The USA Prides Conference Scholarship allows USA Prides to support individual Pride organizers who may not otherwise be able to attend and participate at the national conference. The scholarship is available to Pride organizers with an expressed need for financial assistance, with a focus on new or small organizations. Scholarships are not intended to cover the full cost of a recipient’s participation in the conference, but rather supply meaningful financial assistance based on need. Scholarship funds are generously provided by a variety of USA Prides member organizations. The 2027 USA Prides National Conference will be hosted in Richmond, Virginia January 21-24, 2027. Learn more about the conference.
Please fully read the scholarship information and criteria before completing your scholarship application.
Scholarship Types
The following scholarships are available:
-
Registration: Covers the cost of registration for the conference.
-
Lodging: Covers three nights accommodation (room + tax only) at the conference hotel.
-
Registration & Lodging: Covers the cost of registration for the conference plus three nights accommodation (room + tax only) at the conference hotel.
Application Timeline
Applications are now closed. Thank you to all that applied.
General Criteria and Requirements
-
Applicant must be attending on behalf of and be an active member of a current USA Prides member organization that is registered as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.
-
Applicant must provide a short statement detailing why they want to attend the conference and what they hope to gain from participation in the conference.
-
Applicant must supply the two most recent Forms 990 for their organization.
-
Applicant must supply a letter of endorsement on organization letterhead for their conference attendance from the president or chair of their organization.
-
Priority will be given to individuals from organizations with gross revenue of $100,000 or less, with awards for those from larger organizations considered on a case-by-case basis as funds are available.
-
No more than two individuals per organization will be eligible for a scholarship.
Recipient Obligations
Scholarship recipients agree to:
-
Make intentional effort to meaningfully participate in all conference events.
-
Be recognized and acknowledged at the conference and in conference publications as a scholarship recipient.
-
Complete a post-conference survey (failure to complete the survey will result in ineligibility for any future scholarship assistance).
-
Communicate directly with USA Prides officials as soon as possible if their travel plans change, resulting in a need to voluntarily forfeit their scholarship.
Award Details
-
Scholarship recipients who receive conference registration assistance will be given a unique code to register for the conference. This one-time use code is not transferable. If a recipient is unable to attend after they have registered, their registration will be forfeited.
-
Scholarship recipients who receive lodging assistance are required to stay at the conference hotel and must confirm their arrival and departure dates with the Scholarship Committee. The USA Prides Conference Committee will be responsible for the recipient's hotel reservation at the conference hotel. Upon arrival at the conference hotel, scholarship recipient will be required to present hotel with a debit or credit card for all incidentals, including parking (if applicable.)
-
Unless otherwise specified, no reimbursements will be provided to USA Prides to Scholarship Recipients. All travel expenditures, including parking (if applicable) will be the responsibility of the the Scholarship Recipient.
For questions, please contact Edwin Ivey at edwin.ivey@usaprides.org
