Thursday, November 20 is Give to the Max Day, Minnesota’s state-wide day of giving, and CONvergence has an exciting announcement to mark the occasion!
This year, all of your Give to the Max Day donation dollars will go directly toward the expansion of the CONvergence Attendance Grant, which was piloted during CONvergence 2025: That’s How We Roll and will be offered to additional community members for CONvergence 2026: The Geek in the Machine!
Convergence Events, Inc. is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Your tax-deductible donation will help more people experience CONvergence!
2026 BIPOC Attendance Grant
“Just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.” — Shuri
The BIPOC (an abbreviation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Attendance Grant is still going strong! The following facts remain true:
- Year over year, our survey data* shows that over 90% of CONvergence attendees identify as white, yet census data shows roughly 27% of Twin Cities area residents identify as non-white.
- Additional research and polling of SFF and speculative fiction spaces in general shows significantly higher percentages of non-white fans—closer to 45%.
*Approximately 20% of attendees take the annual CONvergence survey.
We know the fans are out there. The BIPOC Attendance Grant is an invitation for all BIPOC fans to come experience CONvergence. As we all know, no one can simply tell you what CONvergence is—you have to experience it for yourself.
2026 Attendance Grant Expansion
As we awarded grants for our last convention, we ran the numbers, and the volume of our community’s generosity indicates we can offer grants to more fans who would like to experience CONvergence, but face barriers to doing so.
In addition to the BIPOC Attendance Grant, which will not be changing, in 2026 CONvergence will also offer a grant to folks who demonstrate financial need. Details about eligibility and the application process for that will be available in the coming months. We feel it is important to lessen the burden for those experiencing financial hardship to connect with the amazing CONvergence community.
We also look forward to hearing your feedback about this attendance grant expansion on our 2026 CONvergence survey after the convention ends.
How to Contribute
“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” — Galadriel
There are two ways you can contribute financially:
- You can donate through our Give to the Max Day campaign page, which increases our odds of winning one of the many $500 Golden Tickets provided by GiveMN. All donations made through Give to the Max Day 2025 will go to the CONvergence Attendance Grant fund.
- You can add a tax-deductible donation of $10, $25, $45, or $85 when you register for CONvergence 2026: The Geek in the Machine. 4-day passes for adults are $95 through January 15, a savings of $40 over the at-the-door price!
Help Raise $4,000
$4,000 in donations will fund 47 CONvergence Attendance Grants. That’s 47 people welcomed into our community to experience everything that CONvergence is!
Together, let’s Give to the Max this week and help invite as many fans as possible to experience everything we love about CONvergence.
Get Involved
If you are interested in joining the Attendance Grant committee to review applicants and select grantees, please email diversity@convergence-con.org to be included in future planning. This is a new process and you can help shape it from the ground up.
As always, CONvergence is run by volunteers, which means we need you to make it go, and to ensure the success of initiatives like this!
© 2026