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ACORN

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

DOORKNOCKING BASICS

Some of the roles of an organizer are:

· To help people steer their anger toward the system into collective action
· To recruit new members for the organization’s greater political power
· To give people a sense of their own power
· To listen to their stories
· To raise the expectations of what people should feel they should get
· To paint a clear picture of who the enemy is
· To organize to hold corporations and the government accountable to low & moderate income people
· To bring in extra revenue to the organization
· To plant the seed for further social justice
· To identify members with leadership potential

Overview

Doorknocking is a give-and-take process of:


 Listening: the kids don’t have any place to play may mean the issue is that there is no park in
the neighborhood),
 Persuading: “Of course, one person alone can’t fight City Hall, but if we have a group…”
 Asking: “Will you join? Will you come to the meeting? Who do you know that would be
interested in joining, too?”

There is a lot to accomplish in those few minutes at the door and inside the house.

Behind every door is a stranger who probably has never had any personal contact with an organization.
For that brief period of time, the organizer is the organization. The impression we want to leave
is one of an effective, democratic group not made up of strangers, but of their neighbors.

Enthusiasm is infectious; the more you convey it, the more likely you are to get it back. The power of
suggestion is great, as well. You want to keep the conversation moving along and gaining positive
momentum. One important way to do this is to ask questions and make statements that elicit positive
responses. For instance, rather than ask if they’ve heard of ACORN, which often gets a negative
response, you can say, “You’ve probably seen on television or read in the paper about the work ACORN
has been doing to get vacant lots cleaned up,” or “A lot of your neighbors have joined the organization
to fight to get the parks cleaned up.”

The more agreement you create in the conversation about issues the community needs to organize
around and do something about and the need for everyone to join in, the greater the chance that the
individual with whom you are speaking will be willing to assume responsibility for taking action him or
herself and joining up. The rap is structured to elicit a series of positive answers to basic questions
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about what ACORN is doing and why they should get involved. People should be nodding their heads
the whole way through, agreeing, and adding their own concerns and issues. The rap is designed to get
people to talk themselves into joining a multi-issue, multi-racial organization in
their own neighborhood that is fighting for social and economic justice.

Every day we doorknock for at least three hours for new members, and it is easiest for people to join on
the bank draft. In that time an organizer should knock on 40-50 doors, get inside at least 8
homes, and sign up at least 2 members.

Structure of the Doorknocking Rap

We doorknock to:
1. Find good issues
2. Find angry and concerned people
3. Sign up new members

“Rap” is short for rapport. The rap is a guideline for a conversation that is structured to get a person
talking and get them involved.

The rap has 5 parts:

1. INTRODUCTION: GET IN THE DOOR

Introduce yourself and tell the person at the door what ACORN is. If the person doesn’t trust you
enough to let you in the door, they won’t join up, so let them know you are here to talk about
neighborhood issues and ask them if they are concerned about them.

To maximize your chances of getting in:


 Speak clearly
 Be brief and concise
 Maintain good eye contact
 Use and issue

Example: “Hi, my name is Sarah. I’m an organizer with ACORN, the group here in the neighborhood
that is fighting to get the vacant lots cleaned up. Is that something you want? Good. I need to come in
an talk with you about this.”

2. IDENTIFY THE ISSUES: ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

The point here is to GET THEM TALKING.

Sample questions:
· How long have you lived in the neighborhood?
· Have you seen many changes?
· How long has that been a problem?
· What other problems does it create?
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Really listen to what they are saying and try and imagine how you would feel in their situation. If your
children had only one place to play and it was in the middle of a street with speeding cars, would you be
worried?

This section is the bulk of the rap, about 10 minutes.

3. POLARIZE: DIRECT THEIR ANGER AT A TARGET

This is where you politicize the issue. As Saul Alinsky wrote, it is every organizer’s duty to “rub raw
the sores of discontent.” Questions can include:
 Don’t you think you pay enough taxes to get the lot cleaned?
 Does the mayor have vacant lots in his/her neighborhood?
 Why do you think they don’t care about this problem?
 Would rich folks put up with this in their neighborhood?
 What’s it gonna take to get the city to treat you with the dignity and respect you deserve?

