DTF Call April 23, 2008

Present: Ken, Sammi, Julie, Betsy, Meredy, Cecile, Meredith, David, Diane and Niambi.

1.) We all started with a brief explanation of why we are contributing to the Diversity Task Force.

· Empowering those directly impacted by policies to speak with their own expertise/make our advocacy more effective
· Coming from a multi-ethnic family and community, and want to focus on how we are all one people
· my RESULTS chapter is all white women
· Would like to see RESULTS priorities/campaigns shaped by numerous backgrounds
· We would have a greater impact on Congress if we represented a more diverse group.
· Reach diverse groups – help empower people to use their voice to advocate for legislative change

2.) Reviewed action items from last call:

· Has there been better communication from RESULTS national to GR partners?
Betsy: could be helpful to put a sentence about the DTF on the website
Diane: in Cedar Rapids is here as a result of the blurb in the Domestic Weekly Update
· Goals: increasing diversity and number of RESULTS partners.

3.) Priority Actions for ourselves:
· How to reach out to diverse communities – best practices based on initial pilot program? Have tested how-to’s to present at IC
· What happened to our previous brainstorm of diverse organizations/HBCs, etc.? How can we follow-up on that resource and use these organizations to broaden our efforts?
· Find diverse organizations/community groups interested in partnership. Picking pilot communities; Where does on-the-ground interest match on-the-ground opportunity?
· Can individuals in pilot project receive anti-oppression training at IC?
· Let’s look for groups who are interested in being supported in reaching out/building out their group to more diverse communities.
· Can there be a diversity month? One month that may be slow legislatively, to help remind people what RESULTS is really all about?
· Ken suggests that we take concrete actions and accomplish something before (ie. Pilot project)
· What are the skills, cultural competencies, tools that we need to provide to our members?

4.) Formation of two working groups . . .
A. Diversity Pilot project:

-Select and reach out pilot areas, determine measurable goals, provide support throughout

B. Framing/ Messaging & IC

- Work with FrameWorks messaging on Race and other resources to determine how we want to frame our efforts to communicate with our grassroots;

-determine how we will present ourselves and try to integrate our message organizationally via the IC,

-what we would want to contribute to part of a skills session

Next all DTF call 5/21 7PM ET
In an effort to support a diverse leadership how about we take turns facilitating? What do people think? Anyone want to facilitate the next call?

Working group Calls week of May 5th. Please let me know what working group you’d like to be a part of; and if the assigned time works for you. I can set up and be a part of both; please let me know if you’d like to facilitate the working group as well.

Pilot Project Call: Cecili, Diane, others? Wednesday May 7th 7pmET?

Framing/Messaging&IC: Meredy? Others? Thursday May 8th 7pmET?

Does 7PM ET work for West Coasters? Does it work for staff and other DC folks who work past 6 and might need more down time before the call? How about everyone else?