RESULTS Weekly Update December 5, 2023

Quote of the Week

“Tuberculosis has always been a disease of poverty. It has always been a disease that flows through the rivers of injustice that we create for it.”

– Author and tuberculosis advocate John Green on the December 2023 RESULTS National Webinar

Table of Contents

• Build the Buy-in: What will you do to get Congress to act?
• Gifts to RESULTS matched through December 31!
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Build the Buy-in: What will you do to get Congress to act?

Thank you to everyone who attended the RESULTS National Webinar this past weekend. Guest speaker, author, and tuberculosis advocate John Green made an excellent case for the world to take the danger of tuberculosis (TB) seriously. He reminded us that, despite the deadly health outcomes and social stigmas surrounding TB, we are not helpless. The scourge of TB is a solvable problem. It is not a question of science; it is a question of will.

That is why we do this work. The problems we seek to remedy are problems we have the ability and capacity to fix. Remember, in 2020, we developed a vaccine for COVID-19 in record time. Why not do the same for TB? In 2021, we cut child poverty nearly in half. And then we stopped. Policy choices are life choices. They affect real people and real lives.

So, what will you do this week to help leaders make better choices? These choices are easy to make. As we noted on the webinar, the End TB Now Act is on the fast-track calendar in the House. The READ Act Reauthorization needs only the House to pass it to become law. And both Republicans and Democrats are pushing to get a tax package done this year that could include a Child Tax Credit expansion.

But they won’t happen on their own. They will get done when we the people demand they get done. So, again, what will you do this week to push leaders to act?

TAKE ACTION: Our Build the Buy-in Campaign is in its final and most important month. We are on the cusp of meaningful progress in the fight against TB, expanding access to education, and lifting millions of children from poverty. In these last weeks of the year, take these actions to make a difference:

• Generate more media on the Child Tax Credit, the End Tuberculosis Now Act, and the READ Act Reauthorization. We are just 90 media pieces from our goal of 250 media pieces by the end of this month. If all RESULTS volunteers agree to submit one media piece per week for the rest of this month, you will make it hard for Congress to ignore you.
• Contact tax aides urging their bosses to reject any tax deal this year that does not include an expansion of the Child Tax Credit that significantly reduces child poverty.
• Contact foreign policy aides urging their bosses to co-sponsor the End Tuberculosis Now Act and the READ Act Reauthorization (if they have not already) and to push congressional leadership to pass them this year.

If you have questions or need help, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.

Gifts to RESULTS matched through December 31!

We’re thrilled to share that a small group of RESULTS donors will match every dollar you donate to RESULTS, up to $100,000! Why are these people being so generous? With upcoming elections and deep partisan divides, 2024 is a critical year for our country and our work to end poverty. We need donor support to expand our movement and engage more people in our democracy. By matching gifts, these generous donors hope to inspire you to give, too! A gift from you today of any size will help us raise our voices powerfully in 2024. And with the match, your donation will have double the impact as we push Congress to slash poverty in the U.S. and globally. This season, will you support our work to end poverty and strengthen our democracy?

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Sign your RESULTS group onto CTC letter. Please consider signing your local RESULTS group onto a coalition letter from our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs urging Congress to prioritize expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for low-income children.  Given efforts to pass a bipartisan tax agreement before the end of the year, we want to a show of strong support for prioritizing tax policies to reduce child poverty. To read and sign the letter click here. The deadline is this Friday, December 8 at 12:00 pm ET.

Did you catch the December National Webinar and its focus on tuberculosis? Popular author and TB advocate John Green joined us to share his insights and passion toward ending the scourge of tuberculosis. His potent way of explaining why we can – and must – act and his clarion call to action are all the motivation you’ll need to write your own letter to the editor about the End Tuberculosis Now Act.

Announcements

Join Grassroots Town Hall this Thursday. All volunteers are invited to a Grassroots Town Hall event for a discussion of your year in RESULTS, your celebrations of successes, and acknowledgement of disappointments as we face the year ahead. Instead of feeling unsatisfied with plans that didn’t come to fruition, let us celebrate the intentions, the plans, and the efforts that did happen! Bring us your stories of: 1) What is one thing from 2023 you are the proudest of or excited about with regard to your work with RESULTS? 2) What is your biggest disappointment or regret from this year? 3) What is the funniest moment from this year? Was there a congressional office involved, or perhaps a Zoom photo-bomb? This event is Thursday, December 7 at 9:00 pm ET. Join directly by clicking this link.

Register for December joint policy forum. Join us for the final monthly policy forum on Thursday, December 14 at 8:30 pm ET. Join us for brief updates on our current U.S. and global poverty campaigns and to celebrate what you’ve accomplished in 2023. Register today.

Join an End-of-Year Action Network Managers Call on Wednesday, December 6. Join us in our celebration of the RESULTS Action Networks and take some joy and gratitude back to your local Action Network. If you’re a Group Leader or a Regional Coordinator, joining this call can be a terrific way to show your appreciation to your Managers. All RESULTS volunteers are welcome. Join the 12:30 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695 or the 8:00 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. It’s your choice and no registration is required. Come celebrate with us!

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.

Wednesday, December 6: End-of-Year Action Network Managers webinars. Join the 12:30 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695 or join the 8:00 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. No registration required.

Thursday, December 7: Grassroots Town Hall, 9:00 pm ET. Join directly by clicking this link.

Friday, December 8: Anti-Oppression Applied Learning Simulation, 12:00 pm ET. Learn more about this opportunity.

Monday, December 11: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Tuesday, December 12: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, December 12: Together Women Rise advocacy chapter webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more about this opportunity

Wednesday, December 13: Media Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join any time via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494.

Wednesday, December 13: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register for an orientation.

Thursday, December 14: Event Planning and Outreach Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join any time via https://results.zoom.us/j/98524229370 or call (312) 626-6799, Meeting ID: 985 2422 9370.

Thursday, December 14: Joint U.S. and Global policy forum, 8:30 pm ET. Register for the policy forum today.

Monday, December 25-Monday, January 1: RESULTS holiday break. All RESULTS offices closed.

Saturday, January 6: National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register for the webinar today!

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 story about advocacy you feel could inspire others, use our new online form to tell us your story. Also, if you want to celebrate the actions of a new volunteer, sharing about the experience today.

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

RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.