4. SOLUTION: ASK WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT

We don’t have to have answers to all the problems in the neighborhood—just ask them what they think
should be done about it! This is our opportunity to begin to build a vision of what they and
their neighbors can do if they get involved and take action fight for the solution
they just told you about. Stress that folks are concerned and they are joining up, and that the
group is about action. You can tell them how ACORN won on other issue or show them press clippings.
If you use some clippings, make sure they’re eyes stay with you and not with the clipping. Tell them
briefly about it, but stick to their issue and the solution.

5. MEMBERSHIP: SIGN THEM UP

Ask three positive questions:


 Do you want to take care of the problem?
 Do you think if we had a group we could take care of the problem?
 Do you want to be a part of the group that is working to take care of the problem?
If they answer yes, then explain what the dues are—$10-$30 a month. Explain what the dues are used
for—flyers, monthly meetings, rent, phones, renting buses to take the members to actions, etc. Tell them
our members pay their dues through their bank accounts, and that it’s whatever they are comfortable
chipping in: some members pay $20 a month, some pay more, some pay less. Hand them the card, look
them in the eye, point out on the card where they should fill it out, and then BE QUIET. Resist the
temptation to keep talking. Get a voided check or deposit slip to verify the account number. If they
don’t have a checking or savings account get the dues in cash. If they hesitate, ask them if they want to
see their issue addressed, remind them it’s whatever they would like to pay and it works if everyone
participates.

After they have joined, ask for names and numbers of neighbors who might be interested in joining. If
they give you one, ask if they’d have a minute to go over to that house with you and speak with that
person. Tell them we will call them about a meeting and someone will be back to visit soon. Get them
to commit to a task to help make the group grow, such as doorknocking with you, making phone calls,
distributing flyers, petitioning, etc.
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Troubleshooting

If the person says they:

Don’t have a checking account or $120.


Remind them of what they said about the problems and let them know people are organizing now and
that today is the day that we are on their block and signing people up. If they are still non-committal,
see the section below on the “Ask Three Times Strategy” for more advice.

Have to think about it.


Generally, this is in indication that you did not listen well enough, you forgot to polarize them, or you
didn’t build a vision using their issue and their solution. Remind them of all the positive things they
already said. You can also show them some news clippings or tell them about ACORN actions on
similar issues that we won because people like them cared enough to get involved.

Are too busy to talk.


Respond that people are forming a neighborhood group right now to fight about <name some issues that
you have heard from other people> and ask them if they are concerned about that. If their answer is
positive, tell them today is the day we’re coming down their block and it will just take a couple of
minutes.

Don’t have enough time to get involved.


Let them know that people participate in different ways and not everyone can come all of the time, but
what matters most is that everyone join. If they can’t come to a meeting then maybe they can make
phone calls or flyer their block. And if they can’t do that, at least they know their dues are going to
support the organization that is fighting for their issue and that the politicians and other targets know that
hundreds of families have joined as members because they care.

They’ve tried to organize before but it didn’t work.


Ask what they did and explain how what ACORN does is different—we persist, use direct action tactics,
are a large and respected organization already, etc. Show them some clippings or tell them about a
successful ACORN action.

The key in all of these situations is to respond positively to their hesitance or doubt. Their
questions, skepticism, and concern make sense. Work with them to answer their questions and
overcome their reservations. Remember that membership is about building power through
their participation, not about money. The more you stress about how everyone is excited about
getting together and taking action, and that this is their opportunity to make a difference, the less time
and effort you will have to spend negotiating whether or not they can afford to join.

Basic Skills
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Using basic skills enable us to be effective at our job. They enable us to reach many people, politicize
them, and involve them in building mass-based organization of low- and moderate-income people to
fight for greater social and economic justice. Basic skills are the tools we use to make our job easier.

