RESULTS Weekly Update April 25, 2023

Quote of the Week

“Re-expanding the child tax credit would mean… [being] more present in our children’s lives, instead of anxious and absorbed by pouring over expenses to make each paycheck stretch.”

– RESULTS Senior Associate Lakeisha McVey in an April 23 op-ed in Fearless

Table of Contents

• Make the last week of Set the Agenda count
• What’s next – TB, tax credits, and media
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Make the last week of Set the Agenda count

After months of intense grassroots action, our Set the Agenda campaign comes to a close this week. And what a campaign it’s been – 183 lobby meetings so far on the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Renter Tax Credit (RTC), global TB, maternal and child health, and more!

We don’t take these actions simply to rack up the numbers. We take them to make a difference. Every lobby meeting, every letter to the editor, every phone call, every conversation with a new advocate brings us one step closer to a world free of poverty. There is no secret sauce and no magic wand. Steering change requires hard work. And when we ask, you do it every time.

Every success in our history – creating the Global Fund, protecting Head Start, funding global education, expanding the CTC and EITC – has come from you.

And we’re not done yet. We have more to do, starting with this week. Set the Agenda does not officially end until April 30. Can we make it to 200 meetings by Sunday? You bet we can. Let’s finish this campaign like we started it – using passion, commitment, and hard work to make the world a better place.

TAKE ACTION: Get your final lobby meetings of our Set the Agenda campaign done this week. If there are members of Congress you have yet to meet with, contact them to schedule a meeting. If you can get them in at the last minute, great! Use our Set the Agenda and Lobbying materials to request meetings and prepare. Once you’ve done your lobby meetings, please complete the Lobby Report Form to let us know what happened. And if you can’t get a meeting by April 30, do it in May. The point is to get it done, not done by a certain date. Thank you all!

What’s next – TB, tax credits, and media

Once Set the Agenda is behind us, we will still face many opportunities and threats this year. We have to keep the momentum up if we want to make sure poverty stays high on the congressional agenda.

TAKE ACTION: If you are done with your Set the Agenda lobby meetings, take these important actions as a next step:

• Urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the End Tuberculosis Now Act. This important legislation calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to be ambitious in reaching and treating the populations most vulnerable to tuberculosis, a devastating disease of poverty. The legislation is open for co-sponsorship in both the House (H.R.1776) and the Senate (S.288).
• Generate media on the CTC, RTC, and TB. Lots of abbreviations means lots of opportunities to generate media. We want to get 150 media pieces published between April 1 and June 30. Send a letter to the editor urging Congress to prioritize these issues. You can start today with our Child Tax Credit media alert.
• Include new volunteers. During Set the Agenda, many people got their first taste of grassroots advocacy with RESULTS. Continue to include them in your actions and meetings, including our media campaign. See our Action Center and monthly Outreach Action Sheets for resources to help keep people in action.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Is your member of Congress a READ Act co-sponsor? We are also working on securing co-sponsors for the READ Act (H.R.681, S.41) related to global education. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a disastrous toll on students worldwide. In fact, school closures continue to disrupt the education of more than 616 million students. The READ Act will actively combat this learning loss. Ask for co-sponsorship today!

House to vote on budget plan this week. Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) unveiled his plan to address the debt ceiling and cut spending. He would make raising the debt ceiling contingent on deep cuts to non-defense programs, including many programs RESULTS supports. If enacted, these cuts would prove devastating to people who benefit from SNAP, Medicaid, and a host of global initiatives Congress funds. The White House has criticized the plan for holding the nation’s financial credibility hostage so as to enact deep budget cuts that will hurt millions of everyday Americans. House leadership plans to vote on the bill this week.

Media hooks for the week. Use the hook ideas below to submit a letter to the editor this week. If you need a template, use our online media actions to edit and submit your letter today.

• U.S. Poverty: The House budget plan would result in harmful cuts to programs that provide millions with health care and access to food. Use the vote on the budget bill this week to submit letters urging your members of Congress to reject this reckless plan.
• Global Poverty: Graduations are on the horizon. We know that education opens doors for quality of life. Talk about how education has positively impacted your life and the life of your community as you write a letter to the editor about the importance of Congress co-sponsoring and ultimately passing the READ Act on global education.

Announcements

Grassroots Board nominations due tomorrow! If you’ve thought of serving on the RESULTS Board, please submit your name or the name of someone you believe would make a good Board member today. Read more in our blog announcement. Nominations close tomorrow, April 26. Then mark your calendars for Thursday, May 11 at 8:30 pm ET when a Grassroots Board Town Hall meeting to meet the nominated candidates for the Board election. Register to attend the town hall today.

Become an Investor in Change. Monthly donors, known as Investors in Change, provide RESULTS with a lifeline of support. They ensure we have a predictable and flexible source of funding so we can plan ahead and seize new opportunities when they arise. “Being a monthly donor is a way of showing my complete commitment to RESULTS,” said Seattle volunteer Zelda Foxhall. “It’s selfish: it’s a way for me to help ensure the successes we have! As a donor, I get far more from RESULTS than what I give.” Becoming an Investor in Change is easy, convenient, and spreads your support over the year!

Attend New Advocate Orientation tomorrow. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about RESULTS and how to get involved, join our New Advocate Orientation. Join RESULTS staff for an overview of who we are, what we do, and why we need you as an advocate for the end of poverty. The orientation is tomorrow, April 26 at 8:30 pm ET. This be the last orientation for a few months so register today so you don’t miss it!

Join “Oppression: The Missing Perspectives” on Friday. This workshop will culminate in self-reflection and identifying race and class biases, including marginalized and oppressed populations. A brainstorming session will be included to develop the tools necessary to learn to adopt a multicultural perspective of others and the necessary insight into race and class and ways to counterbalance their effects on the lack of equity in the U.S. The webinar is Friday, April 28, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET. Learn more here.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week.

Typically, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Wednesday, April 26: Group Leader Office Hour, 1:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/6602641580. No registration required.

Wednesday, April 26: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register today.

Wednesday, April 26: Deadline to nominate a grassroots volunteer for RESULTS Board.

Friday, April 28: Oppression – The Missing Perspectives, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 pm ET (updated time). Learn more and register today.

Saturday, May 6: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today.

Monday, May 8: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET (special date). Contact Lisa Marchal for joining details.

Tuesday, May 9: Disrupting Biases on Poverty and Classism, 8:00 pm ET. This webinar will be facilitated by RESULTS’ Experts on Poverty. Learn more and register today.

Thursday, May 11: Global Allies (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Thursday, May 11: Grassroots Board Town Hall meeting, 8:30 pm ET. Meet the candidates for the upcoming Board election. Register to attend!

Tuesday, May 16: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for information on how to join.

Tuesday, May 16: Together Women Rise partnership webinar with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Wednesday, May 17: Action Network Managers webinar, 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm ET. (Choose your time.) Join the 12:30 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695. Join the 8:00 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. No registration required.

Wednesday, May 17: Media Office Hour – Media 101 training, 2:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494. No registration required.

Thursday, May 18: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today. 

Thursday, May 18: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today.

Tuesday, May 23: Diversity & Inclusion 101, 8:00-9:30 pm ET. Read more about this learning opportunity and register today.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our Volunteer Information Form to add or edit volunteer info and to sign up for updates and alerts.

If you have a story about advocacy that you feel might inspire others, use our online form to tell us your story.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Lindsay Saunders at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.

RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.