qSPF is providing Gender Affirming Care (GAC) Grants to 24 trans people each year who live in the Greater Seattle Area*. These grants must be used toward covering the costs of a gender affirming surgery or procedure. Trans people have less access to health insurance, sick pay, and family support making it much more difficult to afford gender affirming surgeries and procedures. qSPF’s mission with these grants is to provide support to those who need it most.
*We define Greater Seattle Area with these edges:
Southern: As far as and including Tacoma.
Northern: As far as and including Everett.
Eastern: As far as and including Bellevue.
Western: As far as the Puget Sound Coast. Not including islands.
Cheer Grant
Each quarter, 1 grant of $5,000 will be issued.
This grant is named after Cheer Seattle for their generous donation of $40,000, underwriting the entire first year of GAC Grants. Thank you, Cheer Seattle!
Joy Grant
Each quarter, 5 grants of $1,000 will be issued.
If selected to receive a grant, it will take approximately 4 weeks from the date of notification for you to receive the funds. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Eligibility
Financial need
To be eligible for a Gender Affirming Care Grant you must
Identify as trans (including transexual, transgender, nonbinary, two spirit, agender, and all non-cis identities)
Be 18yrs or older
Live in the Greater Seattle Area
Actively planning a gender affirming surgery or procedure
Be able to receive payment in the USA
Financial need is determined through
Information about your surgery (5 points)
High cost of surgery
Set surgery date
No insurance coverage or low insurance coverage
Employment Information (5 points)
Low income
Unemployed/under employed/unstable employment
Little or no access to paid time off from an employer
No access to Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave
Financial Context (5 points)
Long recovery time
High basic living costs
Little to no savings
No financial support from family or significant others
Other financial burdens such as dependents, other medical concerns, or other debts
Optional Personal Statement (0 Points)
This is where we learn what the gender affirming surgery would mean to you, and how excited you would be to receive this grant.
We also provide you with an opportunity to share anything else that feels relevant.
Because qSPF is trying to support those who need it most, please consider the following:
Do you have insurance that covers all or most of the cost of surgery?
Do you have family that can financially assist you through recovery?
Do you have a partner who can financially assist you through recovery?
Do you have significant savings that can sustain you while you recover?
If you answered yes to most of the above questions, please consider leaving this grant for those who answered no to most of the questions above.
qSPF has assembled a panel of trans community members to read your applications and allocate the GAC Grants to those who need it most. The panel serves for one calendar year.
Your applications will be anonymized before they are sent to our panel. If you receive the grant, your identity will be kept confidential if you wish, or we will happily announce your award on social media. Remaining anonymous will not influence your chances of receiving a grant. We understand that anonymity can mean safety.
Prepare to be asked about the following:
Your financial situation
Yearly income
Employment history
Basic living costs like rent, utilities, and food costs
Total cost of your surgery
Your access to resources such as
Paid Time Off
Family support or partner support
A short personal statement about what excites you most about life after your procedure.
If you need any assistance with your application please email infoqspf@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to help.