Grindr’s New Employee Benefit Covers Costs of IVF and Surrogacy
From navigating surrogacy or adoption to accessing fertility treatments, queer people often face more barriers—and bigger bills—than others. Grindr believes everyone should have the opportunity to create the family of their dreams, and the company is stepping up to help make that a reality for their employees.
Powered by Carrot Fertility, Grindr employees with 18 months of tenure can access up to $300,000 over five years for family planning journeys including adoption, surrogacy, and fertility treatments. Employees will get expert guidance, access to top providers, and seamless expense management, making what can be a stressful process a whole lot easier.
“Grindr is about relationships, which in many cases lead to love, to marriage, and, for some, to dreams of starting a family. In a recent survey across the U.S., we learned that roughly 25% of gay and bisexual men under age 35 want to have children and that cost was by far the biggest impediment to having kids. It is vital to advocate on behalf of our community by pushing to bring these costs down, which are uniquely high for gay men, whether by allowing insurance-covered IVF treatments to be accessible in cases of surrogacy or by making family formation expenses tax deductible, like other healthcare expenses,” said Grindr CEO, George Arison, who has been vocal on supporting access to family formation, and is also a father via surrogacy.
“Grindr can lead by example. Through our success as a business, we aim to make a world where the lives of our global community are free, equal and just. By excelling at creating products our users love and shareholders value simultaneously, we shape a narrative about what it means to be gay, and through that have an outsized impact on the world and the lives of millions. We hope that by being at the forefront of American business on family formation, we not only offer our employees a critical benefit, but show other companies what is possible and encourage them to do the same.”
More than 80% of expenses are covered per journey, with flexibility for larger expenses like surrogacy and adoption.
In 2025, the company is transitioning to a new health plan, developed to offer especially generous IVF coverage. Unfortunately, currently those having children through surrogacy cannot legally access IVF via health insurance. Thus IVF coverage within a health plan is not useful if someone is seeking to pursue one of the most common ways of forming a family for gay men, who are the overwhelming majority of Grindr’s users and a plurality of Grindr’s employees. While the limitation to use of IVF coverage within health insurance for surrogacy will change in California in 2026, other costs of surrogacy, which run upwards of $200,000, will stay as non-tax deductible out of pocket expense, unlike almost all other healthcare expenses. The company will continue to offer coverage for IVF through its health insurance plans and the Carrot benefit will be available for employees who incur these additional out-of-pocket expenses.
“Navigating family-building journeys, whether you’re going through fertility treatments, surrogacy, or adoption, can be extremely challenging," said Tammy Sun, Carrot Fertility Founder and CEO. "Grindr is committed to supporting its workforce by making it simple for people to access and afford the care they need. We’re proud to partner with them to make this possible. It's further proof that small companies have the ability to make a big impact on their employees' lives with supportive benefits.”
For those in different stages of life, the new benefit will also cover hormonal healthcare, including menopause and low testosterone support.
About Grindr Inc.
With more than 14.5 million monthly active users, Grindr has grown to become the Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket™, on a mission to make a world where the lives of our global community are free, equal, and just. Available in 190 countries and territories, Grindr is often the primary way for our users to connect, express themselves, and discover the world around them. Since 2015 Grindr for Equality has advanced human rights, health, and safety for millions of LGBTQ+ people in partnership with organizations in every region of the world. Grindr has offices in West Hollywood, the Bay Area, Chicago, and New York. The Grindr app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
About Carrot
Carrot Fertility is the leading global fertility, family-building, and lifelong hormonal healthcare platform providing care for everyone, everywhere. Trusted by more than a thousand multinational employers, health plans, and health systems, Carrot's comprehensive clinical program delivers industry-leading cost savings for employers and award-winning experiences for millions of people worldwide. From maternity through menopause and pre-pregnancy through parenting, Carrot is dedicated to expanding access and improving outcomes. Carrot empowers members with compassionate, personalized, and inclusive support.
