Thrive Fund: First-Ever Recipients Awarded $53,600

Point of Pride is thrilled to announce that 43 recipients have been selected to receive funding support through the first-ever funding cycle of the Thrive Fund.

Launched in June 2024, Thrive Fund is a pilot initiative designed to provide small grants to trans individuals towards expenses such as purchasing gender-affirming prosthetics or wigs, obtaining therapist letters required for HRT or surgery, hiring professional nursing or caregiving support post-surgery, or accessing at-home Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal devices. Other eligible services include waxing or non-permanent hair removal, vocal therapy or voice training, medical tattooing, and fertility preservation or reproductive health services.

Altogether, $53,600 in financial assistance has been awarded to 43 recipients.

Statistics this cycle

Applicants

There were a total of 333 applicants this cycle.

• 28% of applicants are youth under 24
• 10% of applicants are adults over 45
• 59% of applicants are people of color
• 24% of applicants have dealt with homelessness/housing insecurity, either currently or in the past
• 49% of applicants are living with a disability or chronic illness
• 23% of applicants are the primary caregiver of another individual
• 60% of applicants have dealt with discrimination from a healthcare provider, either currently or in the past
• 70% of applicants have dealt with discrimination from an employer, either currently or in the past
• 18% of applicants have experienced incarceration, either currently or in the past
• 50% of applicants live in states considered high-risk for anti-trans legislation

Reviewing these applications and choosing recipients is an incredibly challenging process, as our organization has limited funding, and every applicant is truly deserving of the care they need.

Recipients

There were 43 recipients this cycle. In line with our guiding principle of equity, our grantmaking committee prioritized individuals who had one-time expenses or needs that directly impacted their ability to access other types of healthcare (for example, trans people who needed money for a therapist letter or legal documentation change so that they could obtain other types of care.)

• 24% of recipients are youth under 24
• 15% of recipients are adults over 45
• 59% of recipients are people of color
• 87% of recipients have dealt with homelessness/housing insecurity, either currently or in the past
• 66% of recipients are living with a disability or chronic illness
• 7% of recipients are the primary caregiver of another individual
• 77% of recipients have dealt with discrimination from a healthcare provider, either currently or in the past
• 80% of recipients have dealt with discrimination from an employer, either currently or in the past
• 10% of recipients have experienced incarceration, either currently or in the past
• 35% of recipients live in states considered high-risk for anti-trans legislation

“This program was created in direct response to the countless messages we receive from trans and gender-diverse folks seeking support for vital gender-affirming care,” says Tyler Rodriguez, Director of Programs. “It’s incredible to see the empowerment this program has already brought to life. We’re learning so much from this first year and are excited to assess community and recipient feedback to help this program evolve and continue meeting the changing needs of our community.”

Below are some of the recipients of the first-ever cohort. See all Thrive Fund recipient stories

Thank you

"To our donors, Community Grantmaking Fellows, volunteers, and supporters: thank you so much for your generosity in your donations, time, and talent to make this all possible," says Aydian Dowling, Chief Advancement Officer and co-founder.

Looking to the future

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for support, please visit our program’s webpage to learn more, and please stay tuned for future updates about funding priorities and timelines.

If you'd like to support this work, you can make a gift of any size or consider volunteering as a Community Grantmaking Fellow. Thank you for uplifting our trans siblings!