What is a Canvass?
A canvass is an organized effort to talk with community members face-to-face about the issues that matter to them. When you canvass, you can target specific groups of people or you can attempt to talk with as many people as possible.
Why Do We Canvass?
Canvassing in local neighborhoods (both at the doors and in high traffic areas) is the most effective way to talk with community members about the issues that matter to them. Our success on the Obama campaign depended upon our ability to share our message through face-to-face discussions with voters.
To make real the change that we all fought so hard for, we need to involve our neighbors in the fight for to mobilizing support for the President's agenda on health care reform, clean energy, and education. We need to let our neighbors know about our efforts and invite them to join us!
Where Do We Canvass?
Usually the goal of any canvass is to talk to as many people and collect as many signatures as possible. Therefore, we want to target areas that are dense with people and allow us to easily talk to them all.
We recommend canvassing both public locations and going door-to-door in neighborhoods. Public locations should be areas where people pass by regularly. Good canvass spots include grocery stores, sporting events, public transport stops, fast food restaurants, parks, college campuses, etc. It’s important to have several back up places in case the location is unsuccessful or the canvasser is asked to move. Make sure your canvassers know not to be discouraged if they are asked to leave a location – flexibility is key.
Our door-to-door canvassing should focus on dense neighborhoods that are easily walkable. Since you will most likely be hitting all doors, we’ll want to choose neighborhoods where the houses are relatively close together and we can hit as many doors as possible.
Thanks for your interest in putting together a canvass. This guide will walk you through each step of the planning process and provide you with all the resources you need to run a successful canvass.
Step 1: Select a Staging Location
Determine where your “staging location” will be. That is where people will gather before and after the canvass. Your staging location can be a private home, park, school, or any other location that will accommodate your group and allow for a brief training.
Step 2: Register your Event
Take a moment to register your event online. Registering your event online means you’ll get your own page for your event, be able to send an invite to your friends, track who is planning on attending, and send details and reminders to your attendees.
Step 3: Recruit Volunteers and Build a Team
Invite as many volunteers as possible to participate in your canvass. Make phone calls and tap into your network of friends, neighbors, and colleagues to find volunteers. You can also find your local My.BarackObama group and invite members to attend by emailing the group's listserv. You may also want to create your own flyers promoting the canvass and post them at your local coffee shop, grocery store, or library.
It's often helpful to distribute the tasks involved in running a canvass. You may want to consider finding volunteers for the following roles:
- • Canvass coordinator – coordinates splitting up neighborhoods, identifying high-traffic locations, and makes maps, as well as helping to prepare, distribute and re-collect canvass materials.
- • Volunteer Recruitment coordinator – responsible for reaching out to volunteers, confirming volunteer canvass sign-ups, and managing volunteer sign-in on canvass day.
- • Resources coordinator – Helps to find and secure the staging ground; a place to meet before and after the canvass. This person may need to consider parking needs, restrooms, etc. This person also helps to get donations of food and water to sustain canvassers.
- • Trainer – this should be an experienced canvasser who can talk through how canvassing works, as well as explain why the neighborhood and the people you’re contacting are important. This person also should be able to set and communicate a clear goal that will motivate and focus volunteers.
Step 4: Prepare all of your Materials
Create a list of canvass locations, keeping in mind that you want to canvass in walkable neighborhoods and high-traffic public locations. Be sure to photocopy enough maps for everyone to have one and delegate out an appropriate amount of streets for each person. Here's a list of other items you might need to have ready:
- • Sign-in sheets
- • Hard surfaces for writing (clipboards, cardboard, or folders)
- • Maps of the larger area, the neighborhood and the specific streets each door-to-door canvasser is walking
- • Scripts
- • Pen/Paper
- • Camera
- • Food and snacks
- • Bottled water
Step 5: Make Reminder Calls
Be sure to make reminder calls to your volunteers in the days leading up to the canvass. Turn out will increase dramatically if you ask them for a firm commitment.
Sample Agenda For Your Canvass
This agenda is meant as a suggestion to guide you through your canvass. Feel free to adjust the agenda to best suit your neighborhood and participants.
Welcome and Introduction (10 min)
If possible, have each person introduce themselves by name.
Have two people share their personal stories, addressing what is at stake for them personally. Stories should give a human side to our organizing work and remind us of the real impact of the decisions made in Washington.
Also be sure to explain why you’re phone banking today and what the group’s motivation and ultimate goals are.
Set expectations (3 min)
Share your goal for the number of signatures you are trying to collect and the number of people you are trying to reach. Display that goal on butcher paper or poster board for all to see. Put this number into perspective by reminding your volunteers that they are part of a huge effort with thousands of volunteers across the country engaging in similar efforts.
Review the script and role play with a partner (5 min)
Read the script outloud and ask if anyone has questions. Practice your pitch in pairs. What are you going to say when you get someone on the phone? Let people know that it's alright to personalize the message so it seems more natural but that they shouldn't vary too much from the script.
Explain logistics (3 min)
Address how people should organize in groups, give any necessary transportation details and pass out materials.
Hit the streets! (3 hours)
Check on your team during the action. As the event host, it's your job to keep your team motivated. Collect cell phone numbers and text updates about your group’s success! Example: Alex got his first signature, Caroline’s out of pens because she’s had so many signups, etc!
Debrief (15 min)
Meet back at the staging location at an assigned time and tally up the number of doors knocked and the number of signatures collected (where applicable). Gather the information and make sure the data will be entered. Present how your group fared overall and ask those who did well what made the difference. Ask those who struggled what the challenges were that we need to prepare better for next time.
Celebrate.
If possible, organize a potluck or an optional social gathering afterward. Talk about your success together!
Capture Information
It's extremely important that you enter the calls and responses online. We'll provide more details on how to do that depending on the specific calling campaign.
Remember this is very important as it allows Organizing for America to gauge the impact of your group and gauge what additional resources we can provide.
Thank your guests
Send a personal email thanking everyone who participated in the canvass. Be sure to stay connected with your fellow volunteers and get ready for the next action!
Congratulations
Congratulations, you are making the change you voted for possible. Now begin planning your next event. It's up to each one of us to keep this movement going. Thank you for all your hard work!
