I spent four weeks last July learning how to go door-to-door, appealing to latent activists, and asking for their monetary support. I was given 5 hours in which to knock on as many doors as possible, and hopefully connect with about 40 people. Of those 40 people, 5-8 of them should, statistically, have given me money. My job was to make sure those givers gave me total, over the course of the night, at least $110. This was a job that took tremendous communication skills, the ability to think on your feet, and, surprisingly, is much more in your control than you would otherwise guess. So, in essence, the world to a canvasser is divided into givers and non-givers. But it put me in an interesting position to observe how people present themselves to strangers, which also said a lot about them. How they said "No" to me was particularly revealing.
It's canvassing season -- canvassers across the country are going door-to-door to talk to you about their pet issue. I didn't unpack this fully. But I found the notes I made last August and wanted to write what I remembered -- because it's important for women who are faced with these decisions (either at their door or on the street) to understand that there is more going on than someone asking you for money for their pet political cause. Here are some things to think about, if someone knocks on your door:
1. Political Agency
"I have to ask my husband," or "My husband is the one who writes those checks."
Occasionally: "My wife makes those decisions."
Perhaps it's not fair, but the question of who holds the check book is a huge one when it comes to canvassing -- and pretending you don't have it, or don't have the authority to write a check -- it is tantamount to having political agency or handing it over to your significant other.
A lot of the time I got the sense that someone was interested in what I had to say, but then used not their lack of money, but their lack of control over money as an excuse.
2. Traditional Roles v. Politics
"I have given money to every Dick and Jane College student who has come through here this summer, I'm not giving to you. I am looking for a childcare provider, though. You interested?"
There's not much to say about this one. This particular resident of an East Lansing neighborhood had asked me if this was a summer job. "No," I said, "I just graduated. This is my career." My career as an activist -- he still offered me a position taking care of his children.
And then there are the people who told me to be careful, or that it was too dark to be knocking on doors in high summer, in their idyllic, 300k dollar home neighborhoods.
3. Protectionism
"Get out of my neighborhood!" said kids, taunting as they ride past on their bikes.
A man puts his arm around his wife as I pass.
Another canvasser was shot at with bebe guns by kids.
Our attitudes about private property and the sanctity of the home is absolutely contradictory to the ability to have conversations and build community. I also employed a canvasser who was "arrested" by citizens in a Colorado Covenant Community, who said that his right to free speech -- talking with citizens -- was superseded by their community covenant.
4. Appearance
"I got kicked off a porch today for looking at a man's wife. It wasn't my fault she was wearing a bikini!" said one of my fellow canvassers.
"You should wear a tank top," suggested a newbie. "You are a girl."
Those who are canvassed are looked at as much as canvassers are looked at themselves -- and appearance -- sexually -- is an agency which is perceived by beginning canvassers as "money makers."
5. "Masculine" v. "Feminine" Forms of Communication
Six months into my canvassing career, I began failing, as I continued to canvass in the failing Michigan economy, and I began to take "No" for an answer. As I was building consensus, I would take no for an answer, because finding people who said yes immediately was how you got people who were truly committed to a cause. But that's not how you raise money.
The combative continual "ask" -- someone who keeps asking you for money until you cave and say "Yes! Fine!" and if they manage to do it in a persuasive and congenial way -- these are the successful canvassers. They're pushy, they're loud, they tell you what to do, and wait for you to do it -- this is a persona I had a hard time adopting.
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I canvassed for two weeks a few summers ago and I hated it. I hated it because I wasn't the pushy type, because I had been on the other side not wanting to give money to canvassers, and because the organization only cared about money. They were obsessed with how much money they received, and could have cared less about signatures on petitions or postcards demanding environmental change. That really turned me away from non-profits for awhile.
This. I did the same thing for one summer (two different organizations) and have since decided never to canvass again.
I would not equate canvassing and canvassing organizations with all nonprofits. I'm currently serving as an AmeriCorps member at a nonprofit organization and not only am I not allowed to do fundraising, it is not even the nonprofit's focus.
Some give services, for example.
What exactly were you trying to collect money for?
The only people who ever knock on my door are Jehovah's witnesses selling bibles...
Membership based organizations like: Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Campaign, Sierra Club, Save the Children, Environment America, etc.
I feel like canvassing does not accomplish what I think is the most important part of being an activist, which is building real community. Canvassing is a job where the burnout rate is high and seems to disperse activist energy and reduce it to collecting money for large organizations. It fails at dealing with community problems and limits the role of activist. I believe there are more creative, fulfilling and sustainable ways of being an activist.
I very much agree with you -- we need to build community, and its actual results are hard to see. But I think canvassing has its place. Part of the reasons organizations like Sierra Club and Human Rights Campaign are so powerful is because of their canvassing operations -- their ability to build and maintain large membership bases and funds.
I was trying to point out how canvassing plays out on a microlevel in terms of power relationships and the choices we make.
I absolutely must applaud and defend your dedication to grassroots community organizing. First of all, face to face interaction is the oldest and STILL the most effective form of communicating important issues to a large amount of people. I am currently the Office Manager for a state-wide nonpartisan nonprofit called Texas Campaign for the Environment. I have canvassed several times on environmental issues in Texas. Granted, not all canvassed based organizations are doing it right, but I know that we are. It's not about being pushy or manipulating anyone and our organizers know this. We have extensive training complete with role playing and daily campaign updates. We take the citizen support that we generate and we use this to pressure legislators and corporations into implementing better policies when it comes to issues of public health and natural resources. We lobby on behalf of citizens for free. We hold press conferences and have direct actions. Not only have we never lost a campaign, we got Dell computers to agree to start recycling obsolete computers from consumers for free and we followed this up with passing a law that holds every other computer company responsible for their e-waste in Texas. Our staff sees themselves not as expendable canvassers, but as solid activists.
My point is, canvassing is hard work but completely necessary in a lot of places that don't have the luxury of progressive politicians or a well-educated, active voting base. That's what we're up against in Dallas. I'm sorry that everyone here has had bad experiences with organizations that honestly, don't know what the hell they're doing. I hope that this doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth about one of the most empowering, educational modes of bringing meaningful and lasting change to communities. Remember, Obama utilized the gifts of hundreds of canvassers to get elected.
(Oh and I really liked how you pointed out all the little excuses that less politicized canvassers give. I've got some good ones to share as well.)