So, every now and then I come across an article or a link to a trans* person's crowdfunding site, where they're trying to raise money for their various surgeries and treatments. My employer has pretty much told me that transgender services will remain excluded from the benefit. I'm 44yo. If I've run the numbers properly, I could have the funds for SRS by the time I'm 52 ... if I could start saving now.
I've also considered a personal loan through my credit union, a medical loan, or picking up a personal health insurance policy that would cover TG services (it looks like Cigna automatically covers anything deemed to be medically indicated by WPATH, according to Cigna's web site).
But I keep thinking about crowdfunding as well. What are some thoughts on this? I've seen indie musicians use it to raise money to produce an album, I've seen authors use it to produce a book, and I've seen parents do it to help with medical costs for childhood illnesses.
I feel like it could be a good way to raise money, but there's something about it that feels strange. Isn't my health more important than an album or a book?
I don't think there's any ethical or etiquette issues with doing it, and you'd be fine if you did. (Although the album/book/Kickstarter method isn't quite analogous, because donators usually get a *product* in exchange for their money. I mean, I admit I saw one woman who promised pictures of the results to anyone who funded her breast augmentation, but that's probably not a good plan. ;) )
I do, however, have doubts about it being very effective... because I've watched several friends try, and I believe the maximum anyone collected was $300. The problem is that mostly people seem to be hitting up two groups who either don't have money to spare (trans friends who are saving for their *own* expenses) or already gave all they could (family). But the worst that could happen is you end up slightly better off than you were before, so why not.
Me personaly i would try to get your employer to offer a HSA type account if you are healthy. It is a great way to sock a lot of money away each year. In 2 years when i had mine i put away $8,000. Draw back if you need to use the insurance for anything it has a huge deductiable.
Not a huge fan of begging for money, but i knew one girl who would every weekend spend the day on the corner begging for money and she funded her GCS with these funds.
I know most hate this new AHA in the states but it has opened the EEOC and HUD so far rulings. It i feel with just a few lawsuites the exclusions will be lifted on the policies in the states for GCS.
Izzy
I'm looking into the HSA thing. Last year there were various restrictions on it, the amount couldn't be rolled over, and transgender services were excluded from the acceptable use of the account.
The whole crowdfunding thing does seem, I don't know, like something I shouldn't do. I probably could qualify for a medical loan, so I guess I should go that route.
Just a FYI the IRS now will allow the deduction of SRS/GRS (before you could get it past but took a little extra work) and with a HSA you can use the money in the fund anyway you choose fit. Some without tax Penalty and some with (like buying a new car). It can also be used to boost retirement savings.
I a talking about a HSA that you roll money over each year. A FSA you can not roll over each year, it is a spend it or loose it type each year.
Izzy
Quote from: Constance on October 10, 2013, 11:44:20 AM
So, every now and then I come across an article or a link to a trans* person's crowdfunding site, where they're trying to raise money for their various surgeries and treatments. My employer has pretty much told me that transgender services will remain excluded from the benefit. I'm 44yo. If I've run the numbers properly, I could have the funds for SRS by the time I'm 52 ... if I could start saving now.
I've also considered a personal loan through my credit union, a medical loan, or picking up a personal health insurance policy that would cover TG services (it looks like Cigna automatically covers anything deemed to be medically indicated by WPATH, according to Cigna's web site).
But I keep thinking about crowdfunding as well. What are some thoughts on this? I've seen indie musicians use it to raise money to produce an album, I've seen authors use it to produce a book, and I've seen parents do it to help with medical costs for childhood illnesses.
I feel like it could be a good way to raise money, but there's something about it that feels strange. Isn't my health more important than an album or a book?
Don't worry about it. People bitch about anything and everything. At the end of the day, they have the option of giving or not. Why complain about something that is totally optional? Maybe some people wouldn't ask for the help, but that doesn't mean you are a bad person or lack ethics for reaching out to those who may or may not be interested to donate. Sure, if you were Bill Gates and had the means, I would understand, but no one should hate on you for this. SRS is terribly expensive, I wish there was a way to do a payment plan or something.
Quote from: mind is quiet now on October 11, 2013, 02:38:19 PM
Just a FYI the IRS now will allow the deduction of SRS/GRS (before you could get it past but took a little extra work) and with a HSA you can use the money in the fund anyway you choose fit. Some without tax Penalty and some with (like buying a new car). It can also be used to boost retirement savings.
I a talking about a HSA that you roll money over each year. A FSA you can not roll over each year, it is a spend it or loose it type each year.
Izzy
Hmm, they called it an HSA, it sounds like it was actually an FSA.
Quote from: learningtolive on October 11, 2013, 03:09:12 PM
Don't worry about it. People bitch about anything and everything. At the end of the day, they have the option of giving or not. Why complain about something that is totally optional? Maybe some people wouldn't ask for the help, but that doesn't mean you are a bad person or lack ethics for reaching out to those who may or may not be interested to donate. Sure, if you were Bill Gates and had the means, I would understand, but no one should hate on you for this. SRS is terribly expensive, I wish there was a way to do a payment plan or something.
