THIS WEBINAR WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 5 P.M. EDT/ 2 P.M. PDT

Advocacy 101

RESULTS is an international grassroots advocacy organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. 

•Over 100 chapters across the US (click here for more). •Prof. Yunus is a member of our Board of Directors, and the we house the Microcredit Summit Campaign.

The collective voices of RESULTS’ passionate grassroots activists, coordinated with high-level policy efforts driven by RESULTS staff, leverage millions of dollars for programs and improved policies that give low-income people the tools they need to move out of poverty.Excited to be a part of the To Catch a Dollar campaign.

About RESULTS

• 1976 National Academy of Sciences study concluded we can end hunger on the planet in one generation

• Lack of political will keeps us from addressing hunger and the worst aspects of poverty.

• Citizen engagement is key in shaping political will, but most people have never been trained on how to advocate.

Why We Focus on Advocacy

“Each of the great social achievements of recent decades has come about not because of government proclamations, but because people organized, made demands, and made it good politics for governments to respond. It is the political will of the people that makes and sustains the political will of governments.”

--James Grant, Former Executive Director of UNICEF

Everyday Folks Matter

• Learn about the issues/problems• Define effective solutions• Learn about decision makers• Build networks• Create strategies• Stay persistent• Focus on building relationships

What Do Advocates Do?

“From that day in 1987 when RESULTS arranged for me to talk by conference call to editorial writers in dozens of US cities, to the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, no other organization has done more to put Grameen Bank on the map than RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund's Microcredit Summit Campaign.

More importantly, no other organization has been as critical a partner in seeing to it that microcredit is used as a tool to eradicate poverty and empower women than RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund's Microcredit Summit Campaign.”

-- Muhammad Yunus, March 2007

Citizen Advocacy in Action

What Actions Matter2011 report from the Partnership For A More Perfect Unionat the Congressional Management Foundation, based on a survey of more than 250 congressional staff (http://pmpu.org/wp-content/uploads/CWC-Perceptions-of-Citizen-Advocacy.pdf)

RESULTS Toolkit: http://www.results.org/skills_center/activist_toolkit/ • Empower yourself• Work with Congress• Work with the media• Work with the community

How You Do it

• Show how the legislation is relevant to the home district = most impactful

• Explain why you’re taking up the issue.• Offer a story demonstrating why you’re passionate about

the issue

How Can You Be Effective with Congress?

Learn to Speak & Write PowerfullyE - Engage your audienceP – State the Problem I – Illustrate the problem and

Inform them on solutionsC – Call to action

Key Ingredient: Your “Laser Talk”

Engage: One of the most effective ways to break the cycle of poverty is by helping low-income households build up savings and assets.Problem: Unfortunately, in 2009, 32 percent of adults reported that they had no savings.Inform/Illustrate: Fortunately, the Saver’s Bonus will help. The Bonus uses the convenience of tax time to help low-income Americans start savings accounts. When filing their taxes, low-income families would tell the IRS to deposit all or part of their tax refund into an eligible savings account or Treasury bond right on their tax return. Part of their deposit would then be matched up to $500 per year, thus providing an incentive to save (the matched portion would be restricted to certain uses like education, homeownership or starting a business). It’s just common sense — when you give people the opportunity, convenience and incentive to save, they will.

Sample “Laser Talk”

Call to Action (House): Will you speak to House Ways and Means Committee

Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI-4) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI-12) and urge them to support low-income asset building policies like the Saver’s Bonus?

Call to Action (Senate): Will you speak to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max

Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and urge them to support low-income asset building policies like the Saver’s Bonus?

“Laser Talk”: Sample Ask

• Manage the meeting• Know how much time you have

• What is decision maker’s stake or interest in the issue?• How will you connect with that interest?• How will you respond to objections?• Follow up! Goal: build a relationship

• Champion scale

Best Practices for a Powerful Lobby

Meeting

RESULTS volunteer activists are powerful advocates for a world that makes the health, education, and welfare of every person a political priority. RESULTS moves citizens from spectators of our democracy to active players in shaping the policies that affect millions of people around the world and here at home. RESULTS currently has chapters in more than 110 communities across the United States as well as affiliate organizations in five other countries (the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Canada, and Mexico).If you are interested in joining a RESULTS group, or want to start one in your area, contact us at: (202) 783-7100 or dodson@results.org. Other resources: •Find a local RESULTS group in your area•What RESULTS activists agree to do in their communities•Find out more about our Global Campaigns•Find out more about our Domestic Campaigns•Read the stories of some of our Everyday Heroes

Q & A and How to Get Involved