“Deep canvassing conversations are not easy, but nothing worth doing is. When you are able to connect with a community member and create a space to have a judgement free conversation about the life experiences that shape our vision of the world, it opens doors for conversations neither person has had. To be able to process the dominant narratives we hold close to us, but we don’t question, in real time and understand what role they play in our lives and the impact they have – and finishing the conversation with a tangible action can be life changing.” – Volunteer Canvasser Ananiya A.
Here at UNE, we believe that real change comes from motivated people who build collective power alongside their neighbors and community members. To understand how to grow that collective power and build economic and political systems that work for everyone, we’ve been taking the time to talk and listen to people at their doors and unpack the thoughts and feelings that they have about their lives and current worries.
Our Deep Canvassing program is designed to learn about the problems our communities face and help people understand more about the corporations and the wealthy few that really benefit while the rest of us are hurting. We’re talking to all kinds of people, across race, gender, backgrounds, and party affiliation — and we’re committed to listening, story sharing, and building power across our differences. While the ultra-wealthy want us to feel divided, our deep conversations on the doors remind us that we have more in common with our neighbors than we might think.
“A week ago, if you’d told me that two strangers could have a vulnerable and curious conversation from different perspectives…I would have thought it was a nice idea but I’m not sure I’d have believed it. Then I went deep canvassing for UNE and that’s exactly what happened. I talked with a complete stranger in his driveway and in a little over fifteen minutes we both knew about each other’s lives, listened to each other’s opinions without judgement, and agreed that TABOR isn’t good for Coloradans. I got some of my faith in humanity back in just one afternoon.” – Volunteer Canvasser Ren S.
Deep canvassing programs are designed to change how people think and behave in a lasting way by talking to voters at their doors, listening to and learning about their experiences, and sharing about our own. This proven voter contact method was pioneered by organizers in California during the marriage equality movement, and lets us talk to voters across our communities while shifting the dominant narratives that we all tell ourselves.
UNE has been working with the New Conversations Initiative on a script that would enable us to talk to everyday people in order to build fully funded communities that have what they need. As we work towards reforming and restructuring our state’s tax system, we know that we first need to understand the ways that our communities are thinking about taxes and systems like the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (or TABOR). Now, we have been putting that script into action through volunteer canvasses that teach people how and why we canvass before sending them out to knock doors themselves. Scroll down for more information on how to get involved!
Frequently Asked Questions:
This program is running right now and will continue to run monthly as weather permits. Check the sign-up form above for upcoming dates. Pre-trainings are held on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Each Saturday canvass runs from 9:30 am to 3 pm. All canvass attendees MUST attend a pre-training before arriving at a canvass.
Locations for this program vary slightly depending on the date, but all training and canvassing locations will be within Adams County.
Our deep canvassing program is designed with two parts: training and canvassing. In order to fully understand the methods and tools behind deep canvassing, all participants must attend both portions. This means that our program is currently limited to Wednesday pre-trainings and Saturday canvasses run by UNE and cannot be replicated in other areas.
If you’re here in Colorado but can’t canvass, you can still contribute by phonebanking or providing logistical support on canvass days! Just make sure to check the “I’d like to contribute in other ways” option on our form.
If you’re out of state or won’t be able to make it in person, please consider contributing to UNE’s work by joining our mailing list, following us on socials, or donating to support our Deep Canvassing work today.
