2009 May Domestic National Conference Call: Expanding and Strengthening Medicaid to Meet the Needs of Low-Income Americans

On the May Domestic National Conference Call, Allison Orris of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, taking with us about strengthening Medicaid as a part of health reform. On our roll call, we learned that 62 of you were on the call and you will generate 231 calls and letters to Congress on strengthening Medicaid! For a good overview of the opportunities to improve health care access and quality for underserved communities see the Families USA Fact Sheet and the RESULTS Domestic May Action.
In our shares section, we heard from several of you about the great things you are doing around the country and Stacy Carkonen then joined us to share in the fundraising successes in March and April, including raising over $230,000 in two months as part of the Feinstein Challenge. Stacy also reminded everyone that the deadline to sign up for the RESULTS International Conference is THIS FRIDAY MAY 15! Sign up today!

May Domestic National Conference Call: Expanding and Strengthening Medicaid to Meet the Needs of Low-Income Americans

2009 May Global Call: Rep. Nita Lowey of NY Talks Education

Education is the consider the "social vaccine", yet 75 million primary school-aged children are not in school around the globe. Representative Nita Lowey of NY salutes RESULTS advocates and calls for greater advocacy for a global education fund and development funding in general. Joanne Carter introduced the call and Representative Lowey and facilitated the Q&A. John Fawcett gave us an update on the Initiating Foreign Aid Reform Act of 2009 (HR 2139) and President Obama's budget. Robyn Shepherd laid out our challenge to have every group generate a piece of education media in May and June. Stacy Carkonen gave us a great update on recent fundraising efforts and inspired all of us to attend the International Conference. Ken Patterson lead the Grassroots Cafe with 3 great grassroots shares and a call to media action for all groups. Lisa Marchal taught us how to speak powerfully with a laser talk requesting our local media to publish an oped that we write. 

2009 May Global Call: Need for a Global Education Fund

2009 April Global Conf. Call: We Need a Global Education Fund

Guest speaker Julia Bolz talked about her dual roles as an education promoter in Afghanistan and a RESULTS activist. She gave incredibly moving details about the power of education.

Joanne Carter, John Fawcett, and Sarah Beardmore told of the incredible opportunity we have to promote the creation of a Global Education Fund that will transform development assistance on education. We had incredible grassroots shares from Monica Jolles of Research Triangle, NC and Kara Stewart of Orange County, CA. The laser talk focuses on pitching an editorial on the creation of a Global Fund for Education.

For a link to the April 2009 recording, please contact Ken Patterson at kpatterson@results.org.

2009 April Dom. Conf. Call: Community Health Center Advocacy

Community Health Centers provide critical health care services to those who might otherwise have no care. Expanding the number of centers is a critical strategy in reaching Healthcare for All.

2009 April Domestic Call: Community Health Centers as a Part of Health Care Reform

2009 March Domestic Call: Seizing the Opportunity for Health Care for All

On the March Domestic National Conference Call, we discussed why this year offers such a great opportunity to push for Health Care for All by 2010, and strategies we can use to build the will for reform on the ground. Guest speaker Heather Booth has worked on elections and social change organizing for over 40 years starting in the civil rights movement and is now the manager of the Campaign to Rebuild and Renew America Now!, a large coalition working to pass President Obama’s budget priorities, of which RESULTS is a part. RESULTS activists and allies across the country are calling Congress to support quality, affordable Health Care for All. Use our talking points and flyer (Word) (also attached) to call Capitol Hill.

2009 March Domestic Conference Call: Seizing the Opportunity for Health Care for All

2009 March Global Call: Funding the Global Fund

Guest speakers Winstone Zulu, TB/HIV activist from Zambia, and Asia Russell, board member for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, made the case for the U.S. to lead on funding the Global Fund. Developing nations have organized themselves to address these diseases of poverty, but we are not keeping our promises to fund these programs. 

Scott Leckman, chair of the RESULTS board of directors, encouraged us to donate to RESULTS Educational Fund during this financial crunch. Nick Area, COO, gave an overview of the upcoming IC--Register Today! John Fawcett highlighted actions to take on appropriations and getting face-to-face meetings. Robyn Shepherd highlighted media resources for World TB Day. Ken Patterson took shares from Paul Wilson of Olalla, Washington and Katy Windschill of Minneapolis, MN. Lisa Marchal taught us to speak powerfully on the Global Fund.

