Trans Assistance Foundation turns over leadership reigns By: Jenna Spinelle/TRT Reporter— M. Dru Levasseur and Tony Ferraiolo have matching “JCF” tattoos on their arms. Those tattoos symbolize the work they’ve put into building the Jim Collins Foundation over the past 10 years and will serve as lasting memories as they transition out of their leadership positions. Levasseur and Ferraiolo met at a Yale University panel discussion in 2005 and quickly realized they shared a passion for spreading awareness about gender affirmation surgery and helping members of the transgender … [Read more...]

Ten years ago, Tony Ferraiolo and M. Dru Levasseur recognized a particular need for some in our transgender community --- receiving funding support for gender-affirming surgeries. This led to the creation of the Jim Collins Foundation or (JCF). Ten years later, JCF has given grants to twenty recipients that has covered either fully or partially twenty surgical procedures. The organization has also provided a heightened awareness of the disparities within healthcare that may hinder some transgender people from achieving a healthy transition. It is with great respect and admiration of our … [Read more...]

Ten years ago, we co-founded the Jim Collins Foundation with a vision that we could help save lives with a simple mission – help trans people get the surgeries they need. No one else was doing it. Some organizations were supporting access to hormones, but trans people were on their own if they needed gender-affirming surgeries. Not every trans person needs surgery, but for those who do, it can be life-saving. In 2008, the same year the IRS granted our nonprofit status, the American Medical Association issued a resolution calling upon public and private insurance companies to remove … [Read more...]

April 27, 2018 (New York, NY) – The Jim Collins Foundation (JCF), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to fund gender-affirming surgeries, is pleased to announce that we are awarding five grants for 2018. This is our highest number of grant recipients in the ten-years of the organization’s existence. This year JCF awarded three general fund grants and two matching fund grants. Our General Fund Grant covers 100% of the medical fees associated with gender-affirming surgery. Our matching fund grant, referred to as the Hembrough Grant, is from the Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy … [Read more...]

Jim Collins Foundation thanks Faithfully LGBTQ and Eliel Cruzgo for their #TitheTrans campaign, raising money for JCF to help trans people who need gender-affirming surgery. "For those who do need surgeries in order to be at peace in their own bodies it can be hard to gain access to. The trans community is disproportionately in poverty and gender affirming surgeries can range anywhere from 10k-90k." ~Tithe Trans Campaign. JCF has made this dream happen for 17 people since its founding in 2008. Even with donated services from well-known surgeons, it takes many thousands of dollars in … [Read more...]