RESULTS Weekly Update April 18, 2023

Quote of the Week

“Learning about tax credits took time and effort, but ultimately, they’ve provided major material benefits.”

– RESULTS Emerson Hunger Fellow Gabe Haferman in a recent RESULTS Blog post

Table of Contents

• Use Tax Day to talk about, well… taxes!
• Bravo on appropriations! Now, the End TB Now and READ Acts
• Join Thursday’s U.S. and global policy forums
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Use Tax Day to talk about, well… taxes!

It’s Tax Day! Countless Americans are spending the day filing their federal income taxes by tonight’s deadline. Sadly, millions will be shocked when the tax refund they expected is not there.

As you well know, in 2021 Congress increased and expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to all families with low incomes and sent it in monthly payments. The impact was immediate. Millions of children were lifted from poverty and their parents could finally take a financial breath. But six months after the payments started, they stopped because 51 senators refused to extend them. Families have been struggling ever since.

When families file their taxes this year, 17 million children in working families will get only a partial CTC. 2 million more children in families with the lowest incomes will get nothing. Contrast that to families making $400,000 per year, who will receive their full $2,000 per child CTC.

For a brief time in 2021 and early 2022, we made tremendous gains in reducing child poverty and increasing economic security for families. That progress is being erased. This is not how the tax code should work. And here’s what you can do about it.

TAKE ACTION: Use Tax Day to demand Congress support a fair tax code and to education and enlist others to do the same by:

• Generating letters to the editor. Use Tax Day a hook to get letters to the editor published telling Congress to expand the CTC. Use our online CTC media action to personalize and send your letter today.
• Schedule lobby meetings (and follow up). Use the remaining two weeks of our Set the Agenda campaign to request meetings with members of Congress. Ask them to expand the CTC and to help renters with a Renter Tax Credit (RTC). Use our Set the Agenda and Lobbying materials to prepare and please contact RESULTS staff if you have any questions.
• Reading and sharing tax stories. Watch the new video from RESULTS Expert on Poverty Chaila Scott about the impact of the expanded CTC on her family. Also, read the RESULTS Blog post by Hunger Fellow Gabe Haferman on how tax credits helped them. Share these stories with others via e-mail and social media showing that Tax Day is not just about paying taxes, it’s also about improving lives.

Bravo on appropriations! Now, the End TB Now and READ Acts

We are thrilled by the powerful and effective advocacy work you did promoting crucial global poverty priorities during the appropriations process. You met with members of Congress and made our appropriations requests. Then you met some more. You filled out appropriations request forms. You asked for signatures on Dear Colleague letters. You courageously strategized, persisted, and persevered. You made your voices heard on how critical it is to fund key global poverty priorities. Well done!

Enjoy a summary of your appropriations accomplishments on our blog. Also on our website, find a round-up of your success specifically on the Dear Colleague letters. Finally, check out the Set the Agenda landing page to see how many congressional meetings the network has completed during this campaign. (There’s still time in April for a few more meetings!)

TAKE ACTION: Celebrate your global poverty appropriations accomplishments, then look ahead as we build on this success by focusing on our important global tuberculosis campaign, including co-sponsorship of the End TB Now Act in both the House and Senate. (We are also be working on securing co-sponsors for the READ Act related to global education, also in both chambers.) Congratulations on your hard work. You have made an incredible impact.

Join Thursday’s U.S. and global policy forums

Join our April Policy Forums this Thursday, April 20. On the U.S. Forum, we will continue the conversation about the lived experience of poverty with RESULTS Experts on Poverty Clara Moore, James Lee, and Pamela Covington. They’ll be highlighting personal experiences on why the tax code can be an effective way to address and end poverty. On our Global Forum, Kate O’Brien of We are TB will share about her experience with tuberculosis and the importance of advocating for its eradication around the world. Join us for these informative webinars.

TAKE ACTION: Join our U.S. and Global Policy Forums this Thursday, April 20. You must register for each forum to attend. Register for the U.S. Forum at 8:00 pm ET and the Global Forum at 9:00 pm ET today.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

RESULTS pushes for easier access to tax credits. For far too many families, there are burdens and barriers to filing their taxes that limit access to credits they are owed or cancel out the credits altogether. Read how RESULTS is advocating to increase access to tax filing services and make the most out of the tax credits we advocate for.

Media hooks for the week. Use the hook ideas below to submit a letter to the editor this week. If you need a template, use our online media actions to edit and submit your letter today.

