Why Egg Donors Choose Donor Nexus: Our Donor-First Philosophy

Becoming an egg donor is a significant decision, and choosing where to donate your eggs matters just as much, because the agency you work with shapes what your experience is like. You want a reputable team that will provide you with clear support throughout the process, answer your questions quickly, and put your health and well-being first at every step.

This post covers how Donor Nexus approaches that relationship, what our agency looks for in a donor, and what you can expect from us.

Our philosophy: donors come first

Donor Nexus was built on the idea that a donor is a partner in the process rather than a step in it, and that shapes how we schedule appointments, how compensation is set, and how much you know before you commit to anything.  

“I started Donor Nexus in my early twenties, which is about the age most of our donors are when they first reach out to us. I wanted donors to feel as important to this process as they actually are. I never wanted a donor to feel like an object, or like she came second to the intended parents, so we built the program around treating donors the way I would want to be treated.

One of our core values is respect in all three directions, for our donors, for each other, and for our intended parents. Without donors, our intended parents have no hope, and that is why donors come first here.”

Lucy Solie-Vilker, CEO of Donor Nexus

Who you work with

Donor Nexus is a small team of women, and most of us are close in age and life stage to the donors we work with, which makes the practical conversations about school, work and scheduling a lot easier to have. You are not routed through departments or asked to explain your situation again every time you call, because the people coordinating your cycle already know where you are in it.

We have past donors on our team

Several of the women on our team have donated through Donor Nexus themselves, so when you call with a question about injections, monitoring appointments, or what retrieval day feels like, there is a good chance you are talking to someone who has been through it firsthand. They saw how our donors were cared for while working here, and that experience is what led them to donate with us too.

How compensation works here

• You set the number. At Donor Nexus, you decide what you want to be paid. We'll give you guidance on typical ranges and what's realistic based on your profile, but the final number is always yours. For fresh one-on-one cycles, there is no set cap. Compensation is agreed upon between you and the intended parents. For egg banking cycles, compensation is more standardized with the opportunity to earn up to $20,000 per cycle. Your compensation increases with each subsequent donation.
• All of it goes to you. Travel, lodging and a companion are covered separately, so nothing is deducted from what you set.
• You are paid quickly. Your compensation is held in escrow until retrieval, then sent by ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days.
• Referrals pay as well. You receive $1,000 when someone you refer completes a retrieval, with no limit and no requirement that you have donated yourself. See the refer a friend page.

Two ways to donate 

In our Fresh Matching Program, your profile goes into our database and one set of intended parents receives all the eggs from your retrieval, which is where compensation tends to be highest.

In our Frozen Egg Bank, you do not wait to be matched, so the cycle moves faster and your frozen eggs may go to three or four families. Egg banking retrievals take place at HRC Fertility in Newport Beach, at a site that meets and exceeds FDA, College of American Pathologists and California State Health Department standards. Our egg donation programs page compares the two.

What support looks like during your cycle

You have a case management team, your own attorney at no cost, and a companion of your choosing with you on retrieval day, with their travel and lodging covered alongside yours. If you would rather come on your own, we arrange a private nurse through our NurseRegistry partnership so that you are not by yourself afterward. Monitoring appointments are booked between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning and are short, so most local donors keep their normal school or work schedule apart from retrieval day.

One of our donors put it this way:

"As a first-time egg donor, I have never felt more cared for and respected for the gift I was giving! Miranda was with me the whole time and answered all my questions!"

D.G., Donor Nexus egg donor

Frequently asked questions

Where can I donate my eggs?

You donate through an egg donation agency or an egg bank, and it does not have to be one in your city. Donor Nexus works with donors across the United States, so your monitoring appointments happen at a clinic near you and we cover the travel when you need to come to us. Egg banking retrievals take place at HRC Fertility in Newport Beach, California, and fresh matching retrievals happen at the intended parents' clinic.

Can I sell my eggs for money?

Compensation covers your time, your commitment and the medical process rather than the eggs themselves, which is how programs in the United States are set up. The money is still yours to use however you like, and plenty of donors put it toward tuition, loans or savings.

Which egg donation agency pays the most?

Compensation varies by program, by region and by whether you are donating fresh or to an egg bank, so no agency can honestly promise you the highest figure. At Donor Nexus, you decide what you want to be paid, with no cap on fresh match cycles, and egg banking compensation reaches up to $20,000 per cycle and increases with each donation you complete.

What makes an egg donation agency reputable?

A reputable egg donation agency screens every donor medically, genetically and psychologically in line with ASRM guidance¹, explains your compensation in writing before you commit, and pays for an attorney who represents you alone. Check its licensing too. An agency that only arranges matches doesn't need a license, but a program that freezes and stores eggs does. Donor Nexus is registered with the FDA as a tissue establishment and holds a California tissue bank license. 

Is Donor Nexus an agency or an egg bank?

Both. We run a fresh matching program, where one set of intended parents receives all the eggs from your retrieval, and a frozen egg bank, where your eggs are frozen and may go to several families. You choose the program that fits your timeline. Frozen egg banking is typically much quicker since you don't need to wait to be matched.

How long does it take to get paid as an egg donor?

Timing depends on the agency. Donor Nexus holds your compensation in escrow and pays by ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of your egg retrieval.

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. asrm.org

Related reading

Become an Egg DonorCompare fresh matching and the Frozen Egg Bank, check the requirements, and start an application.See the programsIf I Donate My Eggs, Is the Child Biologically Mine?What the genetic connection means for a donor, and what it does not.Read the answerHow Long Is the Egg Donation Process?A step-by-step timeline from application to retrieval for fresh and frozen cycles.See the timeline