RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update February 4, 2020
Quote of the Week
“Each of us can help by asking for Congress to pass initiatives that help end poverty and homelessness, like a renters’ tax credit, so millions no longer have to choose between eating and paying the rent.”
– RESULTS Snohomish, WA volunteer Willie Dickerson in a January 21 letter to the editor in the Longview Daily News
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Ask Congress to prioritize global health and education
Got Five Minutes? Call your legislators’ schedulers to book face-to-face meetings
Now is the time to reach out to your legislators’ schedulers and arrange meetings on our appropriations requests for FY21. There will be a congressional recess in less than two weeks, so call today. Our appropriations materials are available for your meetings, including memos/backgrounders on each of our requests and the comprehensive January action sheet. With these tools and some practice with our latest laser talk on asking for meetings, you can make a great meeting happen with confidence.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to contact your congressional offices and their schedulers. Book meetings for you and your group to discuss our global poverty appropriations requests. Be bold in asking that these meetings be with the legislators themselves. You can use our new meeting request letter or our laser talk to make the process easier.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Make your FY21 appropriations requests
Haven’t gotten a face-to-face meeting yet? Don’t worry, but don’t wait. Use our appropriations memos/backgrounders on each of our requests and the comprehensive January action sheet. Don’t delay in submitting our requests for our global health and education priorities. If you need it, we also have a great explainer on the appropriations process – what it is and how it works. Additionally, we have a “cheat sheet” blog post deciphering terms often used during appropriations.
TAKE ACTION: Take time to acquaint yourselves with our FY21 appropriations requests. Then submit your requests to each of your members of Congress. Offices need these requests now, so they have time to act on them.
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
Utilize the February Action Sheet for a letter-writing meeting on appropriations. Gather your fellow advocates and start writing. A pile of letters to your members of Congress, asking that our global poverty funding priorities be forwarded to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, will make an impression. You could even take the letters with you to your face-to-face congressional meetings. Enroll others in advocacy using our February Action Sheet.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Generate media on addressing the housing crisis
Got Five Minutes? Schedule lobby meetings to talk about housing (February Action)
Now is the time to talk to members of Congress about affordable housing. On last Saturday’s national webinar, RESULTS’ Meredith Dodson did a great job overview why Congress needs to take action on housing now. Congress will be on recess the week of February 17, making this your first chance of the year to meet with representatives and senators in-person. Your goal is to get them to make a public gesture in favor of a refundable tax credit for low-income renters. When a politician makes a public statement in support of an idea, especially in an election year, it helps you as an advocate hold them accountable on the issue and move them up the Champion Scale. Take advantage of this important opportunity by submitting requests for meetings now.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to contact schedulers about face-to-face meetings with your representatives and senators February 17-21. When meeting with them, ask them to take a public stance in support of the renters’ tax credit. Use our new laser talk and customize our meeting request letter to schedule your meetings, then review the February Action to plan your meetings and write letters to hand-deliver in them (also, see our February webinar slides and recording, updated housing laser talks and affordable housing policy request sheet for background). Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching.
Got Ten Minutes? Add voices to advocates on Capitol Hill this week
Today, 27 REAL Change Fellows (now the RESULTS Fellowship), alums of the fellowship program, and Experts on Poverty are on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress on investments vital to struggling children and families in the U.S. and around the world – the renters’ tax credit and global health appropriations (maternal/child health, Gavi, and nutrition). They’ve been there since Saturday as part of the Midyear Policy Summit, a weekend retreat as part of their continued training as advocates for the end of poverty. You can support them by adding your voice to their efforts today.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to support advocates on Capitol Hill by contacting your representatives and senators and telling them to make affordable housing and global health a national priority. Use our online alert to make a call, send an e-mail, and/or post a tweet about the renters’ credit and maternal/child health. Also, send the alert to people you know and urge them to contact their members of Congress as well. Help us amplify the call for the end of poverty.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
Join webinar on racial equity and hunger. Closing the Hunger Gap is hosting a webinar tomorrow, February 5 at 1:00 pm ET with Bread for the World on the role racial equity plays in addressing the fight to end hunger. This webinar will help attendees better understand the definition of racial equity and how racial equity can be used in public policy, program design, and implementation. Read more about the webinar and register here.
House holding hearings on impact of regulations on poverty. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform will be holding a series of oversight hearings this week to discuss the impact of Trump Administration regulatory efforts on poverty and children. Titled “A Threat to America’s Children,” the four hearings scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday, February 5-6 will address Trump Administration proposals to recalculate the poverty line, undermine fair housing standards, deny food assistance to those in need, and compromise air quality. Advocates applaud the House choosing to hold these hearings, including RESULTS’ Board member and Expert on Poverty Maxine Thomas.
RESULTS Announcements
Complete and submit your 2020 Roadmap ASAP. Please submit your 2020 Roadmap as soon as possible using our online form. If you have yet to complete your roadmap, please be in contact with members of your local RESULTS group and schedule your 2020 Roadmap discussion. The 2020 Roadmap resources are on the RESULTS Outreach & Planning page under “My group wants to make our plans.” Be sure to read the 2020 Roadmap Guide before meeting and again, please submit your group’s 2020 Roadmap online. If you have questions, please contact Lisa Marchal or Jos Linn.
Join action network webinar tomorrow night. If you are looking to better activate and support members of your local action network (online activists) and help move them up the Ladder of Engagement, please join us for our monthly RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice webinar. The call is tomorrow, February 5 at 8:30pm ET. To join, log in: https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in: 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 427 674 133.
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.
Register for the RESULTS International Conference. Join us in Washington, DC this June 20-23 for RESULTS International Conference celebrating RESULTS 40th year. Nobel Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, and other honored guests will be there. How about you? Register today – the Early Bird registration rate deadline is April 20 and the hotel block is available until May 20.
Upcoming Events
Congressional recesses. Both the House and Senate will be on recess the week of February 17. Submit your meeting requests today.
Tuesday February 4: 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, February 5: RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice Webinar, 8:30pm ET. To join, log in: https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in: 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 427 674 133. You can also join our Facebook and e-mail groups.
Monday, February 10: 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, February 11: 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.
Tuesday, February 11: Book Discussion, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Tuesday, February 18: 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.
Saturday, March 7: 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.
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.