RESULTS Weekly Update February 18, 2026

Quote of the Week

“At less than 1% of the U.S. budget, foreign assistance is a bargain, not a waste.”

– RESULTS advocate Claudia Morgan in a February 15 letter to the editor in the Austin American-Statesman

(Is this newsletter too long; didn’t read (TL;DR) the whole thing? Scroll to the bottom for the most important points or the “TL;DR”)

Have you set up lobby meetings with your members of Congress?

As we work toward “Building a Better Future,” it is essential we meet with lawmakers early on to advocate for what is needed to get us there. Please contact schedulers now to set up lobby meetings in February and March to discuss our U.S. and global poverty priorities. Congress is now working on the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget, and we expect the process to move apace. We want our anti-poverty priorities — housing here in the U.S., global nutrition, global education, and global health — to be front and center in the negotiations. Your lobby meetings are how we do that.

We have all the resources you need to request, plan, and run powerful lobby meetings. Remember, you are not only sharing pivotal information, you’re also building relationships. Here are some of the helpful resources on our website.

• Personalize our sample meeting request email and send it right away.
• Take a look at our primer on appropriations.
• Review our issue backgrounders.
• Personalize and practice laser talks across our issues.
• Make sure you have meeting leave-behinds at the ready.
• Report your lobby meetings once completed.

Try for meetings with the lawmakers themselves. If that’s not possible, try scheduling a meeting with local staff (and ask DC aides to join virtually). Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact RESULTS’ Katie Fleischer to schedule a lobby prep meeting with RESULTS staff.

We hope to see you in DC this July!

We hope you’re making plans to join us in Washington, DC, July 12-14 for the RESULTS National Conference. Registration is now open! Inspiration. A deeper understanding of our issues. Time for community-building with fellow advocates. And plenty of time to prepare for a powerful lobby day on Capitol Hill. These are all things you can expect.

If you want to attend but need financial assistance to make it happen, please apply. Remember to check for updates and answers to your questions on our conference page. This is one event you’ll want to be part of!

Not to be missed . . .

Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter meets today. Today, Wednesday, February 18 at 2 p.m. ET, the Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter (with RESULTS) will welcome special guest Zsuzsanna Lippai, CEO of The Fuller Project. Curious about the Together Women Rise/RESULTS partnership? Check out more information or contact RESULTS’ Karyne Bury.

Media Office Hour today as well. Would you like to submit a letter to the editor but don’t know where to start? Would you like to brainstorm ideas or get editing support? RESULTS’ Jos Linn will be on today’s Media Office Hour (February 18, 2-3 p.m. ET) to help you do just that. Join via Zoom at https://results.zoom.us/j/91601524175 or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 916 0152 4175.

Appropriations Form Office Hours begin this Friday. As we enter appropriations season, many members of Congress require individual fiscal year 2027 (FY27) appropriations forms. This is where you urge them to prioritize RESULTS’ FY27 requests on global health, global education, and Housing Choice Vouchers. If you have questions about filling out individual member forms, please join RESULTS staff this Friday, February 20, 12-1 p.m. ET for our Appropriations Office Hour led by RESULTS’ Katie Fleischer.

Join this office hour at https://results.zoom.us/j/93961093308. In addition to your questions, this first office hour will include a walkthrough of a sample form and our new FY27 “cheat sheets.” Office hours will continue through the spring. Check our events calendar for more dates.

TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Schedule lobby meetings to bring our FY27 priorities to Congress. Register for the RESULTS National Conference in July. And take a look at some upcoming events, including office hours to support submission of appropriations forms.

Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinar recordings