Thanks, LTL.
Just had a friend raise $2600 (with only a $2000 goal) on IndieGoGo for Electrolysis and other non-insurance covered transition related medical expenses. I think the key is getting word of your campaign out beyond just friends you know (I know my friends don't have any money!). For something like this I think IndieGoGo is better than Kickstarter because even if you don't quite reach your stated goal, you are most of the way there and still get your money! I certainly don't think there are any ethical or moral reasons not to, wish I'd thought of it!!!
Ugh, I was just reading about it, and I found one insurance company that offered hormones, therapy, SRS, and even breast enhancement, if hormones failed to create significant breasts or the patient was unhappy with them. Forget what the name was though. Let me delve through my history for a minute...
As for the topic, I'm not big into crownfunding, even if it is for a good cause. One group for volunteering in Africa wanted us to crowdfund, but the amounts that they wanted us to pay were ridiculous ($4000 for 10 days.) I think my go it alone plan and try to get sponsorships from a clothing company (to give shoes and clothes to children) and Emirates (for the flights. They love whatever positive publicity they can get their hands on) was more efficient.
Crowdfunding for SRS or such, yeah, I don't really understand how that would go.
Quote from: learningtolive on October 11, 2013, 03:09:12 PMSRS is terribly expensive, I wish there was a way to do a payment plan or something.
In this case, it's called taking out a loan for it.
HSA is kind of based off the deductible that is offered by company. My previous employer's deductible was 1300 and that qualified me for HSA. My new employer insurance is super low and the deductible is 250 and I'm no longer eligible for HSA only FSA.
Cool thing, HSA is yours forever. Can always put money in it and earn interest even if you are not on a qualifying plan it's just after tax of course. The trick is getting on a qualifying plan .
FSA is use it or loose it each year. You pick an amount and you can only use it during the year. So anything left so adios to it
Both can use pretax on qualifying insurance plans.
Another option, radical but still an option, is move to one of the states that mandates TG medical coverage and get a job there. Then you'll have it no matter who is providing the insurance.
Quote from: LizMarie on October 31, 2013, 04:24:00 PM
Another option, radical but still an option, is move to one of the states that mandates TG medical coverage and get a job there. Then you'll have it no matter who is providing the insurance.
Hmm, it could be a little more complicated than that. For instance, this past May a law was signed by Gov. Brown saying that trans people can't be denied health insurance coverage for trans related treatments. So, I gleefully contacted the Trangender Law Center to see what I could do since my employer was telling me to pound rock salt up my nose with a broken bottle.
It turns out that law applies to individual policies, but not the so-called "self-insured" policies provided by employers. So here in CA, in spite of this law, employers can very legally exclude transgender services from the benefits they offer their employees.
I've actually called the TLC out on their Facebook page twice about this as they keep touting this "victory."
So, for those in states with laws such as the one here in CA, examine the text of those laws very carefully.
If you decide to go for crowdfunding Constance, nobody should judge you for it and especially on here. We all know the desperate measures we can go to for funding our transitions :) Its a better option than to be a sex worker, so you won't/shouldn't be judged for your decision for going for crowdfunding :)
good luck anyway,
nessa76
Yeah let me take out a loan with my crappy credit and no job XD opps cant do that lol hmm guess im stuck with winning the lottery (about 3% chance there) or begging (much higher chance) or i somehow wake up in the right body (um yeah lol) I have heard of people also using paypal in order to allow for donations.This would be hard for me personally because of a few personal issues but i wont rule it out either just yet,things may change.Could always look into it and make sure to pass the link around and see what happens.I dont know how well they are or work though.Good luck :)
Quote from: nessa76 on November 01, 2013, 12:36:58 AM
If you decide to go for crowdfunding Constance, nobody should judge you for it and especially on here. We all know the desperate measures we can go to for funding our transitions :) Its a better option than to be a sex worker, so you won't/shouldn't be judged for your decision for going for crowdfunding :)
good luck anyway,
nessa76
Indeed.I heard of one woman who kept robbing wal-marts to fund her SRS,so it does prove that people do get desperate.Regardless,its better then committing a crime i feel.
Yeah, I'm not at the desperation phase yet but I don't want to be non-op either. Of course, considering my age, I have to also accept that there could be various other medical factors that could make me non-op for other reasons than just money.
I actually have a friend who raised more than $8,000 on Indigogo. It can work pretty effectively if you get the word out enough. Social media, e-mails, asking people in person and not just online...
I, myself, have used GoFundMe for non trans-related things. We were experiencing real financial difficulties, and brought in around $1,500 to help us pay off some medical bills and rent.
Try, try, try... Action gets you much further than inaction.
The majority of employers do not have self-insured plans. Unfortunately most large employers, including my own, do. So if you don't want to change employers, and can't persuade your employer to do the right thing, there are a few other options that may be viable for you:
1) If you have a 401k account, find out if your employer's 401k plan allows loans. Mine does, and I can borrow up to half of the the vested value from myself at 2% annual interest rate. For SRS, if all ducks are in a row it can even be documented that it was for a medically necessary expense and so exempt from IRS policies if I change employers before I have paid the loan back over 5 years. If not, the penalty is 10%, which is less than the interest rate for a medical loan that I would qualify for.
