Raising money for top surgery: Checklist + Guide
Top surgery can be expensive, how do you raise money to cover the costs?
Top surgery can be expensive, so some people turn to fundraising to cover the cost. Here's our handy guide and checklist to help you kick off your fundraising journey!
What is top surgery?
Top surgery is a gender-affirming surgical procedure where a person's chest is reconstructed to alleviate gender dysphoria.1
A lot of trans people look to get top surgery as part of their transitions, but some others may not see it as necessary. In many cases, it may simply be too expensive to be viable.
Where do I start?
First things first, you need to decide whether you even need to raise money. If you're choosing to undertake your gender-affirming care through the NHS, then this will usually come at virtually no cost to you. However, long wait times have forced many in a similar position to turn towards private healthcare, where the cost is much greater.
If you've decided to go private, you next need to figure out how much it will cost. A handful of clinics will list their estimated fees on their websites, but many can't provide an accurate figure without a consultation, as complexity can vary patient-to-patient.
A good lower bound is about £8,000, though a lot of procedures are closer to £10,000. Depending on complexity, an upper bound can stretch from £12,000 to £14,000. It's generally better to overshoot, as you'll also have to consider the cost of prescriptions and equipment during your recovery. In some rare cases, people also require revision surgeries, which bear their own cost.
Setting up your fundraiser
Next, you'll need to decide on a central fundraising platform. This is where potential donors can read about and contribute to your campaign. A common choice is GoFundMe, but there are plenty of alternative crowdfunding platforms that may have their own advantages. Bear in mind that GoFundMe takes a fee out of your total earnings, which can work out to about £500 for a campaign trying to raise £10,000. Here's an online calculator you can use to work out an estimate.
It's worth promoting your fundraiser pretty rapidly. Sharing with your friends and family (when safe to do so) as well as with your local community can bring in some initial donations that can help boost your campaign online. On top of that, posting the link to your social media channels can increase your reach rapidly.
Long-Term Fundraising
As your fundraiser progresses, you'll have to keep current donors engaged and new donors coming in. Consider running a handful of one-off fundraising events as a good way to pull in more contributions.
Keeping people updated on your journey is key, it can mean the difference between one-off donations and recurring support. By sharing small snippets of how you progress you can stay at the forefront of people's minds; however, make sure you are only sharing as much as you are comfortable with, never compromise on your privacy.
Checklist
- Decide on NHS vs. private care
- Research prices and set goal
- Set up central fundraising page
- Promote to friends, family, and community
- Carry out one-off fundraising events
- Keep your donors posted
