Annual Trans Surgery Fund

Point of Pride’s Annual Transgender Surgery Fund is a scholarship-like program that provides direct financial assistance to trans folks who cannot afford their gender-affirming surgery.

We have very few requirements in an effort to be as inclusive as possible:

• You identify as transgender (FTM, MTF, non-binary, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and all other non-cis identities.)
• You are 18 years of age or older at the time of your surgery.
• You have financial need that prevents you from affording gender-affirming surgery.
• You can demonstrate past attempts at affording care (i.e. saving money, fundraising, attempting to get insurance coverage.)
• You complete your surgery in the United States with a US-based surgeon.
• Your surgery takes place on or after March 1 of the following year.

This program is intended to help trans folks who otherwise can not afford gender-affirming surgery. We ask that you consider your access to healthcare before applying for this grant. Here are some questions to consider:

• Do you have health insurance coverage that is trans-inclusive?
• If not, do you qualify for Medicaid? (Learn more)
• Do you have access to healthcare providers who are trans competent, and are able to travel to them to receive care?
• Are you employed and able to save some money towards surgery?
• Are you a citizen or documented immigrant?
• Do you consider yourself healthy and able-bodied (i.e., not living with a chronic or long-standing illness)?
• Do you identify as white, or do you experience white/light-skinned privilege?

If you answered YES to most of these questions, you may consider making space for our trans siblings who mostly answered NO. (Even if you answer YES to most or all of these questions, you are still eligible to apply.)

Left: 2018 recipient Cairo following gender-affirming top surgery; Right: 2018 recipient Leah shared she felt “like a whole person” following her facial feminization surgery

Point of Pride staff will host live "Before You Apply" info sessions to walk potential applicants through our requirements and processes, and answer questions. These are completely optional to attend and will not impact your application positively or negatively.

• There are no more upcoming info sessions. You may watch a recording (YouTube)

Your privacy and security are our top priorities. Your personal information will be hidden from other participants. Your video and microphone will be disabled. You won't have access to view or interact with other attendees. Instead, you can communicate only with staff via private chat. 

The webinar will include automatically generated captions with Zoom's built-in real-time translation. Live ASL interpretation will also be provided. 

If you're unable to attend or prefer watching a video recording, you can watch a recorded session on YouTube.

Applications are open on November 1. The deadline to apply is November 30 by 11:59pm EST. All applications must be submitted online.

1. Carefully read this page, especially our Frequently Asked Questions section.
2. Review our Instruction Packet, which walks you through each question of the application form.
3. Submit your application via the form below.

Once the application period ends, our Board of Directors and team of Community Grantmaking Fellows (trained volunteers) evaluate each and every application received. This process is necessarily difficult and time-intensive, so thank you for your patience!

• If you are selected as a finalist, or if our reviewers determine they need additional information, you will be contacted in mid-January via email. You may be invited to submit additional writing samples and/or participate in a brief phone or online interview.
• If you are selected as a recipient, we will contact you again via email or phone regarding next steps. You will have a window of 18 months to schedule your surgery date (not necessarily complete surgery.) The full details of your award will be explained in your recipient agreement.
• If you are not selected as a finalist or recipient, we will notify you via email, and you are welcome to apply again for our next application cycle. (Note: Our team stores your application materials for a full year, and we continue to pair candidates with financial assistance as we receive grants, resources, and new opportunities. You may be contacted later in the year via email. Review our Privacy Policy.)

For even more detail, this resource serves to provide complete context and clarity around our financial assistance programs, and why we have certain requirements or parameters in place.

• Privacy and safety: We know many applicants feel vulnerable in sharing their experiences, and we take this very seriously. Anything you share with us in your written responses will be kept strictly confidential and private. Recipients will have the opportunity to publicly share their stories in the way that feels safest and most affirming for them, as well as hide identifying information if preferred.
• Language: Our application is not an English test. We will not consider grammar/spelling or writing ability when reviewing your responses. Above all, please give us detailed, thorough responses so we understand your unique situation. We hope to provide full translation support in the future.
• Accessibility: We understand that some applicants may want or need extra support in completing their application. You may list someone else on the application as your liaison, translator, or support person. This person will be CC'd on all email notifications regarding your application status. (Access can be revoked at any time by the applicant by contacting Point of Pride.)
• Equity: Our organization prioritizes equity as one of our guiding principles. Your application will be assessed on the responses you provide and in accordance with this guiding principle. Point of Pride does not discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, gender, or any other identity.