The first ever World Adoption Day will be taking place on November 9 thanks to the efforts of a Hollywood pastor who raised $4m through his own crowdfunding platform.

Hank Fortener, of the MOSAIC church on Hollywood Blvd., was inspired to set up the initiative because one of the main barriers to people adopting children is the huge financial cost, which can be more than $25,000, Forbes reports.

To get round this, Fortener created the non-profit crowdfunding platform AdoptTogether which has so far helped 982 families to adopt a child.

Helping him in his campaign are Charity:Water's Scott Harrison and Canadian supermodel Jessica Stam.  Also among those supporting World Adoption Day is sportscaster Ernie Johnson.

Fortener has been inspired partly by his own upbringing, with his parents fostering a total of 36 children over the course of his childhood, and eventually adopting eight. 

To support World Adoption Day, Fortener is asking people worldwide to post a photo of themselves, their family and their friends with the hands up smiley face and the hashtag #WorldAdoptionDay.

"I'm so pumped for#worldadoptionday," he tweeted.

Find out more here