1. EYE CONTACT conveys trust, integrity, and confidence; holds attention; allows you to watch their
response.
2. COUCH: We need to talk to people. The only way people relax and talk is when they are seated
with you in their homes. Unless you get in the door, you won’t have their attention and it will be harder
to sign them up.
3. REFLECTIVE LISTENING: In order to get people talking about their issues are and what they are
angry about, we have to ask. Most people are never asked what their concerns are—city officials talk at
them—so when we ask people see that ACORN is different. Also, when people are talking, you can tell
from their responses what they think about getting organized. It is much easier to sign people up when
they are talking. Ask questions that require people to talk—stay away from questions that only get a yes
or no answer.
4. KISS (keep it short and simple): We are often at their door at dinner time, unwinding from work
time, have children to watch over, etc. People are busy; keeping it short is a courtesy. The discussion of
problems and solutions should be short and simple so people can understand it. Many people feel
alienated because they think only experts or people with formal education can solve our society’s
problems. One of our primary reasons for going door-to-door is to get people off the fence. Involve
them. With the issue, the polarization, and the solution in simple terms, they are able to see things
clearly and take a stand. So, sticking to the rap and keeping it short and simple enables us to reach
people more effectively.
5. BANK DRAFT: Dues enable us to involve people as members; you only get what you ask for; it
trains us to be organizers every day (and not survey takers)—we are giving people a rap and asking them
to become involved in a specific way and defining specific solutions. Bank drafts provide us with a
steady source of monthly income, thereby ensuring our survival. It is easier for our members than
making large payments ($30, or $60 or 120) at one time, so they are more apt to join.

These basic skills will enable us to become skillful communicators and successful organizers.

Secondary Skills

Here are some more skills that are very helpful in becoming a successful organizer:

Flexibility:

Be able to analyze each part of your rap and modify any part of the rap that is not effective. When you
are at the door, be able to feel natural with the rap. A flexible organizer is one who can approach
many different personality types and modify the rap to match each particular person.

Pacing:

Look at the number of contacts you have per hour. If under six, move faster and shorten your rap. If
over fifteen, analyze what you are leaving out of your rap (i.e. strong problem discussion, polarizing,
solution, membership). Don’t spend abundant amounts of time with people asking
questions and talking if they haven’t even let you in their house. Once inside, keep it
short and simple. ACORN is about action, not talk.
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Pen Control:

Do not let the person fill out the membership card until they understand that we are a dues-paying
organization. Make sure they understand the bank draft, too.

Maximizing:

When you are doing a visit, maximize their contribution. Start with the bank draft for membership.
People who believe in the idea of organizing to build power and have communicated support want to
join. A strong potential member will not tell you to go away simply because you have asked for money.
They will join because you have explained a need to do so. If you have communicated a sense of
urgency to them, bank account numbers and money will not be an issue. If they do not opt to join on a
bank draft, ask for $120 and work your way down ($60 for 6 months, $40 for 4 months) from there, only
after they refute each request. Don’t take $10 cash, or that is all you will get.

Tone of Voice:

Work on inflection of important parts of your rap to keep from sounding monotone. Also, don’t end a
statement in a high tone—it sounds like a question and makes you sound less confident. If you are
having a problem with this, add the words “damn it!” in your mind to the end of every sentence to get
the right inflection.

Mirroring Language:

If the person you are talking to appears to be less informed about political processes, avoid words like
“legislative” and details like what person in what city department is responsible for what. Use words
and phrases in your rap that are short, clear, and to the point (i.e. “What if we marched into the mayor’s
office with 50 people and signs and a bullhorn and demanded money to fix up the recreation center?”)

Positive Language:

Use positive words like “winning” instead of “trying” will make you sound more confident. In the
membership part of your rap, use phrases such as, “People join on the bank draft” instead of “If you’d
like to join.” People will be more likely to join when you communicate confidence.

Assume Support:

Every time you approach a door, regardless of what you see on the outside, envision a friendly person
who likes the idea of organizing to solve neighborhood problems! Even if your last encounter was not
successful, if you keep going at a steady pace you will find the person that is waiting to join an
organization to fight for improvements in their community. And, if the person lets you in, you know
they’re interested in what you have to say, SO SAY IT WITH CONFIDENCE AND GET THOSE
MEMBERS!

Attitude and Perspective:


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Think of the reasons that you have decided to be a community organizer. Think of the hundreds of other
ACORN organizers around the country out knocking on doors at the same time you are. Think of what
would happen if we gave up! These are ways of boosting your energy from door to door and keeping
you motivated. The potential members you meet every night are motivated by your energy and
enthusiasm. Realizing our goals in new member recruitment are vital to building a mass-based
organization of working poor people, and by channeling our energy and commitment to social and
economic justice to the people we meet every day, we can accomplish these goals and WIN!

Success Formula for Doorknocking

ATTITUDE: A positive attitude, a sense of urgency, complete self respect, and self-confidence are key
life skills… and 90% of the job of organizing. These attitudes project action.

