RESULTS Weekly Update August 11, 2026

Quote of the Week

“In a democracy, power comes from math. You assemble enough people together, you win.”

– Ben Wikler from This Is the Plan

Is this newsletter too long; didn’t read (TL;DR) the whole thing? Scroll to the bottom for the most important points or the “TL;DR”)

Make your “Building Power Together” plan

We are already hearing excitement over our fall “Building Power Together” campaign. This campaign will help us build on the year’s momentum so that, on the other side of the fall elections, we are poised for a strong start to 2027. This isn’t just about organizing; it’s about impact. And it’s about making our values visible and hard for lawmakers to ignore.

This month, use our current August/September Action Sheet with your group and make your “Building Power Together” plan:

Step 1: Articulate the community you want to build. What’s the vision?

Step 2: Choose your advocacy action for the month. Since it’s August recess, book a meeting with a lawmaker you didn’t get to meet with during the National Conference. Or attend a town hall with a candidate. Or invite a friend or community ally to take action with your group. Pick what works best!

Step 3: Write down your plan, share it, and keep it in front of you for inspiration. The August/September Action Sheet offers question prompts to help you complete your plan efficiently. Share your finished plan with your Regional Coordinators by September 1. Then your group will be ready to take your chosen action(s) by the end of September.

To help you with planning, join our Power Hour webinar next week. Building power starts with organizing and taking action. We’ll use this working session for our new fall campaign. We’ll exchange ideas, break through barriers, and plan our next steps as we build momentum through the election and beyond. This Power Hour is your space to turn ideas into action and individual advocacy into collective impact. Join us on Tuesday, August 18 at 5:30 pm ET via Zoom: https://results.zoom.us/j/93821248113.

Use the August recess to build power and make your values visible

Last weekend, the Senate left for its five-week recess, and they left on a relatively good note (for RESULTS). They passed a continuing resolution (CR) funding the government through December 11, putting Congress on track to avoid an October shutdown. The CR also paused a proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rule that would let political appointees control federal grants. (Let’s hope they kill this dangerous rule outright in the final fiscal year 2027 [FY27] budget.)

The Senate also failed to pass a partisan budget resolution. This stalls for now the reconciliation process the White House is counting on to fund the military, aid farmers, and push voter suppression measures.

Finally, the Senate Agriculture Committee also failed to advance its Farm Bill. The bill delayed the SNAP cost-shift provision by a year while cutting SNAP elsewhere to pay for it. Any farm legislation this year must include a two-year delay for all states, with no offsetting cuts. Ag. Chair John Boozman (R-AR) plans another attempt in September.

With Congress home and candidates on the trail, this recess is a chance to put our values on display. “Building Power Together” is about showing lawmakers and candidates that we are people with the knowledge conviction, and vision for ending poverty. Sharing why you care about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), tuberculosis, the Child Tax Credit, or the budget matter . . . . this is the first step in making your values visible and countering harmful myths. It’s also how we turn candidates — both incumbents and challengers — into champions before they even take office next January.

Haven’t met with a member of Congress lately? Need to follow up with an office after the RESULTS Conference? Want to educate a candidate about RESULTS and our priorities? Now’s the time. Set up a lobby meeting this month. We’re here to help. Bookmark the “Building Power Together” campaign page for meeting request templates, leave-behinds, laser talks, and more. If you have questions, please reach out to your Regional Coordinator or RESULTS staff.

Make these other “power” moves

Help us meet our fundraising goal. Thanks to many of you, we’ve raised 90% of our $50,000 goal! But we still have $5,200 left to go to meet the match. Can you help get us there? Only one week left! An anonymous donor is matching all gifts to RESULTS made until August 17, up to $50,000. (If you sign up to be a monthly donor or increase your monthly donation, your first month’s gift is tripled!) Help us through this last push to meet or exceed our goal. Please donate today and invite others to support our work. 

Apply for the 2027 RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship. This special cohort for advocates ages 20 to 45 is a no-cost learning opportunity not to be missed. Over the course of eleven months, participants will hone their advocacy and leadership skills, helping to grow the movement to end poverty and making great memories along the way. Our Fellowship page on our website offers complete details.

Take a minute to offer National Conference feedback. Complete the feedback survey by August 15. By hearing about your experience, we can increase our power by making future events even better!

TL:DR (too long, didn’t read): Gather your group to plan for “Building Power Together: The Election and Beyond” using our Action Sheet. Put the Power Hour on your calendar for August 18 at 5:30 pm ET. Help us meet our $50,000 match. Consider the 2027 Fellowship. And complete the National Conference feedback survey by August 15.

Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinars