Third-Party Escrow Before SeedTrust
When SeedTrust entered this field ten years ago, our mission was clear: to make the financial component of the surrogacy journey more secure and worry-free. At that time, escrow looked very different. Most providers held funds and released them once a month at the request of an agency, with no verification, oversight, or accountability. Agencies carried much of the burden, often doing work that escrow providers now manage.
Surrogates and donors would typically receive a single paper check in the mail each month, with no breakdown of payments. Intended Parents received only a basic monthly statement without receipts, often left wondering how their funds were being used, how much remained, and whether their obligations were being paid on time. This lack of transparency created unnecessary questions, stress, and concern during an already complex and emotional journey.
Transforming Escrow
We recognized the need for a safer, more transparent solution that provided stronger protections, ensured fund management in accordance with agreements, and alleviated the financial stress of an already emotional, complex, and expensive process. Over the past decade, we are proud to have led the way in transforming third-party escrow into the essential, value-added service it has become. Along the way, we have raised standards across the industry, encouraging others to improve as well.
Innovations That Set the Standard
Let’s look back at some of the evolution in third party escrow SeedTrust has led.
- Fast electronic payments
- Real-time payments, ledgers, and notifications
- A transparent client portal with 24/7 access
- Scheduled disbursements through a payment calendar
- An escrow credit card program for expenses and insurance
- A lost wages calculator to make reimbursements easier to calculate and understand
- Bonding to safeguard client funds from theft and fraud
- Independent financial audits shared with clients and partners to ensure oversight and peace of mind
- Advanced funding solutions, including e-check and foreign exchange
- International payments in multiple currencies
Building a Family of Companies
As SeedTrust has grown, we have also built and welcomed other solutions into our family of companies, each created to meet specific needs within our field. We are especially proud of Orchid Software Solutions and Gather Records, which, together with SeedTrust, continue to deliver tools designed specifically for this community, always with accountability and an unwavering focus on service.
Serving Intended Parents, Surrogates, and Donors
Evolving into the secure financial services company this field deserves has allowed us the privilege of serving over 30,000 families. Helping Intended Parents achieve their dream of building a family is the greatest honor we could imagine. We take pride in protecting their funds, providing transparency, and reducing financial stress so they can focus on what truly matters: the baby: their family.
We are equally honored to serve Surrogates, who make extraordinary sacrifices to help families. Surrogates are an elite group of remarkable women, and we are deeply grateful for their generosity and courage. While compensation is only a small part of their motivation, it must always be managed with fairness, safety, and reliability so that no financial risk adds stress to such a selfless act. We are also proud to support Donors who are extraordinary women giving of themselves to help others create families.
Giving Back to the Community
Just as important, we have committed ourselves to giving back beyond our services. We have long supported organizations dedicated to protecting and empowering families, including Men Having Babies, RESOLVE, ASRM, AAAA, ABA, Making the Grade, Baby Quest, the Surrogacy Foundation, and SEEDS. We are proud of our Visionary Partnership with the Surrogacy Foundation, which allows the Foundation to expand its reach and impact.
We are also proud of our contributions to SEEDS. Many members of our team have volunteered countless hours, serving on committees, chairing initiatives, and holding leadership roles including President and Chair of the Board. Together, we have helped strengthen SEEDS’ mission to set standards and provide education across the field to protect all involved. Supporting SEEDS is not an obligation; it is a privilege.
Rising to the Occasion in Times of Crisis
In times of crisis, we have stepped in when other escrow providers faced fraud, collapse, or operational struggles, donating millions of dollars of our services, time, and expertise to help affected families. These moments came with real sacrifice, but we have always viewed it as our duty. I am proud of the culture we have built at SeedTrust, where our team consistently rises to the occasion, no matter how busy we are. We take pride in doing our part to make this field better, even when it requires sacrifice.
Powered by People and Purpose
Internally, our family of companies is powered by more than 100 dedicated professionals who share a passion for our purpose and for serving our clients. We have built a strong culture centered on customer service, teamwork, feedback, innovation, and doing the right thing. When challenges arise, our team consistently steps up, meeting every moment with commitment and resilience.
Gratitude to Our Partners
None of this would be possible without the extraordinary professionals we are privileged to work alongside: agencies, concierge services, attorneys, doctors, clinics, psychologists, insurance providers, and so many others. These partners are the true heroes who make parenthood possible for deserving families.
I want to especially acknowledge our incredible agency partners, whose trust has made everything we have accomplished possible. They are the unsung heroes who recruit, match, guide, and protect both Intended Parents and Surrogates. Their work is critical to every journey, and SeedTrust would not exist without their trust and partnership. We are proud to support their mission by managing the financial component with the highest standards of security, transparency, and care, protecting them from unnecessary financial and reputational risks, and allowing them to focus on helping more families.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate ten years, I am humbled and inspired by the families we have served, the partners we have worked alongside, and the team that makes it all possible. Together, we have built something extraordinary, and the best is yet to come. As we celebrate this milestone, we do so with gratitude, pride, and a renewed commitment to keep raising the bar for the next ten years.
Adam Winder
President and CEO, SeedTrust Escrow
