Graceful Conception is a for-profit, full-service egg donation and gestational surrogacy agency based in Lake Forest, Illinois. It was founded in 2007 and is run by founder and CEO Sandra (Sandy) King, who is also listed as a co-owner on the agency's Better Business Bureau file. It is a small operation, with the same two principals named consistently across the agency's materials.
The agency works with intended parents, egg donors and gestational surrogates, and its programs are open to LGBTQ+ intended parents, single parents and international clients. Because it runs both an ovum donation program and a surrogacy program, families building through donor eggs, surrogacy, or both can work with the same organization; its website maintains separate portals for surrogates and for intended parents. Earlier marketing materials describe the organization primarily as a full-service ovum donation agency, and the surrogacy side of the practice is a continuing focus.
In November 2025, the agency announced the addition of Robin von Halle, formerly founder and CEO of Alternative Reproductive Resources, as a strategic advisor to expand its gestational surrogacy program. She is not an owner of the business, and ownership of the agency has remained with its founder.
Graceful Conception publishes its agency fee, and its surrogate eligibility requirements include residency and lifestyle criteria as well as limits tied to prior cesarean deliveries; women applying to be gestational carriers must be permanent residents of the United States, and the agency does not accept applicants residing in certain states. Its published fees, surrogate compensation range, eligibility requirements and BBB details appear below.
AI summary of 3 reviews · can make mistakes
Reviewers mostly describe a small agency with a personal, hands-on approach, often mentioning staff who seem invested in their goals and quick to resolve problems. Feedback includes both intended parents and egg donors, with some contrasting it favorably with larger, more impersonal agencies. Not everyone was satisfied, though: a few reviewers found the agency difficult to work with and reported unexpected surprises during the process.
3 reviews match these filters.
Graceful Conception, through the persistence and determination of its people, made it possible for us to achieve our dream of becoming parents. Before our fertility doctor recommended Graceful Conception to us, we had worked with two other surrogacy agencies. Neither had succeeded in helping us become parents: one had failed to find us a surrogate within a reasonable timeframe, while the other, after more than a year, presented us with only a candidate we found clearly unsuitable. Graceful Conception, despite being much smaller, succeeded in finding us a surrogate who proved to be wonderful and ultimately helped make our dream a reality. Moreover, the other agencies were highly bureaucratic, and our experience with them felt corporate and impersonal, anything but familial or personal. Graceful Conception, though, especially Sandi King and Judi Carpenter, worked hard to cultivate a personal bond, giving us the sense that seeing us blessed with a baby was just as important to them as it was to us. Surrogacy is a complicated process, with many steps, decisions, and challenges along the way. When we felt like we were ready to give up, they wouldn’t let us. Even when the process was challenging, we knew they shared our goal of a baby and were intent on helping us realize that goal. We are blessed now with a baby. Graceful Conception, like a whirlwind force of nature, made it happen. We will always appreciate the pivotal role their single-mindedness of purpose played in bringing us to this moment.
View on Google (opens in a new tab)I am a x5 egg donor and all have been with Graceful Conception. Judi and Sandi are the best! Any problem I had they seem to fix it right away without any questions. Always available and happy to help. I am truly going to miss working with them.
View on Google (opens in a new tab)Disappointed, I felt they were rude and difficult to work with, we had a lot of unfortunate surprises working with them.
View on Google (opens in a new tab)Google reviews are shown as written and link to the original. Reviewer type is inferred from what each reviewer wrote.
Base compensation
From $60,000
Published by the agency. Benefits and allowances are usually on top of this.
Requirements change — confirm with the agency before applying.
See which agencies fit youNo. Graceful Conception requires surrogates to be non-smokers.
Graceful Conception's citizenship or residency requirement for surrogates: Permanent resident of the United States.
Yes. Graceful Conception does not accept surrogates who live in: AZ, DC, DE, LA, NY, NE, OK, WA.
