Global Weekly Update December 17, 2012

Group Planning and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs: A Great Way to Kick Off 2013!

1. By the end of the week, several of the 2013 Group Planning documents will be available online, and the full set of documents will be completed in early January. You can find them in the section of our website that features group resources. Take a look in a few days, and then set a time for your group to gather in January so you can wish each other a happy new year and kick the year off envisioning what you’d like to achieve in your advocacy in 2013. If you are a solo advocate, grab a copy of the Individual Planning form. What a terrific way to begin a brand new year! Questions? Contact Lisa Marchal, Global Grassroots Associate.

2. And, speaking of great accomplishments, are you and/or your group caught up on the reporting of all that you achieved in 2012? Unbelievably, the close of 2012 will be here in a few short weeks. RESULTS will be taking stock of its 2012 successes and using them to help us strategize for a powerful 2013. First, take time to celebrate what you and your fellow advocates have accomplished this year! Then take a few moments to complete any remaining lobby meeting reports and reports of other powerful advocacy actions using our easy online forms.

Log your lobby meetings and log other advocacy actions (media published, outreach events held, etc.). Questions? Contact Lisa Marchal, Global Grassroots Associate. 

3. Dr. Jeffrey Sachs of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Millennium Development Goal, and friend of RESULTS, will be our January 2013 National Grassroots Conference Call Guest on January 12! As indicated in his extensive and inspiring bio, Dr. Sachs has twice been named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders and was cited by the New York Times as “probably the most important economist in the world.” Dr. Sachs was a favorite speaker at our 2012 International Conference, and we will be thrilled to get his take on the importance of our advocacy in 2013, what is at stake, and what is possible as we seek to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. 

So gather your group or gather new friends and be part of the call on Saturday, January 12 at 2 pm ET. Dial in a few minutes before the call. The number to use is (888) 409-6709. 

Start Filling 2013 Calendars with Some Great Plans!

Do you have a fresh, new 2013 calendar that is just waiting to be filled with some cool stuff? We can get you started!

1. Your RESULTS Group’s First Meeting of 2013! Why not plan it now? January is the time for group planning, and materials will be available soon.
2. First Global Grassroots National Conference Call of 2013: Saturday, January 12, 2 pm ET. Featuring Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. Dial in a few minutes before the call. The number to use is (888) 409-6709.
3. First RESULTS Introductory Call of 2013: Wednesday, January 9, 9 pm ET. Please RSVP for the call so we can welcome you. Dial-in number: (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262.
4. First RESULTS Free Agents Call for Global Poverty Advocates: Monday, January 14, 8 pm ET. (Bumped from normal date due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.) If you live in a town where there’s no global poverty advocacy group, join the call. You’ll get the support and encouragement you need for your advocacy. Dial (218) 486-1611, passcode 7378587 (RESULTS).
5. Helpful Call to Aid You in Navigating our Website Better: January 7, 9 pm ET. RESULTS Website Training. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 to join. Inform and improve your advocacy using the RESULTS website! This training will provide you a guided tour of the RESULTS website focusing on key areas that will help you get educated on our issues, trained in effective advocacy techniques, and into action on ending poverty. For the training, please be in front of your computer with internet access. For questions and to RSVP for the call, contact Jos Linn, Senior Associate for US Poverty Campaigns. 
6. Great Call to Help You Learn About Your Legislators: January 15, 9 pm ET: Researching Your Member of Congress. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262. Have a new member of Congress? Want to learn more about your existing member of Congress? Join veteran advocate and regional coordinator Allison Gallaher for an informative call that will help you make the most of your advocacy year but giving you some top research tips and tools. 
7. RESULTS International Conference in Washington, DC: July 20–23, 2013. Dr. Muhammad Yunus and author/activist Marianne Williamson are already set to join us. Mark your calendar now!

You can always find great calls and activities in the Upcoming Events section (in the sidebar) of this update.

A Big Finish for Fundraising and Budget Advocacy!

1. Our end-of-year annual appeal campaign is underway with an ambitious goal of raising $30,000 by December 31. You may have noticed letters arriving in the mail and on email from RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter, which were sent to all of our donors. How can you help make this campaign a success for millions of people in poverty? Here are some suggestions below. Thank you for your help in raising the profile of RESULTS as out donors make their end-of-year charity decisions. Watch for our social media messaging about the annual appeal to share and re-tweet to your personal followers. If you have a RESULTS group Facebook or Twitter account, post the appeal link a few times this week. For example:

• Help us reach our goal of raising $30,000 by year’s end & help lift families out of poverty.ht.ly/fPh0e#TalkPoverty
• Give a truly amazing gift this holiday season: Donate to RESULTS & help lift families out of povertyht.ly/fZ2xh#EndPoverty
• Help RESULTS grow our reach & impact by expanding to all 50 states, 2/3 of congressional districts – Give a gift today!ht.ly/g1iUT

If you’d like your family to give a gift to RESULTS as a holiday present to you, email them, linking to our annual appeal online fundraising site. Send an end-of-year email wrap up of your group’s activities to all your local supporters linking to our annual appeal online fundraising site. This site lists several of our RESULTS accomplishments that you can reference as well. And finally, consider making a donation to RESULTS or RESULTS Educational Fund yourself!

2. Do you want to understand the fiscal cliff? Do you want training on how to better speak about poverty and the budget? Listen to our Budget Showdown and Laser Talk Training Call from Thursday, December 13. On the call, Meredith Dodson, Director of U.S. Poverty Campaigns, explains the current budget showdown being played out in Washington and how you can still take action to make a difference in the process. For more on how to make your voice heard, check out our laser talk guide to help you better speak about these issues.  

Season’s Greetings! 

The RESULTS team will be on holiday the week of December 24, and the office will officially reopen at 9 am ET on Wednesday, January 2. 

During this festive season, we are particularly aware of the gifts of time, skill, and care that our grassroots and partners, here at home and worldwide, share with one another so that, together, we can play a role in bringing about a world free of the scourges of extreme hunger and poverty. Thank you for being part of this important movement – you are the heart of RESULTS.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

— Dale Carnegie

1. January 2, 9 am ET. RESULTS Office reopens for 2013. 

2. January 7, 9 pm ET. RESULTS Website Training. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262. Inform and improve your advocacy using the RESULTS website! This training will provide you a guided tour of the RESULTS website focusing on key areas that will help you get educated on our issues, trained in effective advocacy techniques, and into action on ending poverty. For the training, please be in front of your computer with internet access. For questions and to RSVP for the call, contact Jos Linn, Senior Associate for US Poverty Campaigns.  

3. January 9, 9 pm ET. First RESULTS Introductory Call of 2013. Please RSVP for the call so we can welcome you. Dial-in number: (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262.

4. January 12, 2 pm ET. RESULTS National Grassroots Conference Call for Global Poverty Campaigns featuring Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. Dial (888) 409-6709 to join.

5. January 14, 8 pm ET: RESULTS Free Agents call for global poverty advocates. (218) 486-1611, passcode 7378587 (RESULTS). Are you a RESULTS activist with our global poverty campaigns, living in a town with no RESULTS group?  You are alone no more! Contact Lisa Marchal for more information on this monthly group call.

6. January 15, 9 pm ET: Researching Your Member of Congress. Dial (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262. Have a new member of Congress? Want to learn more about your existing member of Congress? Join veteran advocate and regional coordinator Allison Gallaher for an informative call that will help you make the most of your advocacy year but giving you some top research tips and tools.  

7. July 20–23, 2013: RESULTS International Conference in Washington, DC. Dr. Muhammad Yunus and author/speaker Marianne Williamson are already set to join us. Mark your calendar now!