Four Canvassing Musts

3. A message that canvassers can articulate well, and one with a sense of urgency. Be able to convey why someone should give now, and give at the door and not through another channel.

4. A system in place to take credit card donations, check or cash at the door.

A canvass operation’s goal is to get some kind of payoff at the door, not pledges, whether it’s signing people up to be members of your organization or collecting donations. Door-to-door canvassing is a great way to get people to become a part of a sustainer program, where they commit to giving a set amount every month through automatic charges to a credit card or deductions from a bank account.

Door-to-door canvassing can be another tool in an organization’s arsenal. It can be a direct connection to potential constituents that you haven’t reached via any other medium and an immediate source of funds. And because it’s human-to-human contact, it offers flexibility and the ability to integrate a number of campaigns into one.

“So if you need people to sign a petition or you want someone to send a postcard to a legislator or you want to collect information on an issue -- those are all things that are easily doable at the door in a personal way that can be done through other mechanisms, but usually not as effectively,” Moskowitz says.

Laurie Moskowitz can be reached via www.fieldworksonline.com