The Democratic Socialists of America Fund makes grants to support 501c(3)-compliant educational projects that further the DSA Fund’s mission and follow the guidelines below.
The DSA Fund welcomes proposals for projects that will increase the knowledge of people in the United States about the history and principles of democratic socialism; promote greater public understanding and appreciation of the history, achievements, and traditions of democratic socialism in the United States; grow U.S. Americans’ knowledge of democratic socialist movements elsewhere in the world and vice versa; and support the exchange of information, experience, and ideas among democratic socialists.
Such projects can include, but are not limited to conferences, films, books, webinars, study guides, and other formats of education and exchange. Representative recent DSA Fund grant awards include:
- Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) for its annual student conferences, including spring 2023 (Socialism is the Future);
- YDSA for projects including a Jane McAlevey reading group and a YDSA history project;
- DSA committees for need-based travel reimbursement for speakers at conferences like Socialism and attendees at workshops like the 2022 MROC (Multiracial Organizing) Institute;
- Support for the creation of a graphic biography on Eugene Debs and a graphic interpretation of W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk;
- The AfroSocialist Caucus of DSA to put on viewings of the film $16,000 Dollars in partnership with the film’s director;
- Dissent and New Press to support publication of the book We Own the Future — Democratic Socialism American Style.
Because DSA Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization, it cannot and does not make grants for participation or intervention in any electoral candidate campaign or electoral political party activity.
Grants typically are between $1,000 to $10,000. It can take several months to review and make a decision on a grant request; if your financial needs are more time-sensitive, please be aware of this.
To apply for a grant, please submit a letter of intent to [email protected]. Letters should be 1-2 pages only and briefly describe the project, the project’s overall budget and the funds you are seeking, and how the project relates to the DSA Fund’s mission.
The Grants Committee reviews letters of intent and decides whether to invite applicants to submit a full application for a grant, which includes a standard template for grant applicants to fill out. The Grants Committee welcomes letters of intent at any time, considers them on a rolling basis, and generally reviews full applications on a quarterly basis. Grants are awarded based on the Fund’s allotted grant budget for the year. Some grants may be approved by the Grants Committee, while others are referred to the full DSA Fund board often depending on the size of the request.