Members of the budget / fundraising committee, under the able leadership of Treasurer Rob T., rose to the challenge of getting our delegates to the DSA Convention in Atlanta, August 2 through 4, 2019. Twin Cities DSA had an allocation of 22 delegates for the convention, and after a few dropped out for personal reasons, TCDSA sent 19 elected delegates to Atlanta. Sending our comrades several states away and lodging them to represent us is no trivial task, but our membership rose to the occasion.
We started the process by setting goals based on what delegates said they needed. We distinguished between a hard goal (I can’t even go if I don’t get this) and soft goals (I can pay this if I have to but it is some level of hardship.) Also, between timings (I need this upfront vs. I can wait till after the convention and get reimbursed.) Meanwhile, various individuals and branches, (notably the SocFems Branch) came forward with a variety of fundraising schemes, most of which were implemented. Probably the highest profile was the event at Honey in NE Minneapolis with cocktails, a DJ, and swag. Lots of swag. Another contribution was unique designs for limited edition swag that came from our talented members. A swag store was put up on our website, and some other basic swag was sold at meetings and events. Overall, as of July 29 was we had raised: $2,273 from cash and Square swag purchases and event entrance fees, plus $3,342 from PayPal donations, for a total of $5,615. Disbursements comprised $2,213 for plane tickets and another $300 for hotels and registration. This leaves a balance of $3,102, which will almost certainly cover the remaining reimbursement requests outstanding or that might come up.
Whether you made it to Honey and had a blast, or missed it and wish for another chance; whether you were a delegate and still feel like talking about it, or you weren’t a delegate and have burning questions about how the convention was, you’ll be happy to know that we have one more fundraiser to go. This was going to be just before the convention, but had to be cancelled due to organizers being too stretched to plan it. But, it’s back on for August 31. Be sure and make time for the Waffle Bar from 9:00 am to noon, on Saturday, August 31st, at Walker Church (3104 16th Ave S.) Tickets are available here. This event features waffles with unlimited toppings and bottomless coffee, free waffles for kids 12 and under, and roving conversations with a large number of our grateful and fired-up delegates. It’s a nearly zero-waste event (real dishes) with seating for 100. See you there!
– Deb R.
P.S. Our limited edition convention swag store is closing on Sunday, August 18th – don’t miss your chance for a nifty bandana or t-shirt! -ed.