SELF DISCIPLINE: Set a fair and reasonable discipline line, achieve and maintain it. People that we
encounter in the field need us to set clearly defined goals for them to shoot for (eg. paying dues to join,
coming to a meeting or action, passing out a specific number of flyers, getting a signature on a demand,
etc.) Set achievable/doable goals for yourself also and lead yourself to being a better and more effective
organizer.

HUMAN SKILLS: Our challenge is to build an organization of, for, and by low- and moderate-income
people that grows and prospers. To begin this, we need to be sensitive to the needs—the self-interest—
of the people we organize. Facilitate the removal of barriers (ie. TV, children, phone, etc.), get in the
door, relate to them (have you lived here long, I understand, that’s terrible…), zero in on the problem
they are talking about and the solution they want to see happen, and relate organizing to them!

ATTENTION TO DETAILS: Keep the inanimate details under control. Be on time. Focus on good
map skills, membership lists, and doorknocking sheets. Keep your clipboard well-stocked and in order.
Be prepared for the weather. Water, snacks, hat, etc. are details of a well-prepared organizer. Allow
your hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly stats to become and inanimate detail of your job so you can step
outside of them, do some objective analysis, and use your skills. An organizer with the details
covered is inately under control and confident.
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Handling Other Concerns

CONCERN SOLUTION
The television is on and they are looking at it Ask them to turn it down or off.
instead of you.
The person is silent. Ask questions that require more than a yes or no
answer.
The person feels uncomfortable or embarrassed. Remind them that you really want to know his or
her opinion.
You need to go to the bathroom. Ask.
You feel uncomfortable. Leave.
They go off about a personal concern. Acknowledge their concern, ask them about
neighborhood issues.

Do’s and Don’t’s

DO DON’T
Introduce yourself, ask to come inside, and stick to Get off track, be rude, or show your frustration.
your rap.
Give every person an opportunity to join. Mention an upcoming meeting before asking for a
membership. If you do, it is too easy for them to
say they’ll come to a meeting and then decide.

Sit down, relax, and get right out when business is Spend more than 15 minutes with anyone. If
over. they’re not picking up on issues, appear
disinterested, refuse to join, etc., don’t waste your
time. If they’ve joined, get out there and sign up
their neighbor!
Focus on their role as a member. Focus on your role as an organizer.
Keep your goals and standards in mind and shoot Expect everyone to join.
for them as a minimum.
Keep it simple and within the person’s experience. Use “big words” or swamp them with bureaucratic
details that will alienate them.
Get people to take some ownership when they join. Make the organization sound smaller than it is.

Go home with at least one member. Leave the neighborhood without a member!

Positive Language and “Bullets”

The most successful organizers have a short, simple rap that uses positive, assertive language. Choose
words that sound confident, and use active rather than passive voice to inspire others.
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By keeping your answers to to questions short and straightforward, you can be more effective and
assume support. These “bullet” responses are easy to remember. Here are some examples to help you
find better ways to answer most coming questions:

WIMPY POSITIVE
“We’re trying to get members to join our “Folks are joining ACORN to solve local
organization.” problems.”
“We’re talking to people about problems with your “You’re neighbors are getting together to fight for
landlord.” repairs in the building.”
“Would you be interested in talking to me?” “Can I come in?”

“We’re looking for $10 per month for membership, “Our members pay dues. Dues are paid through a
if you think you can do it.” checking or savings account. The dues are
whatever you would like to pay; some members pay
$20 a month, some pay more, some pay less.”

“We’re asking the city to improve the streets around “We’re demanding better streets.”
here.”
“Do you think you’d like to maybe be a member of “Do you want to be a part of this?”
ACORN?”

Examples of bullets:

· We need money to organize and fight the city, that’s why our members pay dues.
· The more members we have, the more power we have to win in our fight.
· No problem, most members do the bank draft because the first $10 doesn’t come out for 45 days,
but your membership starts today. So, do you want to do start your membership now?

STATEMENT BULLET
“Now’s not a good time for me.” “It will only take a few minutes. Can I come in?”

