RESULTS Weekly Update June 25, 2024

Quote of the Week

“You have not only grown a bipartisan coalition of support for vaccine access but for the global anti-poverty movement.”

– RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter in a RESULTS Blog post celebrating the new U.S. commitment to Gavi last week

Table of Contents

• Just days until initial meeting on Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• Summer advocacy meetings: Battle the heat by being a snowflake
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Fantastic success at pre-replenishment meeting for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Last week, our executive director, Joanne Carter, was in Paris at the pre-replenishment conference for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. (You can read her reflections on our blog.) She was able to witness the wonderful news that the Biden Administration has pledged at least $1.58 billion to Gavi over five years, an unprecedented type of pledge by the U.S. in terms of size. This news comes on the heels of excellent advocacy work by the RESULTS network. You have raised the issue in the media. You have raised the issue with Congress. Now we must see that the pledge becomes reality as we approach the full fall replenishment conference and work through the budget process.

For a start, we must treat the pledge as a floor, not a ceiling. Under the pledge, Gavi would get $300 million in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). RESULTS’ FY25 Gavi funding request is $340 million. That has not changed. We must therefore keep pressure on lawmakers to support Gavi at that level in FY25. That’s where the congressional resolutions supporting Gavi come in. The more co-sponsors we get for these resolutions, the more likely we can secure the funding we want. The Senate version, S.Res. 684, and the House version, H.Res.1286, are now taking co-sponsors.

Gavi’s new five-year plan, unveiled in Paris, could save the lives of 8 million children. Isn’t this something all of Congress can get behind? Can you ask your senators and representative to co-sponsor the new resolutions?

TAKE ACTION: Ask your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Senate and House Gavi resolutions. Contact foreign policy aides directly or use our online action to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Gavi resolutions as soon as possible. Once that’s done, please submit a Gavi letter to the editor to continue that positive pressure!

Summer advocacy meetings: Battle the heat by being a snowflake

Poverty gets far less attention than it deserves in Washington. RESULTS summer get-togethers are a straightforward way to bring attention back to it. One goal of these meetings is to write postcards about the importance of health and nutrition programs in fighting poverty. Writing postcards may seem like a small act, but small acts are where change begins. Since it’s so hot, let’s illustrate with a snow analogy. Avalanches don’t create themselves. They are made up of countless snowflakes piled on top of each other. Each snowflake adds pressure. Eventually, the pressure becomes too great and the avalanche starts.

Meeting this summer is the same vital component to great change. Every action you take – having a meeting, inviting a friend, writing a postcard – is a like snowflake piling on top of another snowflake. Without your part, the change is delayed. With it, we get one “flake” closer. If we want to see an end to poverty, don’t wait for it to happen – be a part of it.

TAKE ACTION: Work with your group to plan when and where your local RESULTS group will meet in person this summer. Once you have something on the calendar, please let your Regional Coordinator know. Also, we have resources to help you plan, help you invite people, help you advertise, help you take action and more! Be sure to invite everyone from your group to attend as well as new people who want to learn more. Remember, please bring copies of our Summer Action Sheet with the postcards RESULTS sent you; it explains how to fill out the postcards. If you have questions, please contact Joanna DiStefano. Finally, once your meeting is done, please let us know how it went by completing our new and improved Outreach Report Form. Good luck!

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Sign your group onto letter protecting SNAP. We urge you to sign your Local RESULTS group onto this joint letter to Congress urging that any Farm Bill must – at its core – ensure that SNAP is protected and strengthened. Additionally, we will oppose any Farm Bill which proposes cuts to SNAP including restricting future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments, which would result in $30 billion in cuts. Your group can sign the letter using this form (sign as “RESULTS Topeka” or “RESULTS Greater Connecticut”). Organizers want 1,000 signers, so sign you group on today.

A promising first step on FY25 appropriations. This month, the House of Representatives took the first step in the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) appropriations process on our global poverty priorities. The full House appropriations committee has passed their State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill, which contains our priority issues. Read how it went in our RESULTS Blog post.

Announcements

Triple your impact with a gift to RESULTS this spring! RESULTS is urgently working to raise $350,000. Why? We want to amplify our work on behalf of the estimated 350 million children worldwide who face undernutrition. Thanks to a generous challenge match, your donation to RESULTS will be TRIPLED until we reach our goal! This includes all donations to Friends & Family fundraisers. If you or your group has been thinking about doing a fundraiser, this is a great time to do it! If you have questions or need support, contact Director of Development Melissa Strobel. Make your special tax-deductible gift to RESULTS today.

2025 RESULTS Fellowship application is now open. The RESULTS Fellowship has become one of the most powerful programs at RESULTS. Many current leaders in RESULTS started out as Fellows. We are now accepting applications for the 2025 Fellowship class. If you know someone who would make a great Fellow, please urge them to apply today.

Let us know how your outreach events go. We are happy to announce that we have a new Outreach Reporting Form. It is more streamlined and easier to use. Whenever you have an outreach event, be it one of this summer’s in-person gatherings, a fundraiser, an outreach event, or even a one-on-one conversation, please let us know how it went. Taking these events helps keep track of what our volunteers are doing and provide post-event support (also, donors love it!). If you have questions or need additional support, please contact Karyne Bury ([email protected]) or Joanna DiStefano ([email protected]).

Learn from Brad Fitch on the July National Webinar. Join us for the July National Webinar on Saturday, July 13 at 1:00 p.m. (a week later than normal). Our guest will be Brad Fitch of the Congressional Management Foundation sharing CMF’s invaluable research on building relationships with members of Congress and how advocacy has changed since the pandemic. Register today.

Please submit your lobby reports. If you have not yet reported a lobby meeting in 2024, please complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule: This week, the House is in session and the Senate is on recess.

Find these and other events on our website Events Calendar.

Wednesday, June 26: Action Network Manager Calls, 12:30 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. No registration required. Join via https://results.zoom.us/j/95416781155 or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 954 1678 1155.

Thursday July 4: Independence Day. RESULTS office closed July 4 and 5.

Thursday, July 11: Outreach and Event Planning Office Hour, 2:00 p.m. ET. Drop in at https://results.zoom.us/j/94004748060, meeting ID 940 0474 8060.

Thursday, July 11: Global Allies Program (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more.

Saturday, July 13: National Webinar, 1:00 p.m. ET. Guest: Brad Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. Register for the webinar.

Tuesday, July 16: Together Women Rise advocacy chapter webinar, 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more about this opportunity.

Wednesday, July 17: Making the Elections About Poverty, 8:30 p.m. ET. Register today.

Monday, July 22: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 p.m. ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Tuesday, July 23: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

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

Grassroots Resources

• EOPs: Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
• Actions and volunteer resources: Visit our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].
• Please report your actions. Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our form to add to/edit your info and to sign up for updates and alerts.
• Share your story. If you have an inspiring story about advocacy, please tell us about it. Also, if you want to celebrate the actions of a new volunteer, sharing about the experience.
• Questions for the Board? If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
• Staff and jobs: RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.