RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update March 31, 2020

Quote of the Week

“People who are disenfranchised must not bear the brunt of this pandemic. We must move forward in hope and solidarity.”

– RESULTS Massachusetts volunteer Leslye Heilig in a March 30 letter to the editor in The Berkshire Eagle

RESULTS Coronavirus Resources

Our coronavirus pandemic page is a great new resource for you. Read recommendations on remote meetings for grassroots, information about office functioning, media messaging for these times, and regular updates from Capitol Hill on coronavirus legislation. 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 Ask the Senate to invest in global health

Got Five (Or More) Minutes? Prep for This Saturday’s Webinar

This Saturday, April 4, at 1:00 pm ET, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof will speak on our RESULTS United Webinar. We are very excited to welcome him, and his appearance will be the focus of much of the entire webinar, so you’ll want to “arrive” by 1:00 pm ET. This a perfect opportunity to invite new advocates to join your local RESULTS group. In this time of social distancing, anyone can join this webinar remotely. But how do you take best advantage of this event? First, book a virtual meeting with a member of Congress for the April 6-17 recess. Then invite a new person (using our laser talk) not only to log in to the RESULTS United Webinar, but to be part of the virtual lobby meeting as well. Utilize the time directly after the webinar to plan for that lobby meeting.

Join the webinar with Nicholas Kristof 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 (if you’d like to test your Zoom link beforehand, log in this Friday, April 3 at 2:00 pm ET). lides for the webinar will be available on the National Webinars page this Friday and closed captioning for the webinar will be provided at http://west.typewell.com/faelapgb.

TAKE ACTION: Use our lobbying support materials to book your virtual meeting with a member of Congress, and then use our laser talk to invite a new advocate to join remotely to the April 4 webinar with Nicholas Kristof, the lobby meeting planning, and the virtual meeting with your member of Congress itself. What a great combo! Also, to help you prepare for these meetings, see the RESULTS Announcements section below for information on an April 1 training on planning virtual meetings with members of Congress.

Got Fifteen Minutes? Send in Appropriations Requests

Act fast! Three Senate “Dear Colleague” letters open for signatures, but they close soon – a letter on maternal and child health/Gavi/nutrition as well as letters on basic education and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. These letters of influence help us exert positive pressure for support of robust global health and education funding (check our online tracker for updates on signers). Plus, all Senate members must have their appropriations funding requests in by April 24, which means time is of the essence. We must speak to them now.

TAKE ACTION: Use our comprehensive FY21 appropriations page (which includes deadlines, memos/backgrounders on our requests, sign-on letter details, and more) to ask your senator to sign onto one or all three appropriations letters right away. And use our March action sheet to ask your senators to support our global health and education appropriations requests.

QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY

Want to be proactive? You can write! In this unprecedented time, help us tell the story and sound the call – marginalized communities can’t bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Use our online alert to write today. Read more on how to get started on our blog.

U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update

QUICK ACTION Generate letters to the editor on housing impacts of COVID-19

Got Ten Minutes?  Make the most of Saturday’s National Webinar with Nicholas Kristof

RESULTS is pleased to have New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof join us for the RESULTS United National Webinar this Saturday, April 4 at 1:00 pm ET. He will talk to us about coronavirus, poverty, and advocacy. We are grateful to have him take time out of his busy schedule to be with us.

Because of Mr. Kristof’s notoriety, this webinar is the perfect opportunity to invite new people to learn about RESULTS. The webinar will include campaign updates, news about the RESULTS Virtual International Conference, and a brief orientation session right after the webinar for new people. Use Saturday’s webinar to grow the movement to end poverty.

TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to remind potential new RESULTS advocates RESULTS United Webinar with Nicholas Kristof this Saturday, April 4 at 1:00 pm ET. Join the webinar online at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828 or dial in by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 994 444 828 (if you’d like to test your Zoom link beforehand, log in this Friday, April 3 at 2:00 pm ET). All RESULTS advocates should join the webinar at 1:00 pm ET and plan to stay on throughout; there will be no separate U.S. and global poverty sections this month. Also, please let new people know that we will be doing a brief presentation right after the webinar to let them know more about RESULTS (starting around 2:15 pm ET). Slides for the webinar will be available on the National Webinars page this Friday and closed captioning for the webinar will be provided at http://west.typewell.com/faelapgb.

Got Fifteen Minutes? We need many voices talking to Congress in April

Thank you to everyone who contacted their members of Congress over the last two weeks about the COVID-19 stimulus bill. Your advocacy has helped millions of people. The final includes significant investments in housing and homelessness assistance for low-income Americans. This will provide much-needed relief for Americans struggling to put or keep a roof over their heads during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, there is still more to be done. The economic impact of the crisis is far from over. Some congressional leaders are already talking of another COVID-19 bill later this spring. By getting virtual lobby meetings in April, you can push lawmakers to fill the gaps that were not addressed in the Phase III bill passed last week (e.g. emergency rental assistance, national eviction moratorium, nutrition assistance).

Your April virtual lobby meetings with members of Congress and their staff are excellent opportunities for new people to get involved. Remind people you’ve contacted (and those you have yet to contact) of Saturday’s webinar and again invite them to participate in your April lobby meetings.

TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to wield your influence on housing and poverty issues in April and to include new voices in your work. Here’s what to do:

1. Set up virtual lobby meetings with members of Congress to discuss housing and COVID-19. Once you get a meeting scheduled, contact [email protected] to set up a lobby prep call to get you ready.
2. Join our “Planning Virtual Lobby Meetings with Members of Congress” training on April 1 at 8:30pm ET. Join each webinar at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial into (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 390 106 571.
3. Invite new people to join Saturday’s National Webinar (see more above). The March U.S. Poverty Action has resources for reaching out to new people.
4. Invite new people to join your lobby meeting planning session (perhaps right after Saturday’s webinar). Find lobbying materials here.
5. Invite new people to participate in your April lobby meetings.

QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY

April will also have a media focus. To bolster your meetings with lawmakers in April, work to get media published in your local papers urging Congress to prioritize housing in any new stimulus legislation and beyond. Getting published adds to your credibility in meetings with lawmakers. Use our updated online letter to the editor action to submit a letter today.

New resources on COVID-19 and race. The coronavirus outbreak has laid bare the economic inequities in our country, including ones long divided by race. To understand this better, the Center for American Progress has new resources on COVID-19’s impact on communities of color and the racial wealth gap. In addition, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has a new paper on race-forward economic policy as a result of COVID-19.

Join upcoming COVID-19 and poverty webinars. On Wednesday, April 1 at 2:00 pm ET, Mazon will host the “This Is Hunger: Calls for Action” webinar with Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) highlighting the impact of the coronavirus on hunger in the U.S. Then on Friday, April 3 at 2:00 pm ET, the Coalition on Human Needs will host the “Congress and COVID-19: What passed and what comes next” webinar to help mobilize advocates into action for the next COVID-19 response. Add to your advocacy knowledge by joining these important webinars.

Share eviction stories. The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Eviction Lab are partnering to commission stories on the causes, prevalence, and solutions to housing insecurity, eviction, and homelessness. If you have a story or ideas to share, contact them at [email protected].

RESULTS Announcements

This Saturday’s webinar is also on Facebook Live. If you know people outside the RESULTS network who might like to join the April 4 RESULTS United Webinar with Nicholas Kristof, please invite them to join via our Facebook Live event at https://www.facebook.com/RESULTSEdFund/. To add to the excitement, a brief new advocate orientation session will immediately follow the webinar. Also, if anyone would like to test the technology beforehand, we’ll do a test at the link above this Friday, April 3 at 2:00 pm ET. Note, active RESULTS volunteers should still plan to log into the webinar via Zoom.

Join virtual advocacy trainings tomorrow and next week. On Wednesday, April 1 at 8:30 pm ET, Jos Linn will host the “Planning Virtual Lobby Meetings with Members of Congress” training to help you to plan and schedule lobby meetings online in April. If you have held lobby meetings online before, please join us to share about your experience. This webinar will be repeated on Wednesday, April 8 at 3 pm ET. Also, Ken Patterson will do an encore presentation of his “Using Tech for Virtual Group Meetings” training on Monday, April 6 at 8:00 pm ET. Join both webinars at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.

RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Elections. Ever thought of serving on the RESULTS board? Now is the time to submit your name or the name of someone you believe would do a great job. Two Grassroots Board Member positions will be open this year. Please email name(s) to Jesse Marsden at [email protected]. If you have questions, please contact Willie Dickerson at [email protected]. Nominations close May 2.

Bob Dickerson Award nominations open. For more than 15 years, RESULTS Seattle volunteer Bob Dickerson epitomized the best of what it means to be a grassroots advocate. After his passing in 2015, we created an annual award in his honor. Use our form to nominate a fellow advocate for this year’s Bob Dickerson Award. Deadline for nominations is April 15.

Upcoming Events

Congressional recesses. Congress is expected to be on recess for most of April, 2020. Submit your remote meeting requests today.

Wednesday, April 1: Planning Virtual Lobby Meetings with Members of Congress, 8:30 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial into (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 390 106 571 (note: this training will be combined with our monthly Action Network webinar).

Saturday, April 4: RESULTS United Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Guest speaker: Nicholas Kristof. 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. Closed captioning will be provided at http://west.typewell.com/faelapgb. If you know people outside the RESULTS network who might like to join, invite them to our Facebook live event at https://www.facebook.com/RESULTSEdFund/.

Monday, April 6: Using Tech for Virtual Group Meetings (encore session), 8:00 pm ET. Join a repeat of this popular training at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.

Wednesday, April 8: Planning Virtual Lobby Meetings with Members of Congress (encore session), 3 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial into (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 390 106 571.

Tuesday, April 14: New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. Sign up online.

Tuesday, April 14: Book Discussion: The Righteous Mind, 9:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom online or dial (669) 900-6833 US or (646) 876-9923, meeting ID 655 036 085, password: 641539.

Thursday, April 16: Letter to the Editor Training Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Want to hone your writing skills? Join this LTE training at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.

Monday, April 20: Global Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Join a great conversation via https://results.zoom.us/j/464361707 or, by phone, dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 464 361 707.

Tuesday, April 21: 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.

Wednesday, April 22: Letter to the Editor Training Webinar (encore session), 1:00 pm ET. Want to hone your writing skills? Want to hone your writing skills? Join this LTE training at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID 390 106 571.

Monday, April 27: Continued book discussion on White Fragility, 9:00 pm ET. 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.

June 20-21: RESULTS Virtual International Conference. 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.

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.