When you are managing a canvassing project you have enough on your plate as it is; making sure you have enough volunteers, getting your script right, training your volunteers, setting conversation goals for the day, assigning turf, and so much more. The last thing you need to be worried about is whether or not your canvassers are doing their job. But of course the thought has crossed your mind, “Are they just sitting in a Starbucks, filling out the survey on their own with fake information?”. What your volunteers are doing out in the field could make or break your efforts and all of your handwork! At Grassroots Unwired we understand that accountability out in the field is key. We have built the following features into our app and come up with a few tips to ensure your canvassers are where they are supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there.
Pre-Canvass huddle: Get your volunteers excited about the day ahead. Circle up before they hit the streets and have each crew run through their goals for the day; how many conversations are they going to have, how many signatures are they going to collect, how much money will they raise.- Offer incentives for reaching goals: A simple pizza party can go along way and builds trust and comradery between canvassers.
- Tracking tools via the Grassroots Unwired platform:
- Track the length of surveys start and end times: Track how long the conversations your canvassers are having! Is your canvasser rushing through the script or are they taking time to have the important conversation. This is a great way to identify if additional volunteer training is needed.
- Receive stats documenting the latitude/longitude of each attempted survey: This is key in knowing whether or not your canvassers are sticking to their turf. With the Grassroots Unwired platform, you can see exactly where each canvasser is at all times.
- Track the time in between surveys: Is your canvasser going to 1 house followed by a 30 minute break before knocking on the next door? By tracking the time in between each survey, you can know for sure.
- Total time in the field: Wondering if your volunteer completed a full shift? With our mobile app, we will track and report back to you with the time stamps the canvasser logs into the app and the time when they log out at the end of their shift.
Whether you are asking people to vote, fundraising, or taking a stance on important issues, your volunteers are the face of your efforts! Be sure they are as passionate about your organization as you are & make them accountable in the field.