Officials with Point of Pride, a trans-led nonprofit that provides financial aid and direct health services to transgender youth and adults worldwide, this week announcing that Thrive Fund applications are now open for trans people who need financial assistance beyond healthcare.
The Thrive Fund was established in 2024 to help cover expenses beyond Point of Pride’s already existing healthcare-focused funding options, including legal fees for name and gender marker changes, fertility preservation, medical tattooing and vocal therapy. Applicants can request up to $2,500 at a time.
“For many trans people, gender transition encompasses far more than hormone replacement therapies or surgeries, [and] the cost of transition can add up,” noted a press release announcing that applications are open. “The Institute for Research on Poverty found that 29.4 percent of trans people experience poverty, making many of these non-medical transition needs difficult to afford or access at all.
“For example, a trans person interested in fertility preservation may pay up to $15,000 to freeze eggs or $1,000 to freeze sperm,” the press release continued. “Medical tattooing, which is often not covered by insurance, can cost anywhere from $300 to $3,000, depending on the size of the area that needs to be covered.”
Point of Pride Executive Director Jeff Main said, “We heard a real need from people in our community: Even when someone can afford certain aspects of gender-affirming healthcare, there are often other essential expenses they are struggling to afford. The Thrive Fund was designed to help people fill these gaps, bringing them one step closer to feeling comfortable in their bodies and in their communities.”
To date, the press release said, Point of Pride has awarded some $6.3 million in financial aid and supported 30,000 people across all 50 states and around the world. The Thrive Fund has awarded more than $116,000 to 104 recipients. For more information on the options and the application process, visit Point of Pride’s Thrive Fund website.
— Tammye Nash