U.S. Poverty Weekly Update November 19, 2019
Quote of the Week
“Working people and children also deserve a fair shot to get ahead.”
– RESULTS Oak Ridge, TN volunteer Anne Child in an November 15 letter to the editor in the Oakridger
Got Two Minutes? Use the Media to Tell Congress to Expand the EITC and CTC (November Action)
This week, Congress is expected to pass another continuing resolution to keep the government funded through December 20. That extension gives leaders in the House and Senate more time to complete a tax bill that could include expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). This extra time also gives you more time to keep the pressure on lawmakers. This week, do that by getting a letter to the editor published on the EITC and CTC.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to submit a letter to the editor telling your members of Congress by name to put workers and families first in any new tax bill. Our updated online media alert has a new holiday hook to help you get new letters published. If you need assistance, please contact Jos Linn.
Got Ten Minutes? The Virtual Thanksgiving Feast is a Great Way to Share RESULTS with Others
RESULTS’ annual Virtual Thanksgiving Feast (VTF) is doing great. We already have 21 participants who have raised $15,000 so far. Yay! And it’s not too late to join them. The VTF is RESULTS’ fall peer-to-peer online fundraising campaign – a chance to raise needed funds for our work to end poverty and spread the word about your great advocacy work. In a time when people are cynical about politics and the ability for ordinary citizens to make a difference, sharing your successes with them might just be the thing they need. Your example is the best way to inspire people to give to RESULTS which then helps us help you create even more inspiring successes. And who knows, your story just might inspire them to get involved. Join the VTF today and see!
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to join the 2019 RESULTS Virtual Thanksgiving Feast. Find materials and learn more at https://results.org/donate/fundraise/ under Online Campaign and get started at https://results.salsalabs.org/vtf2019. Contact Mea Geizhals at [email protected] or 202-783-4800 x131 with any questions.
Got Twenty Minutes? Take Action on the EITC and CTC with a Friend (November Action)
As noted above, we now have until December 20 to convince members of Congress to expand the EITC and CTC for workers and families. That’s 31 days from now. As outlined in the November Action, here are the actions can take if you have not done so already:
- Meet with a member of Congress telling him/her to only support a tax bill this year if it includes expansions of the EITC and CTC
- Speak to a tax aide with the same message above
- Get a letter to the editor (LTE) published about the EITC and CTC
- Call or e-mail your members of Congress about expanding the EITC and CTC
Whether you’ve taken these actions yet or not, take your advocacy to the next level by inviting someone to take action with you. We as advocates sometimes forget that acting on our own is only the first step. The key to creating political will is getting others to take action too. Why settle for one call or one LTE, when you can get two or five or ten. Among your friends, family, and colleagues, there should be at least one person (if not more) willing to take action with you. So, ask them. Invite someone to an upcoming lobby meeting, ask someone to join a call with a tax aide, ask someone to call or e-mail lawmakers, or help someone submit a letter to the editor.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to help secure an expansion of the EITC and CTC for workers and families this year by asking someone to take action with you. The November Action and last week’s National Webinar have tips and resources to help you. Please remember that when someone says yes, support them through the process. That’s most easily done if you take the action with them and share the experience together. If that won’t work, offer to answer their questions at the beginning, check in with them regularly, and follow up afterward to celebrate, thank, and see how their experience was (and see if they’d like to take another action). If you need advice or coaching, please contact Jos Linn.
Quick News
New Reports on Gender and Racial Justice and the Tax Code. The National Women’s Law Center, Groundwork Collaborative, the Roosevelt Institute, and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, released three reports about gender and racial bias in the tax code and how to harness tax laws as a tool for equity. Former RESULTS Hunger Fellow Funke Aderonmu helped write A Tax Code for the Rest of Us: A Framework & Recommendations for Advancing Gender & Racial Equity Through Tax Credits on how the tax code exacerbates wealth inequality and the racial wealth divide, while looking at housing policy and the EITC and CTC.
Volunteer Advocacy Resources. Last month, our Expansion team began a new, six-week training to help advocates learn advocacy skills, dive into current campaigns, and become familiar with support tools RESULTS has available to assist them in their advocacy. You can join the series’ last session on grassroots organizing this Thursday, November 21 (12:00pm and 8:30pm ET) and if you missed any previous trainings, get caught up with the recordings and PPT slides on our Advocacy Training page.
January Webinar is Joint U.S. and Global. The January 2020 RESULTS National Webinar will be a joint webinar with both U.S. poverty and global poverty advocates on Saturday, January 11 at 1:00 pm ET. Mark your calendars and join us for this exciting kickoff event for 2020.
Upcoming Events
Congressional Recesses. Both the House and Senate will be on recess November 25-29. Submit your meeting requests today.
Thursdays, October 17-November 21: New Volunteer Advocacy Training, 12:00 pm and 8:30 pm ET. Learn more and register for sessions here.
November 1-November 30: RESULTS Virtual Thanksgiving Feast Fundraising Campaign. Learn more here.
Tuesday, November 19: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 324 294 681.
Thursday, November 28-Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving holiday break. All RESULTS offices closed.
Tuesday, December 3: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801. Find recordings and slides from previous webinars on the National Webinars page.
June 20-23, 2020: RESULTS International Conference. Capital Hilton, Washington, DC. More details coming soon.
Other Resources
Learn more about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.
Find recently recorded advocacy trainings on the RESULTS Training Webinars page.
Report your Grassroots Successes: (please update all your advocacy activities by Friday, November 15)
- What happened at your last lobby meeting?
- What media have you gotten published? (see 2019 media pieces on our Media Tools page)
- Have you reached out to new people lately?
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory.