RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update May 19, 2020
Quote of the Week
“In the next coronavirus aid package from Congress, it’s critical that such legislation address housing and food insecurity.”
– RESULTS St. Louis volunteer Greg Campbell in a May 15 letter to the editor in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
RESULTS Coronavirus Resources
Our coronavirus pandemic page is a great resource for you with information on conducting virtual meetings, advocating online, generating media, what’s happening on coronavirus and poverty in Congress, and more. Visit the page regularly to get the latest news on our work during the outbreak.
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Write a letter to the editor on prioritizing global health and education during the COVID-19 crisis
Got Ten Minutes? Get published on protecting global education and health during the pandemic
The new bill in the House of Representatives fails to include any international funding to fight coronavirus and its fallout. It’s clear that a global pandemic requires a global response, so it now falls to the Senate to make sure that happens. The U.S. can and must play a role in slowing COVID-19’s spread globally and in protecting access to education and health services. Make sure your senators get this message clearly.
Getting powerful, personal pieces published in your local paper is the next step. Utilize this quick action alert which is designed to help anyone get published. Be aware that we are starting to see press on this issue which you can use as a hook. Also, you may see new hooks in your local paper due to coverage of the World Health Assembly. Finally, read our Tuesday, May 5 blogpost which contains an outline of and rationale for our global COVID-19 policy priorities.
TAKE ACTION: Use our action alert to call on the Senate to protect and prioritize global health and education. Share the alert with others, especially to encourage newer writers to try their hand at writing and submitting a letter to the editor – perhaps for the very first time!
Got Fifteen Minutes? Register for the RESULTS 2020 International Conference and begin booking your lobby meetings.
The RESULTS International Conference (June 20-21) is a unique opportunity for you to take your advocacy to the next level. Not only do you get to hear from poverty experts and receive training to be a more powerful advocate, but the conference is also your chance to put those skills directly into action through a huge lobby day on Capitol Hill. Even though this year’s conference will be online due to COVID-19, that’s not stopping us from planning a week of action.
Many of you have had virtual lobby meetings with congressional offices over the last six weeks to talk to them about our priorities for the next COVID-19 response bill. Meeting with them during the week of action (June 22-25), with an emphasis on getting face-to-face virtual meetings with your representatives and senators, will be an important time. Marginalized communities can’t bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic – we must make this clear. Of course, RESULTS will give you plenty of preparation beforehand to make sure you have everything you need for successful meetings.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to get ready for the RESULTS International Conference (June 20-21) and advocacy week of action (June 22-25). First, please register for the virtual RESULTS International Conference today. IMPORTANT: You must register by next Tuesday, May 26, in order to participate in lobby meetings during the week of action. Then, after you’ve registered, start working on scheduling face-to-face virtual lobby meetings for June 22-25. Coordinate with your local RESULTS group members about which day(s) you want to have lobby meetings and who will request them. Reach out to schedulers as soon as possible to set up your meetings. Use our new virtual lobby meeting request letter as a template for your requests. Please let us know each of the meetings you get scheduled in our conference meeting tracker. RESULTS staff will be in contact with you in the coming weeks to set up a prep call with you and others from your state.
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
A new advocacy program for African diaspora leaders. On Thursday April 16, RESULTS kicked off the African Leadership Cohort. This program is aimed at increasing African Diaspora representation within the RESULTS movement through new advocate recruitment, new leadership development, and building a creative and safe space for African Diaspora community. The African Leadership Cohort (ALC) will center the voices and elevate the power of African immigrants within the RESULTS movement. Read more on our blog.
Nutrition report is out. The 2020 Global Nutrition Report: Action on equity to end malnutrition is now available. Read the report online.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Tell Congress to provide emergency rental assistance
Got Ten Minutes? House passes COVID-19 bill; use media to push Senate into action
Last Friday, the House passed H.R. 6800, the HEROES Act, 208-199. This bill includes each of RESULTS’ U.S. poverty priorities for the next COVID-19 bill: $100 billion for emergency rental assistance, a one-year national moratorium on evictions, a 15 percent increase in the maximum SNAP benefit, and a temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) (see more on the RESULTS coronavirus blog). Unlike the House, the Senate is in no rush to pass another stimulus bill, despite a call from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for Congress to do more to avoid “long-term damage to the economy.”
Time is of the essence. Feeding America has a new report showing that, because of the COVID-19 crisis, the number of food insecure people in the U.S. could rise by 17 million people (depending on the severity of the downturn). Although Senate leaders have no plans to take up the House bill, your media can help push senators to act now to pass a bill that includes help for low-income Americans.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to submit letters to the editor urging Congress to pass a final COVID-19 bill that includes emergency rental assistance, a moratorium on evictions, and an increase in SNAP benefits. Use sample letters from the May 2020 U.S. Poverty Action to get started (we also have online LTE actions on our website). If you’ve already submitted a letter, send another one this week to another paper in your state. If you need assistance, please contact Jos Linn. Once you get published, let us know and leverage your media by sending copies to your congressional offices and sharing it on social media.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Register for the RESULTS International Conference and start scheduling Week of Action lobby meetings
The RESULTS International Conference is a unique opportunity for you to take your advocacy to the next level. Not only will you hear from experts and get skills training, you also get the chance to put your skills into action through lobby meetings with members of Congress.
