Lucina Egg Bank – Become an Egg Donor
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Start Your Journey—Apply Today
Your donation can help someone build the family they’ve dreamed of. Start with our free 2-minute application—it’s the first step toward making a real difference.
What Is Egg Donation — And Who Does It Help?
Egg donation is a life-changing gift. At Lucina Egg Bank, our mission is to change lives and create families — and egg donation is one of the most powerful ways to do that.
When a healthy woman donates her eggs, she gives others the chance to grow their family — something they may not be able to do on their own due to medical conditions, age, or genetics.
By becoming a donor, you’re helping build families and changing lives. Many recipients are LGBTQ+ individuals, cancer survivors, single parents, or couples who have spent years hoping for a child.
Whether you’re ready to donate, want to refer someone, or feel inspired to advocate for egg donation—every action matters.
5 Things to Know About Being An Egg Donor
There’s a lot of information out there — here are the facts that matter most:
Egg donors do not become parents.
Egg donors are not legally or biologically considered parents of any resulting children.
You can earn up to $300,000 as a top egg donor — and change lives doing it.
Most donors earn $8,000–$15,000 per cycle, while highly qualified donors may receive up to $50,000 per cycle and can donate up to six times.
The process is safe, supportive, and guided by experts.
You’ll take fertility medication and undergo a short outpatient procedure, all under experienced medical care.
You’ll help grow families of all kinds.
Your gift creates possibilities for those who can’t conceive—LGBTQ+ families, cancer survivors, single parents, and others who dream of parenthood.
There’s more than one way to make a difference.
Whether you choose to donate, refer a friend, or simply spread the word, your actions help more families find hope. Every step forward matters.
Why Women Become Egg Donors
Every woman’s story is different, but many share the same motivation: they want to make a difference.
Giving Hope to Families Who Need Help
Donating eggs is a powerful way to give hope to people who can’t grow their family without help.
Curiosity About Their Own Fertility Health
The screening process helps many donors understand their reproductive health in ways they never had before.
Using Compensation to Fuel Their Dreams
Donor compensation often supports dreams—whether it’s travel, education, or saving for the future—while making a lasting impact.
Inspiring Others to Take Action
Many donors go on to share their stories, refer friends, or advocate for egg donation—spreading awareness and helping more families along the way.
“It has always been my dream to donate eggs, and I’m happy I chose Lucina Egg Bank for my donation. The staff was experienced, knowledgeable, and very helpful. Michelle, Ava, and the others were able to answer all of my questions and concerns and went above and beyond to help me. Recommend them to anyone who is interested in becoming an egg donor or wants to learn more about the process before moving ahead.”
— Louise, Lucina Egg Donor
What Is the Process To Become an Egg Donor?
Becoming an egg donor with Lucina is a guided journey — and we’ll be with you every step of the way. The full process typically takes 6 to 10 weeks from your initial application to your egg retrieval.
Here’s how it works:
Apply Online
Complete a quick 2-minute form to see if you qualify. You’ll hear back within 1–2 business days.
Screening & Acceptance (1–3 weeks)
If accepted, you’ll complete medical, genetic, and psychological screening — all arranged locally near you.
Sign Your Contract
You’ll sign an anonymous agreement that protects your privacy and outlines your compensation and safety.
Egg Retrieval (Travel to San Diego)
You’ll travel to our San Diego clinic for a 15-minute outpatient procedure under light edation. All travel costs are covered.
Get Paid & Rest Up
You'll receive your compensation quickly—most
donors feel back to normal in 24–48 hours.
After your journey, you can keep making a difference by advocating for egg donation in your community.
Still have questions? Read our FAQs
Why Women Choose Lucina
Lucina isn’t just another egg donor program — we’re a trusted leader with over 30 years of experience supporting women through every step of the egg donation journey. With us, you’re never just a number — you’re part of something meaningful.
Here’s why so many women choose Lucina:
No Waiting to Be Chosen
Unlike other programs, you can begin your donation journey right after approval — no need to wait for a match.
Compensation You Can Count On
Highly qualified donors may earn $50,000 per cycle — up to $300,000 total for six cycles.
Private & Anonymous
Your personal information stays confidential. You’re in control of who knows about your journey.
Clear, Guided Process
From start to finish, our team keeps you informed, supported, and confident in every step.
Expert Medical Care
Our experienced clinical team prioritizes your health and safety at every stage of the donation process.
Not Ready to Donate? Become an Advocate
Even if donating isn’t right for you, your voice can still make a difference — by sharing, supporting, or referring a friend, you help bring hope to families waiting to grow.
Be an Advocate
Support our mission to change lives and create families. Every referral helps someone take the first step.
Earn Up to $10,000 Per Referral
Get rewarded for every successful referral — our way of saying thank you for making an impact.
“At first, I only thought of earning extra money to help pay down my student loans. After a few cycles, the meaning of being an “egg donor” changed for me. It became about the experience, the people you meet, and the families you’re helping. My egg donations have always been 100% anonymous with lucina egg bank, but the families still manage to find a place in my heart.”
— Ellie, Lucina Egg Donor
Need more information?
Safety-ED
Yes, the egg donation process is very safe with over 20,000 cycles being performed in the United States annually it is considered a routine procedure. The risks of egg donation are relatively low, with serious problems being uncommon.