• U.S. Poverty: Use Tax Day, April 18, as a hook to urge Congress to expand the Child Tax Credit now.
• Global Poverty: YOU can be the media hook! Tell your community how many congressional meetings your RESULTS network has accomplished for the end of poverty. Use the Set the Agenda meeting map for the most recent total and a sense of the locations of all the reported meeting. Yes, you can be the story!

Announcements

Media 150 and media training tomorrow. To keep up the strong momentum you’ve created in our Set the Agenda campaign and to keep our issues front and center in Congress, we have goal to get 150 published media pieces between April 1 and June 30. Throughout this time, we’ll provide resources and inspiration to help you reach that goal (see above for this week’s inspiration). For example, RESULTS is hosting a Media 101 training, tomorrow, April 19 at 2:00 pm ET. Come learn the basics of writing and submitting a letter to the editor. If you are new to media advocacy or want a refresher, this is the training for you. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494. No registration required.

Become an Investor in Change. Monthly donors, known as Investors in Change, provide RESULTS with a lifeline of support. They ensure we have a predictable and flexible source of funding so we can plan ahead and seize new opportunities when they arise. “Being a monthly donor is a way of showing my complete commitment to RESULTS,” said Seattle volunteer Zelda Foxhall. “It’s selfish: it’s a way for me to help ensure the successes we have! As a donor, I get far more from RESULTS than what I give.” Becoming an Investor in Change is easy, convenient, and spreads your support over the year!

Join Anti-Oppression Learning Community webinar on Friday. We cannot end poverty without ending oppression. The RESULTS Anti-Oppression Learning Community is a space to learn more about how our country’s history and current practices have contributed to the oppression we see today. In this brave space, we can continue to learn and grow to set the course for a better future and an end to poverty and oppression. This month we will be discussing Episode 2 of the 1619 podcast: The Economy That Slavery Built. Come with an open mind into this brave space as we build new relationships and acquire new tools and knowledge to advance our equity work. The webinar discussion is this Friday, April 21 at 12:00 pm ET. Register today.

Submit your Grassroots Board nominations. This is the final week to submit candidate nominations for the upcoming Grassroots Board election. If you’ve thought of serving on the RESULTS Board, please submit your name or the name of someone you believe would make a good Board member today. Read more in our blog announcement. Nominations close next Wednesday, April 26. Then mark your calendars for Thursday, May 11 at 8:30 pm ET when a Grassroots Board Town Hall meeting will be held. Come meet the candidates for the upcoming Board election. More details to come.

Share your story about being an advocate! Everyone remembers stories, and RESULTS advocates are creating stories every day when we move members of Congress to act, support someone to take their first action, build new leaders, or publish a piece of media read by thousands of people. The grassroots team at RESULTS wants to show the world how you do what you do. Use our online form to tell us your advocacy story.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week.

Typically, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Tuesday, April 18: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for information on how to join.

Tuesday, April 18: Together Women Rise partnership webinar with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Wednesday, April 19: Action Network Managers webinar, 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm ET. (Choose your time.) Join the 12:30 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695. Join the 8:00 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. No registration required.

Wednesday, April 19: Media Office Hour – Media 101 training, 2:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494. No registration required.

Thursday, April 20: Global Malnutrition – From the Current Crisis to Long-Term Solutions, 12:00 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, April 20: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, April 20: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today.

Friday, April 21: Anti-oppression Learning Community, 12:00 pm ET. Learn more.

Monday, April 24: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for information on how to join.

Wednesday, April 26: Group Leader Office Hour, 1:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/6602641580. No registration required.

Wednesday, April 26: Deadline to nominate a grassroots volunteer for RESULTS Board.

Friday, April 28: Oppression – The Missing Perspectives, 12:00-1:30 pm ET. Learn more and register today.

Saturday, May 6: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today.

Monday, May 8: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7 pm ET (special date). Contact Lisa Marchal for joining details.

Tuesday, May 9: Disrupting Biases on Poverty and Classism, 8:00 pm ET. This webinar will be facilitated by RESULTS’ Experts on Poverty. Learn more and register today.

Thursday, May 11: Global Allies (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Thursday, May 11: Grassroots Board Town Hall meeting, 8:30 pm ET. Come meet the candidates for the upcoming Board election. More details soon.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our Volunteer Information Form to add or edit volunteer info and to sign up for updates and alerts.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Lindsay Saunders at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.

RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.