CONVENTION FOR ALL
It is important that the convention is accessible to ALL. This means financially, too!
Attending the convention should not depend on personal financial ability. While we welcome delegates to apply for national scholarships, your chapter fundraising is the first line of support. A chapter that has confidence in the ability of a member to represent its views and interests at convention should also be prepared to help facilitate their attendance.
We encourage chapters to begin raising funds for their delegation. The already-heavily subsidized registration, the hotel room rate, and travel costs should be shared collectively by the whole chapter.
Fundraising Support
In addition to our grassroots fundraising trainings at all regional preconvention conferences, Development Director Alison Baldree has provided individualized coaching sessions for many chapters in the past month, and is available for more. Your chapter fundraising chair or treasurer can arrange for one here.
DSA Solidarity Fund
If you want to help make our convention accessible to everyone, you can also donate to the Solidarity Fund. The Solidarity Fund supports on-site child watch, accessibility accommodations, and delegate scholarships for travel, housing, and registration costs. This is especially important for at-large delegates, who do not have chapter resources to draw on, and for delegates from small chapters.
To apply for a national solidarity scholarship to reduce your out-of-pocket Convention costs, please apply here by the deadline on June 23rd. Scholarship priority will be given to delegates who are receiving little to no financial support from their chapter.
In exceptional cases, DSA staff will be able to book a room for a delegate, offering a subsidy up front.