RESULTS Weekly Update October 18, 2022

Quote of the Week

“It would be outrageous for these credits [for wealthy corporations] to pass without expanding the CTC for low-income families.”

– RESULTS Western North Carolina volunteer Belinda Heldreth in an October 12 letter to the editor in The Mountaineer

Table of Contents

• Put our issues in front of candidates (even if you can’t find local events)
• Join U.S. and Global Policy Forums this Thursday
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Put our issues in front of candidates (even if you can’t find local events)

We’re only three weeks from the November election. Have you had the opportunity to speak to candidates about the Child Tax Credit (CTC)? Have you asked them about tuberculosis prevention? What about making rent more affordable? These are critical issues and candidates should be asked about them.

Our focus this month is asking candidates about these issues. In last week’s Update, we gave you tips on finding candidate events this month. But what if there are no events in your area? How can you still get the message out to candidates that they should prioritize poverty?

1. Generate local media mentioning candidates by name. Newspapers are printing lots about the election right now and candidates, especially when mentioned by name, are paying attention. Writing a letter to the editor about the Child Tax Credit, the End TB Now Act, or a renter’s tax credit is a terrific way to get issues in front of them. Use our October 2022 U.S. and Global Action Sheets for talking points for your letters (or use our online media action).
2. Post to candidate social media accounts. Post something to the candidate’s Twitter or Facebook pages asking them to support our issues. Sign up for candidate e-mail newsletters to get an idea on which platforms they use. Edit the questions listed in the October 12 week’s Update for content for social media posts.
3. Deliver letters to the local campaign office. Use our October 2022 U.S. and Global Action Sheets to write letters to candidates. Urge them to prioritize global health, child poverty, and housing assistance after the election and in the next Congress. Writing letters is a quick and uncomplicated way to engage new volunteers as well. Once you have your letters, deliver them to a local candidate office. Be sure to include a brief note with your contact info. If there is no office close by, mail the letters to the address listed on their campaign website.

TAKE ACTION: Find ways to get the CTC, tuberculosis, and a renter’s tax credit in front of candidates. Use the above tactics to make them aware of these important issues. See additional resources on our Fall 2022 Campaign Resources page. And if you do find a candidate event where you can ask questions, please review the October National Webinar and our Candidate Engagement: Birddogging Election Events training for tips on how to prepare and follow up.

Join U.S. and Global Policy Forums this Thursday

Please join us for the October U.S. Poverty and Global Poverty Policy Forums this Thursday, October 20. On the U.S. Forum at 8:00 pm ET, learn how to engage with lawmakers and candidates on a renter’s tax credit and our long-term goal of achieving economic justice using the tax code. Danielle Bautista, RESULTS San Diego volunteer, will share her perspective on these topics. Please bring your questions. On the Global forum at 9:00 pm ET, we will talk tuberculosis. TB is the second leading infectious disease killer after COVID. And 95 percent of TB cases and deaths occur in low-income countries. We’ll hear from Maggy Ngombi from We Are TB sharing her experience of TB to keep us motivated and inspired to pass the End TB Now Act.

TAKE ACTION: Register for the October 20 U.S. Poverty Policy Forum with Danielle Bautista and/or the Global Poverty Policy Forum with Maggy Ngombi. You will receive confirmation of your registration and login information prior to the webinar. Please register early – registrations made less than one hour before the webinar may not get processed in time.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Media hooks of the week. To help you in your media advocacy, here are suggested media “hooks” this week to use in letters to the editor:

• U.S. Poverty: Use the election as a hook to urge Congress and candidates to help American families struggling in tough economic times. Expand the Child Tax Credit now.
• Global Poverty: Use the election as a hook to urge candidates to prioritize global health by passing the End TB Now Act.

Make sure to claim your 2021 CTC. November 15, 2022 is the deadline for families that did not get their advance Child Tax Credit payments, who have not filed a 2021 tax return, or who do not have recent income. For more information, please read this important article on how to get your CTC.

Announcements

Join media office hour tomorrow. If you need help finding hooks, need data, or need editing help for your latest media piece, join RESULTS staff for our media office hour tomorrow, October 19 at 2:00pm ET. Join via Zoom at: https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID: 936 6800 5494.

Hear RESULTS Expert on Poverty on webinar next week. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is hosting a virtual event “Addressing Hunger and Poverty: A Briefing on the Urgent Need for Child Tax Credit Expansion.” RESULTS Expert on Poverty Clara Moore will be speaking. The event is Wednesday, October 26 at 11:00 am ET. Register for the event today.

Join us for Creating Spaces for Critical Conversations training. This anti-oppression training brings together foundations of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with an equity focus to inform participants on how to have challenging values-based conversations about issues of identity and bias. Participants will learn what helps and what hinders healthy dialogue, and given time to practice skills for interrupting bias, prejudice, and bigotry. The training is Thursday, October 27, 8:00-10:00 pm ET. The training is facilitated by Peace Learning Center; it is an encore presentation from the 2022 International Conference. Register for the training today.

Register for next social media advocacy training. Building on our social media advocacy training in September, join us for a deeper dive into how to create effective content and analyze your results. Social media expert Lindsey Spector will share tips on how to write clear, concise text and develop engaging visual content for social media. She will also discuss analytics and reporting for your social media work. The training is Thursday, October 27 at 8:00 pm ET. Register for the training today. If you would like to listen to the recording of the first training (recommended), please contact Jos Linn.

Group Leader Office Hour on November 3. Join RESULTS staff member Lisa Marchal and DC-area Group Leader Lisa Peters on Thursday, November 3, 8:30-10:00 pm ET for a drop-in conversation on best practices, tips, and support for your group leadership. Bring your questions! No registration required. Come along any time during the 90-minute time slot; we’ll address attendees as they arrive. Join in at https://results.zoom.us/j/92629726832 or call in to (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 926 2972 6832.

Register for and invite others to post-election webinar. In November, RESULTS will be hosting a special, post-election webinar to discuss what the election outcome means for our issues going forward. This is a fantastic opportunity for both existing and new advocates to get an idea of what’s next and what actions we all can take to still meet our policy goals on the Child Tax Credit and global TB in 2022. Come get energized and motivated to move our agenda forward! Here’s how. First, register for the webinar, which is Thursday, November 17 at 8:30 pm ET. Second, use this guide to invite people you know to attend. This webinar is perfect for new people wanting to learn how to make a difference on poverty right now. Note: this one-hour webinar will be in lieu of our November U.S. and Global Poverty Policy Forums.

Apply for the 2023 RESULTS Fellowship. We are now accepting applications for the 2023 class of the RESULTS Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship. For all the details on eligibility and how to apply, check out our website. The application deadline is November 30.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are on recess this week.

Unless otherwise noted, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Tuesday, October 18: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, October 18: Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Wednesday, October 19: Media Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at: https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID: 936 6800 5494.

Wednesday, October 19, New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, October 20: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Guest: Danielle Bautista. Register here.

Thursday, October 20: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Guest: Maggy Ngombi. Register here.

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

Thursday, October 27: Social Media Advocacy Training Part 2: Creating Effective Content and Analyzing Your Results, 8:00 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, October 27: Creating Spaces for Critical Conversations training, 8:00 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, November 3: Group Leader Office Hour, 8:30 pm ET. Join in at https://results.zoom.us/j/92629726832 at any time during the 90-minute session or call in to (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 926 2972 6832.

Saturday, November 5: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register here.

Saturday, November 5: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 3:00 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, November 17: RESULTS Post-Election Webinar: What’s next in the fight against poverty?, 8:30 pm ET. Register for the webinar.

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.