RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update January 7, 2020
Quote of the Week
“It’s partly because of groups like Results that so many lives have been saved. So if you’re looking for an advocacy group to push for a greater effort to save lives around the world, Results is hard to beat.”
– New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in a comment to his December 28 column
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Set a Meeting with Your Legislators
Got Five Minutes? Book a Meeting with Congress to Kick Off 2020!
Now’s the best time to set that resolution to reach out to your legislators early in advance of our appropriations work. Once your resolution is set, act! The next congressional recess will be the week of January 20. What are you waiting for?
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to start contacting your congressional offices and their schedulers to book a meeting to discuss our global poverty appropriations requests. Use our new meeting request letter.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Start Preparing for our Appropriations Push
At RESULTS, one of our key annual campaigns is appropriations, that time when we make funding requests across all our primary campaigns. Appropriations information will be available at the end of the week and on our January 11 national webinar. To be ready to make your requests – in person, if possible – make sure to review the appropriations process beforehand.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to read up on the appropriations process – what it is and how it works. We also have a “cheat sheet” blog post deciphering terms often used during the appropriations process.
Quick News on Global Poverty
Background on our nutrition and vaccines campaigns. See our Global Nutrition policy brief for information related to our 2020 Nutrition Campaign and Gavi’s case for investment for information related to our 2020 Vaccines Campaign.
Great read by Alex Counts. In anticipation of the RESULTS 40th Anniversary, check out Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind: Leadership Lessons from Three Decades of Social Entrepreneurship by Alex Counts. This book contains many charming and inspirational stories about how the author developed his skills and made a big impact as a RESULTS volunteer and legislative director – and later as founder and CEO of the Grameen Foundation.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Generate media on addressing the housing crisis
Got Five Minutes? Celebrate the new year with meetings with your members of Congress
Happy New Year! We hope that you had a festive and relaxing holiday season. With the new year, we are excited about the opportunities before us. For our U.S. poverty work in 2020, our focus will be addressing America’s affordable housing crisis. When no person earning the prevailing minimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S. and only 1 in 4 eligible households receive federal housing assistance, something must be done. This year, we will build support in Congress for a renters’ tax credit (see our new renters’ credit leave behind under “I need lobbying materials”). That starts by meeting with members of Congress to educate them on the renters’ credit and securing their support for the idea.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to make your first face-to-face meeting requests for the new year. Use our new meeting request letter (found on our Lobbying page) to contact your representative and both senators to set up meetings to discuss affordable housing. If you need assistance with your requests, please contact Jos Linn. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching.
Quick News on U.S. Poverty
New Rule Could Roll Back Housing Protections. The Trump Administration is proposing a new rule that would roll back Obama Administration rules to help reduce housing segregation. Currently, state and local governments, and public housing agencies, must collect data on patterns of integration and segregation and use it to promote fairness and equity in housing. The Trump Administration wants to eliminate these guidelines, claiming they are too onerous. Critics fear this new rule will further weaken fair housing enforcement and open the door to increased discrimination and segregation. When the rule is published in the Federal Register, there will be a public comment period.
Bipartisan bill to address evictions introduced. Last month, Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Eviction Crisis Act to address America’s growing eviction problem. The bill would create a national database to track evictions nationwide and use data to inform policymakers. It would also create an Emergency Assistance Fund to provide short-term assistance to tenants under threat of eviction. This bipartisan approach to helping vulnerable families facing housing instability is welcomed news. Read more here and here.
RESULTS Announcements
Join the RESULTS National Webinar this Saturday at 1pm ET. Join us for the first RESULTS National Webinar of 2020 this Saturday, January 11 at 1:00 pm ET. This will be a 60-minute, joint webinar for all RESULTS advocates. We’ll kick the year off with an overview of our 2020 U.S. and global poverty work, provide you the tools to create your 2020 Group Roadmap, and give you the opportunity to share what you’re excited about for your RESULTS work this year. Please join us. To join the webinar, login online at https://results.zoom.us/j/510407386 or dial in by phone at either (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 510 407 386.
Schedule Your 2020 Roadmap Discussion. 2020 promises to be an interesting and important year in our advocacy work. With issues like maternal/child health and housing looming large, we want to make the most of the opportunities in front of us. Creating your 2020 Group Roadmap (formerly, group plan) is the first step. Each year, RESULTS groups around the country do this by taking time to discuss the goals they have for their advocacy for the end of poverty. While each group approaches this process differently, your Roadmap is valuable in helping you achieve your goals and to RESULTS staff who will support you in getting there. Plus, it’s easy, inspiring, and fun. If you don’t already have a date set, contact your group members this week to schedule when your group will meet in January to do your 2020 Roadmap. All your 2020 Roadmap resources are on the RESULTS Outreach & Planning page under “My group wants to make our plans.”
Deadline to name new webinar is tomorrow. In February, the RESULTS national webinar will take on a new format (combined U.S. and Global), and new day and time (first Saturday of the month at 1:00 pm ET). Help us name this new webinar with a chance to win a free registration for the 2020 RESULTS International Conference. Submit your name suggestion to [email protected] by tomorrow, January 8. The winner and name will be announced on this Saturday’s RESULTS National Webinar.
RESULTS Fellowship Applications Open. The RESULTS Fellowship (formerly named the REAL Change Fellowship) is now taking application for the 2020-21 class until April 30. Find more info and the application on the RESULTS website.
Upcoming Events
Congressional Recesses. Both the House and Senate will be on recess the week of January 20. Submit your meeting requests today.
Saturday, January 11: RESULTS Joint U.S./Global National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/510407386 or by phone at either (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 510 407 386.
Monday, January 13: Global Free Agents Webinars. 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Join a great conversation via https://results.zoom.us/j/285681999 or, by phone, dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 285 681 999.
Tuesday, January 14: New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. If you or someone you know are new to RESULTS, join us for New Advocate Orientation. During this live webinar, you’ll interact with RESULTS staff and other new volunteers, learn more about our advocacy model and issues, and get information on next steps. Sign up here.
Thursday, January 16: Issue Webinar on our Child Survival Campaign, 8:30 pm ET. Led by Director of Global Poverty and Advocacy John Fawcett. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/660662137 or dial by phone at either (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 660 662 137.
Monday, January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. All RESULTS offices closed.
Tuesday, January 21: 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.
Tuesday, January 21: Book Club on The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, 9:00 pm ET. Led by RESULTS advocate Jim Driggers, this discussion offers you a profound opportunity to examine your own and others’ beliefs about morality. You can use that knowledge to better frame discussions to support RESULTS-championed legislation. Learn more about the book club here.
Wednesday, January 22: RESULTS 40th Anniversary Launch. Watch for the excitement!
Wednesday, January 29: Researching Your Member of Congress and Scheduling Tips Webinar, 9:00 pm ET. Led by Regional Coordinator Allison Gallaher. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/611934750 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 611 934 750.
Tuesday, February 11: Book Discussion, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. Stay tuned for more information.
June 20-23, 2020: RESULTS International Conference. Capital Hilton, Washington, DC. Register today!
Grassroots Resources
Learn 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 actions and volunteer resources on our Current Volunteers page.
Please let us know about your recent grassroots successes for lobby meetings, media, and outreach.
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.