March 2009 Recording: The Need to Fund the Global Fund

2009 February Domestic Call: Celebrating Our Victories, and 2009 Health Campaign Overview

The February Domestic Conference Call included a celebration of the passage of the economic recovery package, which included key investments in Medicaid assistance to the states, Head Start/Early Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program). Rather than an outside guest speaker, this month's call featured an overview of our Health Care for All by 2010 campaign, including passage of children's health legislation (SCHIP). See our February Action Sheet for talking points and more background on the prospects for health reform in 2009.
2009 February Domestic Conference Call: Celebrating Our Victories, and 2009 Health Campaign Overview

2009 Feb. Global Call: Jeffrey Sachs Highlights Importance of Foreign Assistance Funding

Guest speaker Jeffrey Sachs provided an inspiring call to action for as activists and as Americans. We must not leave the world's poorest behind during this time of financial crisis or beyone. If  we can provide billions to bailout Wall Street, and they can provide billions of dollars in bonuses, certainly we can provide 1/1000 of that to those living on the edge of existence. 

John Fawcett provided instructions on making 2009 appropriations requests. Robyn Shepherd gave us an update on media generated on the Microcredit Summit Campaign success and introduce our new Communications Director, Blair Hinderliter. Ken Patterson introduced shares from North Chicago on a recent face-to-face meeting, Seattle on how a deep relationship with a member of Congress yields results, and his own share on the long road to developing media relationships. Nick Arena briefed us on the exciting 2009 International Conference. Lisa Marchal taught us a laser talk on making our appropriations requests. 

February 2009 Recording: Jeffrey Sachs on Aid Reform and Appropriations

Jeffrey Sachs portion of the call only (recording).   Transcript.

2009 January Global Call: Microcredit's Lessons for Aid Reform

Guest speaker Alex Counts, President of the Grameen Foundation, talked about the immense success of the Microcredit Summit Campaign and the lessons we can apply to foreign aid reform: 1) focus development on the poorest, 2) create bold, measurable goals like those of the Summit and the MDGs, 3) diligently measure progress.

John Fawcett outlined 2009 global campaigns, Robyn Shepherd highlighted media opportunities around the release of the Microcredit Summit Campaign report, Ken Patterson outlined 2009 grassroots goals, and Sam Daley Harris and Robyn Shepherd demonstrated a compelling pitch to editorial writers on the microcredit report release.  Useful resources include a media advisory for a call with Muhammad Yunus on 1/26, our Foreign Aid Reform page, and a summary of 2009 Global Campaigns.

January 2009 Recording: Microcredit's Lessons for Aid Reform

2009 January Domestic Call: Health Reform and the Media

On this month's conference call, we were pleased to have Gilbert Cranberg, former editorial page editor for the Des Moines Register, speak to us about generating media on our issues. Here are some of the good insights he shared with us:

• To begin a relationship with an editorial writer, find out who writes on your issues and call them up, suggest a lunch to talk about what you want; develop a personal relationship with that person.
• Know the positions your paper has taken in the past and build on those when pitching your editorial idea
• When persuading an editorial writer with an editorial idea, Op-Ed or LTE, the strongest asset you have is the facts; lay out the facts that support your position (and cite sources), don’t just spout out opinion
• See editorial writing as “Reporting Plus” — reporting the facts and then analyzing what they mean

The conference call also discussed the RESULTS Domestic January Action, to generate media on health care reform and economic recovery. Media coverage can get our message out to a much larger audience and the time to do so is now. You can also use our Online LTE Action to send your letters.
2009 January Domestic Conference Call: Health Reform and the Media

2008 December Domestic Call: Economic Crisis

The Domestic call this month focused on the economic crisis and the outlook for going forward. Dr. Dean Baker, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, dicussed the cause of the current crisis and the steps that need to be taken to get us out, including investing more in health care. Joanne Carter Joanne Carter saluted grassroots fundraising efforts and volunteers offer some fundraising shares. Jos Linn also reviewed our 2008 successes and looked ahead at our agenda for 2009.

2008 December Domestic Conference Call: Post-Election Analysis

2008 December Global Call: Foreign Aid Reform

Guest speaker Mark Lopes, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor for Senator Menendez (D-NJ) presented a cautious perspective on foreign aid reform. His comments provide insight into how much our advocacy for bold foreign aid reform will be needed in the coming year. Joanne Carter took her hat off to groups who have been engaged in fundraising and we had a great fundraising share from Bruce Preville of San Jose, CA. Activists Elaine Wells of Omaha, NE and Roxanne Allen and Louisa Barkalow of Albuquerque gave riveting shares about achieving breakthroughs and remaining persistent. Key legislative request is to request face-to-face meetings with our members of Congress now! The laser talk outlines our request to members of Congress on foreign aid reform.

For access to a recording of this conference call, please contact Global Grassroots Manager Ken Patterson.