Red Star's NPC Newsletter - March 2025
Hello from Red Star! Curious about what we’ve been up to? Read on to find out!
Budget and Finance Committee Report
To continue the trend of DSA’s growth in 2025, Red Star is proud to highlight the work of DSA’s Budget and Finance Committee in helping push DSA towards a more financially sustainable movement. Red Star members participating in the Budget and Finance Committee as well as DSA’s national treasurer John L helped contribute to building a future-proof DSA that allows us to invest in financial stability and provide the flexibility needed to navigate and overcome upcoming challenges presented by the Trump administration.
You can read the Budget and Finance Committee’s report here!
State of DSA Report
Since 2016, DSA has experienced transformative growth with membership increasing tenfold and 97% of its current members joining the organization after 2016. The growth has drastically reshaped how we organize. Red Star member Andrew D highlights this growth and how it affects the “lifecycle” of a DSA member in his State of DSA report published in Democratic Left.
Some key findings from the report highlight the membership growth in two major periods of DSA’s recent history, 2016-2020 and 2021-current day. It also highlights recruitment trends across chapters and chapter dynamics between large and small chapters.
The Growth and Development committee will host listening sessions to gather member feedback and explore local successes and challenges. By studying these chapter dynamics we as DSA members uncover effective recruitment strategies and address common obstacles experienced across the organization.
March In-Person NPC Meeting
At the March in-person NPC meeting, Red Star NPC members introduced an amendment to the bylaws of the Growth & Development Committee (GDC). The GDC is tasked with supporting chapters in organizing work by providing leadership development, recruitment, onboarding, and retention trainings. The goals of our bylaws amendment were as follows:
- Make it easier to join the GDC by admitting any member who has served in a DSA elected leadership or membership committee role to the GDC by default (on the consent agenda for each Steering Committee meeting).
- Create a roster of member leaders who are not GDC members but are able to share skills, be tapped to facilitate trainings, or participate in listening sessions to help the GDC learn from chapters.
- Restructure the Steering Committee (SC) to be composed of 7-9 member leaders, rather than NPC members and the bottom-liners of individual GDC projects.
The GDC is one of the most vital committees within DSA. As new members join DSA, the GDC will need to be able to provide the resources and space for “cross-pollination” that helps retain these members and take advantage of the political moment to grow DSA. The resolution passed unamended 10 votes in favor, with 5 against. You can read the full resolution here.
If you would like to join the GDC and join in on this work yourself, you can apply to the GDC. If you would like to help lead the GDC through this political moment, you can apply for the GDC Steering Committee by April 1st at 11:59 pm PST.
Red Star Satellite Program!
Red Star is proud to announce the launch of our Satellite Program! This program is our new vehicle for an ongoing prospective membership experience for fellow DSA members who want to join and support Red Star in our work to build and develop DSA into an organization ready to lead the working class. If you’re interested in learning more about our Satellite Program head on over to our launch post to read more.
Upcoming Red Start - 4/08/2025 Fascism and Social Revolution by R. Palme Dutt
Red Start is back! Join us for an educational session hosted by Red Star’s own, Hazel W. discussing R. Palme Dutt’s Fascism and Social Revolution on Tuesday, April 8th from 6-8 pm PST/9-11 pm. You can register for this session and future sessions of Red Start here! We look forward to hosting this educational series on Dutt’s work and are excited to bring even more Red Start series in the near future, be on the lookout for future upcoming sessions.
Recent Red Star Publications
“No, ‘playing dead’ is the last thing Democrats should be doing” by Megan R in The Guardian
“Reflections on California DSA” by Hazel W in Democratic Left
“The Problem of the DSA Fund” by Shane K and Christina W in Red Star