Legitimate Fundraising

My husband and I are planning on doing several fundraisers to help with the costs of our adoption. I was wondering, though: Is there something we can do to help reassure people that we're legit? -that we're going to use the money the way we say we're going to? The only other time I've raised money (aside from candy & cookie sales as a kid) was for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society which is obviously well known and nonprofit. We, my husband and I, of course, are neither. Our plan is to save up/fundraise a good portion of the money before starting the process so that we wouldn't get caught in the middle without enough funds to complete it. We're basically at $0 right now and just planning our financial strategy for accumulating the money. (For example this week we are moving to an apartment with a lower rent and a closer location to the stores we shop at & people we visit which will save us $$ in gas and allow us to pay off more debt, freeing up more money for savings later.) So, I was thinking of trying to set up some sort of escrow or trust type situation where a third party holds the money we raise and then pays it directly to the agency or whatever as needed. I can't seem to find anything like that, though. Also, we want to donate any "left-over" funds after our own adoption either directly to another couple trying to adopt or to an adoption assistance type program. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!