How to Donate Your Embryos: Options, Costs, and Payment

Many families finish IVF with embryos still in storage, and it's common to feel unsure about what to do with them, since the decision carries a lot of emotional weight and can take months or even years. Some keep them for a future transfer, while others start looking into donating embryos to other couples or to research. If you're weighing that decision, this guide walks through your options for leftover embryos, how to donate your embryos to another family through the Donor Embryo Program at Donor Nexus, what donating to research involves, and whether embryo donors get paid.

What to do with leftover embryos

Families with unused embryos usually choose among five options, and your IVF clinic can tell you which ones it offers. Each choice carries different costs, timelines, and emotional weight, and some can't be undone.

Common options for unused embryos. Ask your IVF clinic which options it offers and what each one costs.

Some clinics also offer compassionate transfer, where an embryo is transferred at a time or to a place in the body where pregnancy is unlikely, and storage limits and fees vary from clinic to clinic. Our guide to leftover embryo options, storage limits, and fees covers those details so you can see which choices fit your family.

How many families choose to donate embryos?

A small share of families with stored embryos choose to donate them to others, although the research is dated and each study looked at a different group of patients. A national survey of US clinics, published in 2003 by RAND and SART researchers, counted 396,526 stored embryos as of April 2002 and found that 2.3% were designated for donation to other patients, while 88.2% were set aside for patients' own use.⁴ In a 2009 interview study of 77 families with frozen embryos, 5 families (6%) favored donation to others for family building.³ A 2020 study of 615 patients who submitted disposition forms at one university-based US clinic between 2000 and 2020 found that 4.1% chose reproductive donation.⁵

These figures measure different things, so they can't be combined into one national rate. Taken together, they suggest that donating to another family is a less common choice, and the same 2009 study found that almost two-thirds of families still had embryos in storage after 5 years.³

How to donate your embryos to another family

You donate embryos with Donor Nexus by applying online, talking with our team and a licensed therapist, choosing your preferences, and letting us arrange transport to our partner clinic in Southern California at no cost to you. Our team has more than 14 years of experience coordinating embryo donation.²

How donating embryos works for families, from application to transport. Sources: Donor Nexus; ASRM 2024.^2,1

1. Apply. Start the embryo donation application, or read more first on our donating embryos page. You'll share copies of identification along with records from your IVF clinic, such as infectious disease testing and information about your embryos.⁶
2. Talk with our team and a therapist. A consultation with our team covers your questions, and you also receive a complimentary consultation with a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) to talk through the emotional side of donating.²
3. Choose openness and preferences. You decide between open ID and nonidentified donation and share any preferences about the families who may receive your embryos.²
4. Complete screening choices and consents. The process offers FDA-related donor screening steps, such as a questionnaire, a physical exam, or infectious disease testing, and participation is voluntary. You'll also sign transport and disposition consents with your IVF clinic and a Donor Nexus agency agreement.⁶
5. Approve your profile. We create a profile for your approval and then list your embryos in our database so intended parents can find them.⁶
6. Transport. Donor Nexus arranges transport of your embryos from your current clinic to our partner clinic in Southern California.⁶
7. Matching and updates. If you asked to approve recipients, we let you know when intended parents express interest, and we keep you updated according to the preferences you set.⁶

You can also read the step-by-step process for donating embryos to Donor Nexus (PDF) before you apply.

Why families donate embryos to other couples

Families donate embryos for personal reasons, and the ones our team hears most often are a wish to help another family the way someone once helped them and a belief that their embryos deserve a chance to become part of a family.⁸ For some, religious or personal beliefs about when life begins shape the decision. Others choose donation instead of discarding embryos or continuing to pay storage fees with no end date.⁸

Some donating families write to our team as their embryos move forward. Writing after hearing that their embryos had reached our partner clinic, an embryo donor through Donor Nexus said, "I am over the moon that the embryos have finally arrived there."² For a longer look at how donation can connect families over time, read one donating family's story of open embryo donation, or browse stories from families who received donor embryos.

Can you donate embryos created with donor eggs or sperm?

Often you can, but read your original egg or sperm donor agreement first, because some contracts limit how embryos can be used beyond your own family building. ASRM guidance notes that donor eligibility is determined by the gametes used to create the embryos,¹ and FDA rules allow embryos first created for a couple's own use to be donated later, as long as they carry required labeling that informs the recipient about donor screening and testing.⁷ Our team can help you gather the records needed for your file.

Should you choose open ID or nonidentified donation?

The choice comes down to how much identifying information you're comfortable sharing. With open ID donation, identifying information can be shared on terms that vary by profile, from contact after an ongoing pregnancy to identity release when the donor-conceived person turns 18, while nonidentified donation shares no identifying information, although no program can promise permanent anonymity now that consumer DNA testing is common. Our guide to open ID and nonidentified embryo donation compares both options in detail.

What if you already know a family who wants your embryos?

If you've already connected with a family through friends, a support group, or social media, you can still get help with the medical, legal, and transport steps. Independent Match Embryo Coordination at Donor Nexus starts at $6,500 USD, and the receiving family generally pays those fees. Our comparison of a private embryo donation match and working with an agency explains how the two paths differ.

Donating embryos to research

Donating embryos to research means your embryos are used in scientific studies, such as research on embryo development, IVF methods, or stem cells, rather than being transferred to start a pregnancy. Research donation usually happens through your IVF clinic or a research institution it partners with, and not every clinic has a program, so the first step is asking your clinic whether it offers one.

ASRM's position statement on embryo research recommends that studies using donated embryos have institutional review board (IRB) oversight, and it says families shouldn't be paid as an enticement to donate embryos left over from IVF.⁹ The same statement considers broad consent acceptable for research that doesn't involve a pregnancy, which means one consent form can cover future studies that haven't been planned yet, so ask what kinds of research your embryos could be used for before you sign.⁹ If you'd like your embryos to have a chance at becoming part of a family, donating to another family is the path to look into instead.