“I’m moving.” “If the neighborhood was cleaner and safer would
you stay?”
“I’m already a member of my block watch.” “That’s great! Do you think there’s a need for
larger, neighborhood-wide organization to deal with
some of the bigger problems that affect everybody
in the area?”
“I need to talk to my wife/husband first.” “Well, your wife/husband wouldn’t be against
better schools, would they?”
“I don’t have any problems with any of my “Is there anything you’d like the city to be doing
neighbors.” down here?”
“Can you come back later?” “I’m only your block today. Can I come in?”
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Levels of Agreement

One of the most important goals of organizing is to get the person you are talking to get as involved as
possible. The strategy we use to do this is called developing levels of agreement.

It starts with your own attitude, before you get to the door. In addition to using the basic skills, you need
to speak to everyone you meet as if you already knew they agree with us that it is necessary for them
and their neighbors to organize. Assuming support is critical. Remember that people have issues
in their neighborhoods, but often don’t know how to confront them. Their level of support depends on
your ability to build a vision for them of collective action through organizing, and sharing your
commitment to make that happen. So as successful organizers we need to speak confidently and assume
support.

The first level of agreement is when the person lets you inside their house. Ask to come in as if it is the
next natural thing to do in your conversation. When a person lets you in, it lets you know they are
interested in sharing their issues with you and in hearing what you have to say.

After speaking about problems and solutions you can gain another level of agreement to confirm their
support. Pause and ask a rhetorical question like, “So you’re saying if we got a group of people together
we could make some changes around here!” or “That makes sense, right!” Be sure to avoid a normal
questioning tone—it saps your confidence and the person’s confidence that you know what you are
talking about.

When you ask them to join, ask them for the bank draft. Ask them to fill in the bank draft as if you if
you expect them to do it without hesitation, and always do it at the end of you rap. It should be the last
word out of your mouth. Then be quiet—don’t say a word until the person speaks first.
Give them time to think, or you will undermine all of the levels of agreement you developed throughout
your rap.

We need not only money to accomplish our goals, we need many members who are ready to come to
meetings and actions and run them, knock on their neighbors doors, make phone calls, pass out flyers,
get petitions signed, and more. These are the people that hold politicians, bureaucrats, and corporations
accountable to low- and moderate-income people.

Finally, make sure and ask your members to help in one of the tasks outlined above—especially taking
you to meet a neighbor who is a hot prospect to join the group—and let them know what the next
ACORN event coming up in their neighborhood is.

ABC Doors

Maximize your new member recruitment in any turf by categorizing each contact as eith and A, B, or C
door.

Each person we contact is an individual, and should be treated as such. However, there are generally
three types of contacts:

A. Fired-up people who want to join


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B. Fence-sitters who support the idea of organizing but are unsure of whether they want to join
C. People who are not interested

A Doors:
These fired-up people who want to join are obviously the best type of contact. By using the basic
skills we can increase the number of contacts who classify as an A door. A short and
simple rap which is urgent and assumes they want to join will turn someone from a B door to an A door
during the rap.

B Doors:

Getting membership from B doors is vital in increasing ACORN’s membership base and organizational
power. These contacts have issues and agree with the idea of organizing with their neighbors, but they
feel disempowered. We need to empower them.
· Build a vision: Make these people realize that change is possible only if people get involved
· Urgency: Keep it short and simple and maintain good eye contact when giving responses. Use your
bullets.
· Don’t over justify: The goal is to get them to want to get involved. Over justifying why they should
get involved only makes us look desperate and that is not politically empowering.

C Doors:
These people are not interested. Move on!

The “Ask Three Times” Strategy

The “Ask Three Times” strategy should be an essential piece in everyone’s rap. This strategy helps to
get people off the of the fence, because the contact is allowed to say no up to three times and still get
involved. It works because many people will say no at least twice.

How it works:

This strategy works because each time you hear a “no” you rephrase the question and ask again,
assuming support more strongly.

When someone says no:


· First let them know that you are listening
· Give them a reason why they need to get involved (let you inside, join, come to the meeting, etc.)
· Either ask for less of a commitment or give them a more flexible way to get involved

For example:

Organizer: “Can I come in?”


Contact: “No, I’m really busy right now.”
Organizer: “No problem, it will only take a few minutes. So can I come in?”
Contact: “Sorry, now’s just not a good time for me.”
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Organizer: “Sure, I understand, but I’m sure you would like to see some changes in
the neighborhood, so it’s really important that I talk to you. This will only take a
few minutes. Can I come in?”
Contact: “Okay, c’mon in.”

