RESULTS Weekly Update May 5, 2026
Quote of the Week
“A new bipartisan bill — The Strong Start for Working Families Act (SSWFA) — is one way Congress can put families first.”
– RESULTS advocate Alan Newberg, in an April 25 letter to the editor in the Daily Herald (Everett, WA)
(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”)
“Amplify Every Voice” gets in gear. Let’s write!
To boost our Amplify Every Voice media campaign, we were lucky to have Jay Evensen, opinion editor of the Deseret News (Utah), on our National Webinar this past Saturday. Jay offered a sobering view of the state of opinion journalism today, but we still came away with hope. Our voices can and do still matter.
So choose your topic, write and submit your letter, and ask others to join you! We are challenging every advocate to submit at least one media piece before the end of July. The second challenge is to have each RESULTS group make at least one request to a community ally, partnership group, Action Network, etc. to write and submit a media piece as well. The exponential effect of individual, group, and community opinions in our papers can make a real difference in helping our priorities get noticed by legislators.
Letters to the editor are one type of media you can create as an advocate. But what power does a letter to the editor really have? In less than 200 words, letters have specific power to call lawmakers to concrete action and to hold them accountable for taking that action. To get started, think about a local hook. Has your newspaper of choice written about what Congress is doing – or not doing – to support anti-poverty programs? Or has there been a more locally focused piece on how the economy is affecting individuals and families in your community? There’s your hook! You could link this to the Farm Bill that passed the House last week and ask senators to demand a delay in the drastic cuts to SNAP be included. Or you could link to the Strong Start for Working Families Act to expand the Child Tax Credit. We also have online starter templates on these issues and helpful hooks for other ideas. Use and share!
Pro tips! First, keep in mind the 48-Hour rule. When responding to an article or local event, write and submit a letter within 48 hours of it happening. This will maximize relevance in the eyes of an editor. Also, Jay Evensen told us on the webinar that editors watch for AI-written letters and form letters and reject them. This is an important reminder to always personalize your letters when you can. AI and forms can be helpful, but they should never be a substitute for your own words. Want more pro media tips? Check out our new blog post on the topic.
Get writing today, and ask a friend to join you. If you submit, let RESULTS staffer Sarah Leone know. If you get published, report it via our form.
Your advocacy is helping mitigate harm
We did it! We’ve made it through the spring push on congressional appropriations – first in the House and then in the Senate. RESULTS staffer Katie Fleischer has written a new blog round-up of the House’s mark-up of the foreign aid appropriations. The outcome was a mixed bag. The House cut overall global health funding, as well as international humanitarian assistance. They also did not include accountability language for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The good news is that these cuts were nowhere close to the cuts in the President’s budget. Your advocacy helped to make that happen.
But Congress is far from done with budget debate. As deliberations move to the Senate, they will take time. Contact your senators and ask them to reach out individually in support of crucial global health and education funding. Monies must not only be in the budget, but they must reach their intended programs for full program implementation. Make a call today!
More ways to be part of the movement!
Attend Thursday’s RESULTS Board candidate forum. Come hear from the three candidates standing for the Grassroots Board Member Election at the Candidate Forum. Two of these people will speak for you — our volunteers — on the Board. Choose wisely. Join the forum this Thursday, May 7 at 8:30 pm ET. Voting for the two open Grassroots Board member seats is now open until June 15. Read about the candidates and cast your vote today! Thank you for participating.
Join the Amplify Every Voice Power Building Hour. Come get unstuck, spark new ideas, and plan your next steps to grow your advocacy power. Get more voices heard and get media published. Whether you’re growing Action Networks, mentoring new advocates, doing outreach, or building partnerships, join us to turn intention into action. We’ll be on Zoom at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 12. No registration required.
Lobby on Capitol Hill at the RESULTS National Conference. Have you ever had the opportunity to walk the halls of Congress? To meet with your members of Congress and tell them why you care about the end of poverty? If not (or if you want to it again), that powerful experience waiting for you at the RESULTS National Conference this summer. Together with several hundred fellow advocates, you will ascend Capitol Hill with sharp requests and passion. Your voice will be heard in the most direct way possible — face-to-face. It is a special experience you don’t want to miss, whether it’s your first time or the 20th. Be part of it. Register today for the National Conference in Washington, DC, July 12-14. The registration deadline is June 12.
Start a fundraiser as a “friend raiser.” Our online fundraising tools have been refreshed for our spring Friends & Family Fundraising effort. Some persons who are eager to support the kind of work we do may hear of RESULTS for the first time you’re your invitation to give and be part of what we do. (And who knows? You may inadvertently recruit a new advocate!) Offer this opportunity to your circles. Start an online fundraiser today!
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Ramp up your writing as we continue our Amplify Every Voice media campaign. Get updated on your successful work on appropriations and call on Congress to keep our priorities front and center. Join the Grassroots Board Member Election Candidate Forum on Thursday, May 7 at 8:30 pm. ET. Come to the Power Building Hour on May 12. Be part of the National Conference in July. And start a spring Friends & Family fundraiser.
Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinar recordings