Milestones: Bringing democracy to your doorstep

Why we canvass

Over 40 years, there have been many reasons why PIRG and the Fund have spent so much time and energy on perfecting the craft of canvassing citizens for support, action and giving.

A dramatic increase in funds

If you’ve ever canvassed for a cause, you know that one primary purpose of going door to door is fundraising.

Since 1980, canvassing helped dramatically increase the budget of the PIRGs, leading to an increase in the number of PIRG staff and the number of projects and campaigns undertaken or spun off by PIRG. Among them: in 1982, the Fund for the Public Interest; in 1983, a national lobbying office, U.S. PIRG; in 1984, the National Student Campaign for Voter Registration (now New Voters Project); in 1985, the National Environmental Law Center and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. And so forth over the years — Toxics Action Center (now Community Action Works), more states with PIRG offices and state environment group offices, Green Corps, Green Century Funds, Frontier Group, Environment America, Fair Share, Community Voters Project, Environmental Action, and the rest. All this was made possible by the members recruited, and money raised, by the canvasses.

Educating the public

There’s no shortage of information in today’s world, but not everybody engages in conversation about social problems, how we can solve them, and what people can do to bring about change. Canvassers bring these conversations directly to the people, unfiltered by media or other “bubbles” that leave people unaware of new information or points of view.

Over 40 years, PIRG and Fund canvassers have held millions of these conversations with the American people, about a broad range of issues including recycling, toxic chemicals, clean water, clean air, our national forests, wildlife, Wall Street reform, campaign finance reform, plastic pollution, clean energy and more.

The power of membership

Canvassing has also formed an important new power base for PIRG and other groups in The Public Interest Network.

For starters, there is inherent value in public interest organizations that are driven by the voluntary association of ordinary people as members. We’ve also motivated many of our members to take action and, in so doing, to become, whether consciously or not, activists.

And make no mistake, this grassroots action is the only thing that pushes campaigns over the goal line. No matter how many facts PIRG or other groups have on our side, the powerful interests on the other side of the issue will always win unless legislators see that their constituents care about an issue.

Democracy in the streets

Four decades later, there are now easier ways to reach people than piling into a car, driving to “turf” and knocking on doors. Yet it’s hard to beat face-to-face interaction when it comes to reinvigorating our democratic culture.

Canvassers go out there and talk to people about an issue, a program, which they can accept or reject, but even when they hustle the canvasser off their doorstep, we give them something to think about. The person at the door goes from spectator to participant, even if, sometimes, in the most minor way.

For the person who joins, their decision involves them more in civic life and makes democracy a little bit more real. But even for the person who says no, that person has to go back inside and know that there was someone out there, perhaps in the rain or snow and usually in the dark, who could be doing something easier and more remunerative, but who cares about something larger than themselves. And in that moment, maybe, we sense some progress.

About this series: PIRG and The Public Interest Network have achieved much more than we can cover on this page. You can find more milestones of our work on canvassing below. You can also explore an interactive timeline featuring more of our network’s canvassing milestones.