Gender-Affirming Support Fund

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About the Gender-Affirming Support Fund

OutFront Kalamazoo’s Gender-Affirming Support Fund (GAS Fund) is a fund built by community donations in order to help support the Transgender and Intersex population of Kalamazoo County. The goal of this fund is to help cover costs affiliated with gender-affirming care that are often not covered by other funding opportunities, including but not limited to: voice training, gender affirming prostheses, rent / bill support during recovery, and medical tattooing. 

The Gender-Affirming Support Fund offers small grants within 3 tiers ($0-250, $251-500, $501-1000) in order to support Transgender and Intersex people in accessing gender-affirming care and wellness. The number of grants available in each tier will vary each cycle according to funds available. 

Gender-Affirming Support Fund grants are awarded through a committee-based selection process. The GAS Fund committee is currently comprised of six community members of varying racial, ethnic, gender, and class backgrounds from the Kalamazoo County area. In order to keep the process equitable, all applications are anonymized by a subcommittee before being moved to the voting committee. We do this with the understanding that Kalamazoo has a small, tight-knit community and we do not wish to have personal attachments and biases interfering with the funding process.

The Gender-Affirming Support Fund is currently set up to have semi-annual funding periods. With continued support from the community we hope to be able to maintain this schedule and one day expand our tiers to better support the local Trans and Intersex community.

Eligibility

  1. Must be age 18 or older. We are unable to grant funds to minors at this time.

  2. Must be a resident of Kalamazoo County.

  3. Must identify as Transgender or Intersex.

  4. Must be seeking eligible care for gender-affirming purposes, to be completed within six months of fund disbursement.

    • If the applicant’s ask is better suited to another program (i.e. YWCA’s Reproductive Health Fund), the applicant will be denied GAS Fund funding and will be directed to the better-suited program. Visit the Gender-Affirming Care section of our Resource Guide to learn about other opportunities to receive financial support for gender-affirming care.

    • If the applicant will not be able to use the funds within six months of fund disbursement, they will be encouraged to re-apply during a funding cycle that aligns more closely aligns with their projected timeline.

Note: There is no limit to how many funding cycles an individual may apply for. We ask that applicants only apply once per funding cycle.

How It Works

Phase 1: Application Period

  1. Applications will be open for a minimum of 30 days.

  2. Applicants will be asked several questions, including:

    • Proof of eligibility requirements

    • Estimated cost of care, within the following ranges:

      • Tier 1: $0-250

      • Tier 2: $251-500

      • Tier 3: $501-1000

    • Estimated timeline showing that the funds will be used for the intended purposes within six months of disbursement

Phase 2: Prescreening

All applications are anonymized and then prescreened for basic eligibility criteria. Applications that do not meet basic eligibility criteria will be notified that their application has been denied, with reasoning provided.

  • Some applications may be denied because the committee is aware of another program (i.e. YWCA’s Reproductive Health Fund) that is better suited to support the applicant’s ask. If this is the case, guidance will be provided to connect the applicant with that program.

  • Applications that are denied due to timeline misalignment will be encouraged to re-apply at a later time.

All applications that pass the prescreening process will move on to the voting phase.

Phase 3: Committee Voting

All applications that have passed the prescreening phase will be reviewed and voted on by the Voting Committee. The committee will determine:

  • Up to four applicants to receive a Tier 1 grant (up to $250)

  • Up to ten applicants to receive a Tier 2 grant ($251-500)

  • Up to four applicants to receive a Tier 3 grant ($501-1000)

Once the Voting Committee has made their decision, a final review will be held by a separate Closing Review Committee to check for errors or other issues.

Once the Voting Committee and the Closing Review Committee are in agreement, all applicants will be notified of the final decision regarding their application.

Phase Four: Fund Disbursement

Those whose applications have been selected for funding will be contacted directly and provided guidance on how to receive the funds.

To maintain good standing with the program and remain eligible to re-apply for future funds, the recipient must provide a testimonial of their experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Transgender and Intersex identified adults (18+) in Kalamazoo County are eligible to apply.

    We are unable to provide grants to minors at this time.

  • Please first look at our Resource Guide to see if what you are seeking is currently covered by a different organization or partnership.  

    Examples of services currently available:

    • Name changes through YWCA’s Reproductive Health Fund

    • Many gender-affirming products are available through other OutFront programs or services

    • HRT support is available through YWCA and OptiMed

    We do not have any strict restrictions on what you can apply for with this fund, but may direct you elsewhere if there is a pre-established fund for what you’re applying for. This allows us to maximize how many people the GAS Fund can support and ensure that all of the supports available in our community are being used effectively.

  • No. We are unable to provide emergency funding at this time.

  • Yes! There is no limit on the number of cycles you can apply for. Former recipients are also welcome to apply.

  • We ask that recipients provide us with testimonials after their funding cycle has ended. This is required for recipients to receive further funding should they wish to apply in the future.

  • We take your privacy and safety extremely seriously. Any identifying information related to your application will never be shared outside of the GAS Fund Committee without your explicit consent.

  • Reach the GAS Fund’s facilitators directly at GASFund@OutFrontKzoo.org.

How to Apply

The next application period will be March 30 - May 1, 2026, with funds distributed in June.

During this cycle, we are able to support:

  • Up to four grants within Tier 1 ($0-250 each)

  • Up to ten grants within Tier 2 ($251-500 each)

  • Up to four grants within Tier 3 ($501-1000 each)

…for a total of $10,000 expected to be disbursed to support gender-affirming care in our community!

Need help completing your application? Come into our Drop-In Center during business hours to receive one-on-one support, or email GASFund@OutFrontKzoo.org for further assistance.

Check back soon to apply!