necessary
IVF for women over 45 (unless using donor eggs)
Carrying a baby if you are 50 or older
Fertility medications (note: we do provide discounts on medication as part of our grants)
Our Application Process
Submit your application
If you meet our eligibility criteria (more details in the FAQs section below), fill out an application! We accept applications on a rolling basis, but our committee reviews applications once every quarter.
The deadline for each cycle is the last day of the quarter (March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31).
Grant Committee meets
Our Grant Committee - made up of leading medical, science, finance, legal, and social work professionals - meets regularly to make grant approval decisions. If your application is missing information we will reach back out.
The most common reason an application gets rejected is because it has not been filled out properly, so be careful when filling out your application!
Find out if you’ve been approved
If you’ve been approved for a grant, funds will be paid directly to your fertility clinic. You must use the funds within 12 months on future treatments (can’t be applied to past services)
Don’t worry, we’ll be with you every step of the way to help you navigate all this.
Important FAQs
Eligibility
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Applicants MUST meet the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) definition of Infertility (i.e. blocked tubes, unexplained infertility, endometriosis, PCOS, male factor, female factor, etc.) OR have other appropriate situation that requires use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (e.g. LGBTQIA+, cancer treatment, genetic carriers, etc.). A reproductive endocrinologist must certify that treatment is necessary (i.e. not just preferable) and the applicant is an appropriate candidate.
Stardust utilizes a healthcare review committee that considers if candidates have a reasonable likelihood of success. Additionally, full Jewish genetic screening is required. We do not want someone to undergo treatment only to find out another factor is a barrier. Please go to www.jscreen.org for more information. Tests of ovarian reserve and applicant’s overall mental and physical health will also be considered.
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Yes! Proudly. Our goal is to build Jewish families. As long as you meet our criteria, we are here to support you. Stardust is proud to be one of the only Jewish fertility grantmakers that supports LGBTQIA+ couples in the Tri-State area.
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We accept Jews of all kinds and all affiliations, but Judaism must be the sole religion practiced in the home. In the application, you will have the opportunity to share your fertility story and your vision for your Jewish family, and we ask for two reference letters attesting to your Jewish identity - one must be from a rabbi or lay leader. We are deeply invested in our grant recipients’ stories and want to see their vision for a Jewish family.
Application Process
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Stardust typically has four funding cycles per year, based on demand. The deadline for submissions for each cycle is the last day of the quarter (March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31). Our grants committee will review your application around 2-3 weeks after the end of the quarter, and you will receive notice about your application shortly thereafter.
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Our Grant Committee is comprised of leading medical, science, finance, legal, and social work professionals, none of whom sit on our Board of Directors. Everyone involved is bound by confidentiality and treats your privacy with the utmost care.
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A letter from your doctor confirming medical need for treatment (required - applications will not be considered without this letter)
A personal statement (your fertility story and your vision of your Jewish family)
Two reference letters (one from a rabbi or someone who can attest to your Jewish identity)
The last two IRS returns for each applicant (and/or joint filing)
Two most recent pay stubs (for both applicants, if applying with a partner)
A copy of both sides of your insurance cards
Funding
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No. Once approved, our grants are made payable directly to the clinics.
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Each case is considered individually based on treatment costs and applicant’s financial situation, but grants are typically between $1,000 and $15,000. In most cases, we provide partial funding for treatments.
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Stardust considers a range of situations and we encourage all eligible applicants to apply. If you are unsure if you qualify based on your income (whether you think your income might be too high or too low to qualify), please send us an email at info@stardustfoundation.org to get clarity.
For surrogacy grants, combined household income must be less than $500K.
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No. Stardust only provides funding for treatments before they have started.
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Our Grant Committee — made up of leading medical, scientific, legal, financial, and social work professionals — considers every application very carefully. Some factors that may go into the committee’s decision include financial need, ability to support a child, Jewish identity, strength of reference letters, and more. We wish we could provide funding to everyone who applies, but our ability to provide funding (and in what amount) depends on our budget, application volume, and other factors.