You may have noticed that our Give to the Max campaign had a different goal this year. We are debuting an Attendance Grant program this year that we hope will introduce our nerdy party to new fans who might not have thought to join us in the past.

We are starting with a focus on inviting geeks of color to apply for a comped weekend pass. Our recent demographic polling shows that the percentage of Black, Indian, and People of Color (BIPOC) attendees at CONvergence is drastically lower than BIPOC representation in the local population. While we know there are plenty of BIPOC geeks who could afford to join us, we understand that deciding to spend $85-115 and 4 days at an event where you’re not sure you’ll feel welcome can be a deal breaker. Our hope is that this program will provide a low risk introduction to CONvergence. Applications will open in February 2025.

This program is a pilot, and our hope is to expand it to other populations and meet other unique needs in the future. You can always contribute to the grant fund when you register for CONvergence, or using the GiveMN platform here.

If you have questions about the CONvergence Attendance Grant, please get in touch with the board of directors.