Do you get paid for embryo donation?

No, embryo donors aren't paid for their embryos, but donating shouldn't cost you money either, and at Donor Nexus there is absolutely no cost to you as a donating family.^2,6 Our donor process guide explains that the intended parents cover the costs of the donation, and Donor Nexus covers costs such as:⁶

• Shipping your embryos to our partner clinic
• Outstanding cryopreservation or storage fees at your current clinic
• Your clinic's administration fee for releasing the embryos
• Any additional legal fees required for the donation

Covering these expenses is different from paying for embryos. If you're curious about the receiving side, our guide to what donor embryos cost intended parents breaks down program fees, and our embryo donation process page shows the steps recipients follow.

Can you sell embryos?

Selling embryos isn't allowed in practice, because ASRM guidance says donors should receive no compensation for embryos and calls selling them ethically unacceptable, and US clinics and donation programs follow that guidance.¹ A few states go further with their own laws, including Louisiana, which prohibits the sale of human embryos, and Florida, where buying or selling an embryo for valuable consideration is a felony.^10,11 Most states don't have a law that addresses embryo sales directly, so if anyone offers to buy your embryos, talk with a reproductive attorney before you respond.

Frequently asked questions about donating embryos

Can I choose who receives my embryos?

You can set preferences for the families who receive your embryos. Donating families have asked, for example, that embryos go to a married heterosexual couple, to an LGBTQ+ affirming family, or to a family of a particular faith. Some also ask to be contacted when intended parents express interest, and our team records these choices during your consultation.

Will I know if a baby is born?

That depends on the preferences you choose when you donate. Some donating families ask to be told about transfer outcomes, and families who choose open ID can share identifying information on the terms set in their profile, such as contact after an ongoing pregnancy. If you'd rather not receive updates, you can say so, and our team will note what you want to know.

Does donating cost me anything?

No. Donating embryos through Donor Nexus is free for your family, from the application through transport to our partner clinic. Intended parents who receive embryos pay the program fees. You also receive a complimentary consultation with a licensed marriage and family therapist, so you can talk through the decision before your profile goes live.

Is there a limit on how long embryos can be stored?

The United States doesn't have a federal limit on how long embryos can be stored, but clinics and storage facilities set their own policies, and storage fees continue for as long as your embryos stay frozen. Check your storage agreement or ask your clinic about its rules, and see our guide to leftover embryo options, storage limits, and fees for more detail.

What's the difference between embryo donation and embryo adoption?

Both terms describe donated embryos being transferred to another person or couple who is trying for a pregnancy, and the difference is mostly in how a program structures the process. Some embryo adoption programs borrow steps from traditional adoption, such as home studies, while embryo donation programs like ours handle it as a medical donation. You can learn more on our embryo adoption page.

Can I donate embryos to research instead of another family?

You can if your IVF clinic offers research donation or works with a research program, so ask your clinic what it has available. The Donor Embryo Program at Donor Nexus places embryos with intended parents who are building a family, which makes your clinic the place to start if you're leaning toward research.

Can you sell frozen embryos?

US clinics and donation programs don't buy or sell frozen embryos, and your clinic needs your signed consent before it releases embryos to anyone. If someone offers to buy yours, talk with a reproductive attorney before you respond.

If you're weighing donation, you're welcome to ask questions before you apply. You can start on our donating embryos page, or reach our team at info@donornexus.com or +1 (949) 433-5635, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific. To see how receiving families use donated embryos, visit our Donor Embryo Program page.

Sources

1. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Practice Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Gamete and embryo donation guidance. Fertility and Sterility. 2024;122(5):799-813. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.06.004.
2. Donor Nexus. Donate embryos to other couples or individuals. Accessed September 2026. donornexus.com/donating-embryos.
3. Nachtigall RD, Mac Dougall K, Harrington J, Duff J, Lee M, Becker G. How couples who have undergone in vitro fertilization decide what to do with surplus frozen embryos. Fertility and Sterility. 2009;92(6):2094-2096. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.06.027.
4. Hoffman DI, Zellman GL, Fair CC, et al. Cryopreserved embryos in the United States and their availability for research. Fertility and Sterility. 2003;79(5):1063-1069. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(03)00172-9.
5. Alexander VM, Riley JK, Jungheim ES. Recent trends in embryo disposition choices made by patients following in vitro fertilization. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2020;37(11):2797-2804. doi:10.1007/s10815-020-01927-y.
6. Donor Nexus. Process for donating embryos to Donor Nexus [PDF]. 2025. assets.ctfassets.net.
7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products: exceptions and required labeling. 21 C.F.R. § 1271.90. ecfr.gov.
8. Donor Nexus. Donor Embryo Program: frequently asked questions. Accessed September 2026. donornexus.com/embryo-donation.
9. Ethics in Embryo Research Task Force and Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Ethics in embryo research: a position statement. Fertility and Sterility. 2020;113(2):270-294. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.09.013.
10. Uses of human embryo in vitro. La. R.S. 9:122. Louisiana State Legislature. legis.la.gov.
11. Advertising, purchase, sale, or transfer of human embryos or fetal remains prohibited. Fla. Stat. § 873.05. The Florida Legislature. leg.state.fl.us.

Related reading

What to Do With Leftover Embryos After IVFCompare storage, research, discarding, compassionate transfer, and donation, plus storage limits and fees.Read the guideOpen ID vs. Nonidentified Embryo DonationHow much contact and information each option allows for donating and receiving families.Read the guidePrivate Match vs. Agency for Embryo DonationWhat changes when you already know the family who will receive your embryos.Read the guide