Or, another example:

Organizer: “So, our members pay their dues through the bank. Some pay $20 a
month, some pay more, and some pay less. What can you do?”
Contact: “I don’t like to mess with my bank account.”
Organizer: “Yeah, I can understand that. Actually, it works really easy. You just fill
this out, and the money is sent on the 5th of every month—and it shows up on your
statement. Our members think it is very convenient.”
Contact: “No, I really don’t want to touch my bank account.”
Organizer: “Okay, no problem. So I’m sure you’d like to see the streets fixed in
the neighborhood, right?”
Contact: “Yes!
Organizer: “Then there’s the $120 option. That’s a year in dues.”
Contact: “I couldn’t do it all at once. Maybe after I get paid.”
Organizer: “No problem. You can postdate the check!”
Contact: “No, I couldn’t do that.”
Organizer: “Well, I know you want to start your membership today, so you could
do $60 for 6 months.”
Contact: “Yeah, could you come back at the end of the month?”
Organizer: “We’re going up against the city and it takes money to win. How about
$30 for 3 months and we’ll start your membership right now.”
Contact: “Okay, I can do that.”

As you can see from these examples, these contacts weren’t disagreeing with the basic issues, just the
request for a commitment. The organizer assumed more and more support as he/she went on, and
always gave good, short reasons for the contact to get involved.

Your theme should be: Look, I know you have issues and agree with us that organizing is the solution,
and we want to find a comfortable level for you to get involved because we need members to win.

Tips:

· Asking three times helps you be persistent without crossing the line to pushy, and turning people off.
Be firm, but flexible.
· Really listen to the person with whom you are talking
· Asking three times lets them know it is a serious issue and organization.
· When it comes time to pay dues, start with the bank draft, then start with a high amount and work
down. Find an amount they can do as quickly as possible.
· Don’t over-justify, or you will sound like you lack confidence in our organization or yourself.

Using Analysis to Identify and Solve Problems


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Look on your doorknocking sheet. Do you see:
· 4 hours of doorknocking
· 10-12 contacts per hour
· 2 visits per hour
· 25% of visits become new members
· at least 50% of new members join on bank draft

Problems Solutions
Less than 10 contacts per hour Pick up your pace, walk faster, or shorten your rap (no more
than 15 minutes in- and out- of the door)

Less than 2 visits per hour Check your intro:


· Is it short, simple, and clear?
· Check your eye contact, body language
· Are you asking to get inside the door 3 times?

Less than 25% join Check your rap:


· Are you keeping it short and simple (KISS)?
· Did you follow all of the steps of the rap?
· Are you maintaining eye contact?
· Are you actively listening to problems instead of
bulldozing them with solutions?
· Are you listening for “excuses” and turning them into
solutions?
· Are you asking them to join directly?
· Are you asking them to join 3 times?

Less than 50% join on bank draft Check your rap:


· Are you pushing the bank draft as the first option for
joining?
· Are you giving strong, short reasons why they should?

Accurate stats make paperwork and analysis much easier:

· Door: Any door you knock on (but don’t count your callback doors twice). These tell us about
your pace, your KISS, your energy, and enthusiasm.
· Contacts: An adult who answers the door is a contact. The number of contacts tell us how
fast you are moving and can be useful in setting goals.
· Visits: Any adult that you sit down with inside their house. This is influenced by your intro,
KISS, eye contact, energy, and enthusiasm. Visits are key in identifying ability to organize.
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· New Members: Anyone who either fills out the bank draft or pays at least $20 towards
membership dues. New members tell how well you are doing and gives an idea of how well
your rap is working. New members are the goal. Members = Power.

Options in Self-Analysis: How to turn around a bad day

Everyone has a day where doorknocking isn’t a good experience. You’re rap isn’t working, and people
are not joining. As a result, you feel less and less excited about organizing, so less people are letting you
in their front door and joining the organization. At this point, you must choose between three options:

1. You can decide the whole thing is pointless and give up


2. You can try and turn your day around by correcting your problems through skills
3. You can think about why you do this, what you get out of it, and then work on
your skills or your attitude, and anything else you need to improve

Option 1
You need to decide what kind of work you would rather be doing, and how you will feel about doing it.
Or you can figure out how to live without money or become financially independent in a way that is
ethical and generally satisfying. You may need to change your lifestyle, wardrobe, or haircut for these
changes. This is the most difficult option because it is the most complex and involves so many
variables.

