Thrive Fund

Point of Pride’s Thrive Fund provides small grants to trans folks who cannot afford gender-affirming health and wellness services that fall outside of our existing programs.

What this program is designed for

This fund prioritizes applicants in need of purchases or services that happen one time or have clearly defined start and end dates, though you are still eligible to apply if your needs are ongoing. This fund also prioritizes applicants facing intersecting healthcare needs or gaps in existing structures, such as if your request is a prerequisite or associated with another gender-affirming healthcare need.

Examples of some of the types of care you can apply for include:

• The purchase of gender-affirming prosthetics or wigs
• The fees associated with obtaining approval towards gender-affirming care, such as letters from licensed therapists in order to access HRT or surgery
• The fees associated with getting or updating passports, driver’s licenses, state IDs, birth certificates, and Tribal IDs
• The cost of hiring professional nursing or caregiving support following gender-affirming surgery
• The purchase of at-home Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal devices
• Waxing services or other non-permanent forms of hair removal
• Vocal therapy or voice training sessions
• Medical tattooing
• Fertility preservation or reproductive health services, including contraception, IUDs, and birth control implants

If you are unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to still apply. Our team will notify you if your request is ineligible.

You may request up to a maximum award of $2,500. Typically, grants are paid directly to a service provider or retailer; in rare instances where Point of Pride must pay you directly, it will be your responsibility to report this income to the IRS. (Please see FAQ below.)

Applicants should be prepared to describe the total cost of their request and how they intend to make up the difference in cost, if applicable.

What this program is NOT designed for

This fund does not cover:

• Surgery (Instead, please learn more about our Annual Trans Surgery Fund.)
• HRT telehealth memberships, copays for doctors visits or medication, and labwork (Instead, please learn more about our HRT Access Fund.)
• Permanent hair removal services with a licensed service provider (Instead, please learn more about our Electrolysis Support Fund.)
• The purchase of a chest binder (Instead, please submit a request through our free chest binder program.)
• The purchase of a tucking garment/gaff (Instead, please submit a request through our free femme shapewear program.)

This fund does not cover transportation, housing, or emergency needs, including:

• Travel or lodging expenses to receive care in another state or country
• Permanent relocation to a state or country where care is legal or more accessible
• Basic living expenses such as rent, utilities, clothing, and groceries
• Crisis or emergency funding

This fund does not reimburse for needs or services you’ve already paid for.

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 live in the United States.
• You have financial need that prevents you from affording your care.
• Your request must be for an upcoming need that is not covered by one of Point of Pride’s other dedicated programs (surgery, HRT, permanent hair removal services, and gender-affirming garments.)
• Your request is not for transportation, housing, or emergency needs.

If you do not meet these eligibility requirements, we encourage you to please take a moment and complete this feedback survey. As this is a pilot program, it is likely that the application criteria will evolve over the next several cycles, and your feedback will help us expand the program to better serve the community.

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

• Are you able to pay for your care out of pocket?
• Are you employed and able to save some money towards the care you need?
• 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 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.)

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.

• Watch a previously recorded session (YouTube)
• Future info session dates TBD

Your privacy and security are our top priority. Your personal information will be hidden from other participants; your video and microphone will be disabled. You will not be able to see or interact with other participants; you will only be able to interact with staff via a private chat feature.

The sessions have generated captions with Zoom's built-in, real-time translation available.

Applications are accepted August 1–August 31.

Applications are only considered during the time you apply, and are not rolled over to our next period. Therefore, you are welcome to submit an application once each application period. 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 via email 4-12 weeks following the application deadline.
• If you are selected as a recipient, you will be contacted via email 4-12 weeks following the application deadline. The full details of your award will be explained in your recipient agreement. You will have a window of 12 months to utilize your grant funding.
• 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. (Your application is not stored and will not roll over. 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.