“There are no long-term adverse risks of IVF or egg donation,” said Richard J. Paulson, president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and head of the infertility program at the University of Southern California – one of the nation’s oldest Egg Donor programs.
During the procedure (the egg retrieval), you will be put to sleep for about 20-30 minutes, so you will not feel anything. Following the procedure, some may experience mild cramping and bloating. You may or may not experience some of the symptoms.
Every person is different, so the effects of the process will vary, but if you feel pain – relax, it is definitely more than manageable.
There is no study showing that being an Egg Donor will affect your fertility in the future. The average woman is born with 2 million eggs. By puberty, that pool consists of about 400,000 follicles (eggs). From these, only 400 will reach maturity and be ovulated. This leaves approximately 399,600 unused. In a typical cycle, a woman generally produces 15-20 eggs. Usually, only one egg is released for ovulation and the body discards the rest. During our ovarian stimulation process, we develop the extra eggs that would otherwise be destroyed. This explains why the normal pool of ovarian follicles is not depleted by egg donation.
You may speak directly with one of our physicians if you would like to discuss this further.
The majority of our Egg Donors do donate multiple times because they find the process to be fulfilling and relatively easy. Egg Donors are able to donate around 3 times per year, depending on the length of the process for each cycle. The maximum according to ASRM is 6 times. Our physicians can help determine this number on an individual basis.
You will need to have two regular periods between cycles or wait 2 months.
Our physician recommends bed rest for at least 24 hours.
To donate eggs, your BMI must be within a healthy range according to guidelines set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Even if it is not the most accurate scale, it does help to estimate a healthy weight-height distribution. In order to compensate for its slight discrepancy, we do accept donors that are considered slightly overweight according to the BMI scale. The reason we have to adhere to these guidelines is that if your BMI is high, your natural fertility may be affected, making the process of egg donation too risky for you. You may not respond well to the necessary ovarian stimulation needed for egg donation. It’s our responsibility to make sure all our Egg Donors are healthy and well enough to donate eggs. Your safety is our main concern which is why these guidelines are in place.
No, you can not be an Egg Donor when you are pregnant. You can also not be an Egg Donor while you are still breastfeeding. However, you can still fill out the pre-screen application to see whether you would be eligible. That way you can find out whether you would be eligible after you completed your pregnancy.
Yes, you can! Cycle suppression removal will be discussed with your Egg Donor coordinator once accepted into the program. When it gets closer to the egg retrieval date, we will provide you with our cycle suppression pills.
Process-ED
After submitting your application, you’ll receive an instant pre-qualification notification. This means you’ll know immediately if you meet our initial criteria, allowing you to proceed confidently to the next step. For those who pre-qualify, we will schedule a brief Egg Donor phone interview to discuss how the Egg Donation process works and compensation and answer any questions you may have.
It depends on the doctor’s protocol. Each person is a little different. Typically, it’s 10-12 days.
Once you are selected, it can take 2 weeks to 1 month before your egg retrieval (depending on several variables).
Everyone is different. Some retrievals will result in 2 eggs, some will result in 20 or more. It depends on your body and how your body reacts to the medications.
You will travel to our location in San Diego, California. All costs will be paid upfront by us. All travel arrangements (flights, hotels, etc.) will be booked by us. You will only have to travel for the egg retrieval (7-9 days).
All the appointments in between will be done at a center local to you. If you are an international donor, you will only have to travel once, the duration of your trip will last 18-21 days to complete your donation cycle.
You may experience some cramping, bloating, or soreness/tenderness. We can prescribe pain medication as necessary, but we encourage rest and relaxation! We are also able to provide a physician’s note for school/work so you are afforded sufficient time to focus on recovery. Your coordinators on the Egg Donation and IVF Team will be maintaining communication to provide medical care as needed.
Reminder – recovery looks different for everybody, but regardless, you won’t be on your own!
During the procedure (the egg retrieval), you will be put under anesthesia for about 20-30 minutes. The eggs are drawn out of follicles with gentle suction from the help of ultrasound images. It is the same procedure that women undergo who freeze their eggs or go through IVF (in vitro fertilization) to get pregnant.
Unlike other egg programs, the process with our egg bank is very fast. You don’t need to wait to be matched with an Intended Parent. If your application is approved and selected by us we will let you know immediately and coordinate your egg retrieval process. Depending on your availability the entire process is 1-2 months.
Privacy-ED
We take the privacy of our Egg Donors very seriously. All of our donors are anonymous. When an egg donor is anonymous, it means there is no exchange of identifying information between the donor and the intended parents (recipient of the donor eggs). Names and identifying information are all confidential.
Compensation-ED
The average starting compensation for Egg Donors is $8,000. However, compensation differs based on a number of factors, including the donor’s education, her donation history, and other factors.
Egg Donors get paid directly by Lucina Egg Bank.
You will receive the full compensation amount when the retrieval is completed and the compensation is delivered to you directly while you are on site.
Everything is paid for by Lucina Egg Bank so there is nothing you will pay for. However, if you are asked to pay out of pocket for something, you will be reimbursed by submitting an expense reimbursement form with the receipts.