Our Approach
A Different Way to Canvass
We use the power of personal stories to connect emotionally with voters and motivate them to vote.
Our conversations frame voting as a way to take care of the people we love. This approach of centering of love – through long-form conversations about the people in our lives – is proven to have an impressive impact on voter turnout and motivation.
Personal stories are at the heart of our approach.
We connect the act of voting to the people in our lives. We do this by sharing stories about the people in our lives and inviting voters to do the same. Sharing personal stories also allows us to develop meaningful connections with voters based on empathy and respect – the basis for honest and effective conversations.
Research shows this is the most effective form of voter persuasion ever measured.
Before You Canvass
Attend a Story Workshop to craft your personal story and get trained on how to establish meaningful connections with voters.
The purpose of the Story Workshop is to craft your personal story and to learn how to use that story to motivate voters. We don’t just hand you a list of voters and a script. Our dedicated coaching team equips you with the tools you need to reach and activate unlikely voters through meaningful, effective conversations.
Become an Experienced Canvasser
We’re building a community of lifelong learners – so we ask canvassers to be part of a story workshop prep session before canvassing each time.
If you’ve already attended three story workshops and/or canvassed three times, we’ll ask you to join an advanced pod at the story workshop.
Even the best canvassers are always fine tuning their stories because that’s a big part of what makes deep canvassing effective. It’s always good to continue refining and making sure the story you’re telling resonates with people, get additional feedback, and practice a muscle that you’re going to be using on the canvass day.
Who are the voters we talk to?
We engage unlikely voters.
Engaging unlikely voters (or low-propensity voters), who have sat out at least one of the previous three presidential elections, is key to preserving democracy. Unfortunately, they are also the very people conventional campaigns and operations often consider too costly to reach.
Beginning in Fall 2025, we’ve begun working in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A couple hours west of Philadelphia, Harrisburg is the state capital. It’s also the biggest city in Pennsylvania’s Tenth Congressional District, and offers one of our best chances to stop Trumpism.
We’ve made local connections thanks to engaged volunteers who live in the area. We’re excited to partner with groups and individuals there and train them on deep canvassing. Join us to canvass — learn more here.
Our strategy represents one of the most effective, yet under-resourced, pathways to protecting democracy and increasing civic engagement. We know this strategy works with constituencies like ours, who are often ignored or deprioritized by traditional canvassing operations. Our results prove that these voters and our approach are worth the investment.
Our results
We have a strong track record in Pennsylvania and New York dating back to 2018.
We have developed a systematized canvassing training method that incorporates story workshops, volunteer coaching, individual follow-up, canvassing evaluations, and other innovative methods designed to help our team connect with voters on a deep level that cuts through widespread voter apathy. As a result, our canvassers enter the field well prepared to have meaningful conversations and a lasting impact on the community. In 2024, 79% of voters we engaged cast ballots—21 points greater than their comparable neighbors. Read more about our impact.