Option 2
With this option you need to take a break, relax, do some analysis, dig around in your bag of tricks,
figure out what you need to change, then change it. Analysis and skills work, so if you remain calm and
work at it, you will correct the situation.

Option 3
This option requires more introspection. You need to get some perspective and remember why you
wanted to do this in the first place. It probably wasn’t the glamour and the high income. You probably
wanted to organize working poor people so they could have a voice in the decisions that affect their
everyday lives. Your job is to go door to door and build an organization by talking with people about
problems and solutions. Very few people like to be reminded about how unjust the world is or how little
power they have as individuals. Your job is to also give them a reason to be hopeful. The more people
we reach—the more members we have—the more likely that the changes they want to see will be made.

You might be having a bad day because you want people to be more receptive, or caring, or joining up as
members. If they all were we probably wouldn’t need to organize to fight for social
and economic justice. You feel that you are not getting through to them, or they are all apathetic,
or both. However, we need to get through to them.

Remember, this is about perspective. Change can be very slow. On some days it can seem glacially
slow. Remember that there are plenty of people out there that agree with the idea of organizing, we just
need to reach them. The only time our opposition wins is when we give up.
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At some point, we all have to do this. Remind yourself that you are well trained, you know how to use
the skills, and you can turn it around. Remember why you want to turn it around, relax, and do it.

This can be difficult work, but it is also very rewarding. Anybody can file papers or fill coffee cups,
that’s easy. Not everyone can help fight for a more dignified and just and world.

What to do—and what not do—when have a bad night:

Do:
· Analysis
· Remember that each door is a new person
· Adjust your rap
· Breath deeply
· Show a sense of urgency and action—make it look like everyone is joining
· Remember that more members means more power
· Analysis

Don’t:
· Freak out
· Run (or slump) between doors… makes your rap sound terrible and you seem desperate
· Give up
· Get down on yourself
· Grovel, the pity act never works
· Panic

Keep these in mind and your bad days should turn into good days!

Making the Most of Your Turf

Your job as an organizer is to maximize the support of any given area. Our minimum goal is to organize
10% of the constituency within our turf in order to be able to mobilize enough people to push forward
local campaigns to victory. The more efficiently you work your turf, the stronger our organization will
be. This will also help you do your work with the least effort. Here are some strategies for more
effective use of your turf:

Be logical Before you begin, look over your turf and find the best route to use. Make sure you cover
your distance with the least amount of wasted walking. Your supervisor can help you with this, so just
ask. Ideally, you should be able to stop walking at about 6 pm, do call backs while you retrace your
steps, and be back to the office on time to make phone calls.

Keep track of callbacks Part of our organizing strategy is to reach the greatest number of people in
any given area. So we need to cover our turf as completely as possible. At the beginning of each new
street (or apartment building in a large, multi-unit complex), start a new doorknocking sheet with the
street name (or building number) and note all of the houses (or apartments) where no one was home and
where people asked you to callback. At the end of the night go back and try again. Be strategic though
—you shouldn’t walk for 15 minutes for one callback.
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Mark your map accurately Inaccurate marking of the map can sabotage your doorknocking. If
you’ve done only one side of the street, mark only that side. Only mark the areas that you have done.

Some more on financial self-sufficiency

· We are beholden only to our members—the people who give us the funds to run their organization
and campaigns
· We are prefer our funds coming in the many, many small amounts of our membership dues—as
opposed to coming from a handful of rich people. This equals clean money.
· Many corporations give large grants to non-profits. ACORN fights things like corporate welfare and
corporate soft money donations.
· Many organizations have come and gone due to their reliance on corporate and/or government
grants. We have been around this long, and plan to be around for a long time, because as long as we are
out on the streets organizing our funding us stable!
· Organizing takes money! Who do you think pays for the copy machine, telephone bills, etc.?
· ACORN is known for developing active members, because we ask them for money. Our members
become more motivated about their issues, campaigns, and organizational growth because they made an
investment in their organization.
· Lastly, be proud of the fact that you are a paid employee. Not only do you get to do the greatest and
hardest job in the world, but the funds you raise pay you, as well. You are a critical part to our ability to
grow, because more organizers means more members and more actions. Those bring more wins and
more power for our members.

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