2) If you are intellectually oriented, many universities now have student health plans (required for part time or greater students) which cover SRS. Go back to school part time and get your surgery covered that way. The degree will help your career and the surgery will help your happiness.
Quote from: Willow on October 14, 2013, 11:26:16 PM
In this case, it's called taking out a loan for it.
I was a victim of identity theft. A man stole my social when I as 18 and opened bank accounts in numerous states that I have never even been in. I can't tell you how difficult it is to clear up this stuff and it took me forever just to get a bank account because of this man. Call the social security department and you will see what I mean. They don't offer any assistance. And the only reason I was cleared for my first checking account was because the guy used a different name than mine even though he had my social and the management took pity on me because it was clear that I was a victim. Apparently, banks don't check for mismatches and allow shady people to abuse innocent kids, so he was able to screw me big time. Therefore, I don't know if I will ever be in a position where I can take out a loan. Maybe in the future. For some reason, my credit was never effected because it was in a different name, but I imagine it will still be a hassle for me. So, that's why taking a loan out without a cosigner isn't very likely. We all have different circumstances and it would be helpful if we all tried to understand that what works for one person may not work for the other. At this point, I have been screwed over enough by banks without even having anything to do with it. I'm not looking forward to putting myself at the mercy of them again. Thus, a payment plan would make more sense to someone like me. If a loan works for others, that's great.
So I'm curious here. Is there a recommended crowdfunding site to use? Strategies to get yourself noticed by donors?
A friend of mine suggested gofundme.com, but didn't have much in the way of publicity strategies.
I raised $11,000 on indiegogo this summer for surgery. I had my employer ( a popular NYC thrift store ) sponsor the campaign, offering gift cards as incentives. I also had artists in my community contribute to the incentives I was offering.
The success was due to visibility. You have to treat it like a job, and spend real time each day working on it for the month or two you're running it.
Send personalized letters to every single person you know on Facebook or email etc. also, I contacted local blogs and newspapers in NYC and got my story covered by a women's interest website, from where the story was picked up by xojane and other feminist sites.
People don't donate on the 1st or 2nd view - they have to be asked 3 or 4 times. And even then - I made so much but only a tiny fraction of my visitors contributed.
I got tons of supportive messages, and some letters saying I am a man and a liar and thief.
Really you need to have a well designed campaign aesthetically, you have to has photo video and written updates - one every day - you need to have your story written about and get it featured by several blogs and not just 1 time. For instance, even huffington post featuring your campaign will get lots f views but probably only a handful of donations. People need to see it AGAIN.
It's hard but I did manage to raise a ton of money. A woman I know raised $30k this way last year.
Asking for help is hard to do and anyoe who thinks this is an embarrassing or shameful way to pay for SRS has very different ethical perspectives than I do.
Surgery is a medical necessity that our first world country denies and refuses to provide access to. The surgeons specializing in this work have prohibitive fees and there's so few avenues for us to get this care.
Anyway if you're going to try - don't just throw it together. Take your time. Announce yor campaign a week BEFORE you launch it - you need to get awareness started and interest abuzz. Do video. Write to blogs - all of them - and do so NOW. Don't launch until you have a game plan.
You need features and updates and events planned around this and you need them launching every week of the campaign. So draw up a map.
Indiegogo has an algorithm to determine who gets featured on their main page and in their email newsletters and blogs. This is based on the updates you do on the site, donations made, page views...the most active campaigns naturally rise in their system and you get a featurd spot. They don't pick and choose who gets featured.
Get your campaign pretty and organized, get it concise and official. Research other people's campaigns and see what they did. Copy them. Once all that's set - it's really totally depend t on the visibility and networking and coverage.
Send the personal emails to everyone you know - and send them 3 times. Most people will donate that way but not until you've asked /personally/ three times. I made $1,500 in one night just from emailing my Facebook friends.
Facebook disabled my account because I was sending so many messages in such a short time! So plan this beforehand. It seriously inhibited my ability to network within my friend group and it happens halfway through my campaign and impeded my work. You can send an email to Facebook accounts. So find the Facebook email of your friends, and contact that email through your own email not through fbook.
You need to do this all BEFORE you launch the campaign, otherwise you will be spending precious time trying to figure out clever ways to make More money and get visibility - but if you think of most of those clever ways before hand that will be way better.
Anyway this is what I've learned and I hope you found it helpful. I didn't reach my goal but the campaign changed my life - I just used the mlney I made to fund another procedure that is just as important to me as SRS and also $11,000.
Good luck and feel free to ask if you have ahh questions.
Di
Wow, Di, thanks a million! Obviously, I hadn't given this much thought, and your post really drives that home. This is really helpful.
THANKS!
Was looking into doing this myself maybe a year down the road. Thanks for the wonderful information Did. :-)