Fund Canvass Director
From Pat Wood, Recruitment Director at Fund for the Public Interest
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Hear what campaign staff have to say about their canvass directors. |
As a Citizen Outreach Director for the Fund, you run a campaign office in one of dozens of cities throughout the country. The staff you supervise educates citizens about the issues and gets them involved in campaigns to win progressive change. In essence, you build a team of committed activists who, in turn, mobilize hundreds or thousands of citizens to take action.
The Sierra Club is battling international timber and oil companies to preserve some of our last remaining wild lands. The Human Rights Campaign is fighting bigotry to protect the civil rights of all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation. Environment America is winning clean, renewable energy laws across the country.
At Fund for the Public Interest, we work with these and other leading progressive groups to help fight for the future of our health, our environment and our democracy. We are looking for candidates to join us as Canvass Directors and Telephone Outreach Directors.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Staff Management
- Recruit and manage a campaign staff of 10-40 canvassers or callers.
- Teach effective canvassing and campaigning techniques to staff.
- Identify strong staff and teach them to run local campaigns and develop leadership skills.
- Run staff meetings and leadership trainings.
- Arrange briefings and issue workshops to educate and motivate staff.
- Evaluate staff performance and give ongoing feedback.
Canvassing and Field Work
- Reach or exceed your office’s fundraising and membership goals. Most offices have goals of $250,000 raised and 5,000 members identified each year.
- Canvass door-to-door, by telephone or in public places (depending on the position) three times each week to train staff, raise money, identify and activate members, and educate the public on the issues.
- Oversee all administrative functions related to fundraising, membership development, campaign work and general office management.
Campaign Strategies
- Run letter-writing or petition drives to state legislators, local government, corporate boards and congressional representatives.
- Build coalitions of local and state organizations and elected officials.
- Identify local activists within state legislative and congressional districts. Organize them into networks for quick political action.
- Attract media coverage for campaigns. Send out news releases, hold news conferences and meet with editorial boards to release research, expose problems and promote solutions.
TRAINING:
Staff will participate in an intensive, paid training program for the first four weeks of the job. Trainings are held on an ongoing basis—and for students graduating this year, the training will start in July. This initial training focuses on staff management and canvassing and also includes sections on campaign strategy, media and public speaking. All staff participate in additional regional trainings and staff meetings throughout the year
QUALIFICATIONS:
We are looking for smart, motivated, action-oriented college graduates who are interested in politics and have a commitment to public interest issues. To do this work, you need stamina. You need to be able to convey the sense of urgency and passion you feel about these issues. You need to be able and willing to work hard. You need to be resourceful on a shoestring budget. (In-depth training on issues, campaign strategies and skills is provided.)
LOCATIONS:
We are running campaigns in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, WA, WI and Washington, D.C.
SALARY/BENEFITS:
First-year staff earn $23,750-$25,250, depending on position. Benefits include eligibility to enroll in our group health plan and college loan assistance.
Apply Now Online!
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A Day In The Life
9:30
You and the office’s other director sit down for your daily meeting. Evaluate fundraising and campaign performance. Review priorities and goals for the day.
10:00
Interview prospective campaign staff.
11:00
Meet with your field managing staff. Get their ideas on how to improve staff training program. Review plans for upcoming news conference to release research report on the benefits of energy conservation measures vs. increased oil drilling.
12:00
Finalize and fax notices to the local media announcing the news conference.
1:00
Canvassing staff arrive at the office. Run a role-play session on how to identify potential campaign supporters at the door.
1:30
Sierra Club spokesperson briefs the staff on the status of the campaign to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, highlighting the lobbying tactics of big oil companies working to open it for drilling.
2:00
Give brief updates to the staff about related campaigns, relevant political happenings, and upcoming social and campaign events. Congratulate exemplary staff and welcome newcomers.
2:30
Drive to targeted local community with a group of canvassers, including a new staffperson. Over lunch, brief the staff on local congressional representative and distribute lists of current members to renew.
4:00-9:00
Having arrived at your assigned neighborhood, train new staffperson. Canvass a few homes, demonstrating how to best communicate the campaign. Let the trainee canvass a few houses. Give specific, manageable feedback to improve confidence and skills.
9:00
Pick up the rest of your crew and return to office.
9:30
Oversee quick round of paperwork and cash out. Debrief with field managers and new staff.
10:00
Go out for dinner with field managers.