Right now, persistence is vital. Congress needs to hear from you again and again that they have a responsibility to help mitigate the damage of the current crisis. Meeting with them virtually during our conference Week of Action (June 22-25) is your next chance to push the urgency of the moment with them directly. Of course, RESULTS will give you plenty of preparation beforehand to make sure you are successful.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to get ready for an inspiring and powerful June by registering for the virtual RESULTS International Conference. You must register by next Tuesday, May 26 if you plan to lobby during the Week of Action. After you’ve registered, start scheduling virtual lobby meetings for the Week of Action, June 22-25. Coordinate with your local RESULTS group members on which day(s) you want to do lobby meetings and who will request them. Use our new virtual lobby meeting request letter to request face-to-face virtual meetings with your representatives and senators. Please let us know each meeting you get scheduled in our conference meeting tracker. RESULTS staff will be in contact with you in the coming weeks to set up a lobby prep call with you and others from your state.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
Watch racial equity conversation this Thursday. This Thursday, May 21 at 2:30 pm ET, join Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Diane Yentel, for a conversation on how our housing and homelessness response to COVID-19 must center racial equity and address systemic inequities and discrimination. Register for the event here.
Take action to protect immigrant families during pandemic. Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) is urging you to take action to ensure that the next COVID-19 legislation eliminates barriers to health screenings, provides diagnosis and treatment, and supports other basic needs for immigrant families.
RESULTS Announcements
Want to lobby at the International Conference? Register this week! We hope all of you will join us June 20-21 for the virtual RESULTS International Conference and invite someone to attend with you! We have an exciting event planned with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Dr. Joia Mukherjee from Partners in Health, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, among others. Plan to also join our Week of Action, June 22-25, where you have virtual face-to-face meetings with representatives and senators to talk about our issues. IMPORTANT: If you plan to lobby during the Week of Action, please register for the conference by next Tuesday, May 26. Go to https://results.org/conference/about to register today. Then, start requesting lobby meetings (please coordinate your requests with others from your state) and let us know what meetings you schedule in our tracking form.
Join Understanding Domination v. Partnership Culture webinar tonight. Please join our discussion tonight at 9:00 pm ET on the differences between domination and partnership culture and how these perspectives impact our view of gender, race, age, and economic status. We’ll also discuss how domination and partnership mindsets hinder or benefit our advocacy with RESULTS. RESULTS Silicon Valley volunteer Georgia Platts will lead the conversation. Please watch “Humanity’s Default with Riane Eisler” before the webinar. See our Events calendar for information on how to join the webinar.
“Celebrating 40 Years of Advocacy” fundraising. In May, celebrate RESULTS’ anniversary and help fund the next chapter of our work. Thanks to a group of generous donors, gifts from first-time donors and increased gifts from returning donors will be matched 1:1 up to $165,000! Just like advocating, donating is a powerful way to make a difference. Visit results.salsalabs.org/40years to learn how you can participate. If you have questions, please contact Mea Geizhals at [email protected].
Happy Birthday, RESULTS! Celebrate with us. Did you know that RESULTS celebrated its 40th birthday on May 9? 40 years of advocacy that you made possible. Help us celebrate by joining the official RESULTS 40th Anniversary Reunion Zoom call on Thursday, June 4 at 8:30 pm ET (informal introductions will start at 8:15 pm ET). Come (re)connect with pioneering RESULTS members to celebrate the difference we made in the world, acknowledge what has been accomplished on the shoulders of our work, and share how it has changed our lives. To participate, register at: https://results.salsalabs.org/reunion.
Receive action alerts via text. We are setting up a system to send some of our action alerts via text. If you’d like to receive text action alerts, please text RESULTS to 50457 to sign up for text action alerts.
Cameron Duncan Media Award Nominations. RESULTS is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Cameron Duncan Media Award, which recognizes a journalist or editor for outstanding work on issues related to poverty. To nominate someone, send a short e-mail to Jos Linn with your reasons for nominating that person. Please include links to recent media pieces demonstrating the journalist’s dedication to poverty issues. The deadline is Friday, June 5.
Join discussion on being a better non-partisan advocate. If you’re a RESULTS activist who sometimes lobbies people with different political views, consider attending our “Bridging the Partisan Divide: How to Lobby Those Who Don’t Agree with You” webinar on Thursday, June 11 at 9:00 pm ET. RESULTS activist Jim Driggers will present highlights from Jonathan Haidt’s book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. After attending this webinar, you’ll come away with a better understanding of a variety of value systems. More importantly, you’ll gain some tips to help you lobby others more effectively. Join here with meeting ID 821 9427 5109. Password: 690480.
Have you missed any trainings recently? We have some great webinar recordings on holding a virtual group meeting, holding a remote lobby meeting, writing/submitting letters to the editor, and engaging new advocates successfully. Check them out!
RESULTS Fellowship. The RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship (formerly known as REAL Change) is a hands-on, year-long advocacy program for people 20–30 years old who learn how to create change through advocacy. Learn more and apply today. Applications are open until September 30. The new class will start in December.
Upcoming Events
Congressional schedule. The Senate is in Washington this week while House members are working remotely. Submit your remote meeting requests today.
Tuesday, May 19: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Webinars, 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, May 19: Understanding Domination v. Partnership Culture webinar, 9:00 pm ET. Please review the discussion guide which login information and a link to a video to watch before the webinar.
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day. All RESULTS offices closed.
Wednesday, May 27: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Sign up online.
Thursday, June 4: RESULTS 40th Anniversary Reunion call, 8:30 pm ET. Register at: https://results.salsalabs.org/reunion
Saturday, June 6: RESULTS United Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828. You can also join by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 994 444 828.
Thursday, June 11: Bridging the Partisan Divide: How to Lobby Those Who Don’t Agree with You, 9:00 pm ET. Join here with meeting ID 821 9427 5109. Password: 690480.
June 20-21: RESULTS International Conference. Register here.
June 22-25: RESULTS Week of Action. Read more here.
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.
Remember to please report your recent grassroots successes in lobby meetings, media pieces, and outreach activities.
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.