Site Map

Get invoLved!


What is Canvass for a Cause?

           A Brief History    Leadership Bios   Frequently Asked Questions
Founded • About • Overview • General • Mission • Products
Founded:
October 21, 2009

About:

Canvass for a Cause is incorporated as a 501(c)4 working to build support for the progressive movement. Staff and volunteers have worked on projects ranging from marriage equality, DADT, to cannabis reform, as well as international relief efforts.

Company Overview:

Canvass for a Cause is an organization dedicated to growing the progressive movement through public education, and voter persuasion projects for important human rights issues. Working on issues ranging from the fight for marriage equality, cannabis law reform, women rights issues, and international relief efforts, Canvass for a Cause empowers communities to take direct progressive action, and provides powerful organizing tools that allow the progressive movement to fight back effectively.

General Information:

Our goal is to end the boom and bust cycle that often plagues those who do progressive work. As we know, so much time is spent during campaign season recruiting and training volunteers, and then promoting and developing them into organizers. Yet once the campaign ends, all that work dissipates. Our efforts are focused on the face-to-face education and persuasion work that moves voters and wins elections.

Our strength is in our ability to tap into the power of the grassroots and the progressive movement. This marriage of organizing techniques enables the movement and the organizations that Canvass for a Cause works with to realize their full potential and enact further positive, meaningful change within their communities.

Mission:

To provide communities with an ability to further whichever progressive cause(s) they are passionate about through education, employment, fundraising, training, and the donations of human resources to causes throughout the progressive movement.
Projects:

We launched http://www.gaygroupsgiveback.org/, and organized a street canvass to benefit the American Red Cross and with our LGBT coalition partners dedicated to helping with the relief efforts after the Haitian earthquake.

We have worked with Marriage Equality USA on AIDS Walk San Diego, generating 15 new walkers and over $4,000 for AIDs services locally. For several months, we have recruited and operated the local Marriage Equality USA Project OUT-Reach canvass in San Diego.

During the 2010 election cycle, we partnered with Yes on Prop 19 to build support for the initiative that would Tax and Regulate Cannabis. With over 20 organizers working round the clock, our GOTV efforts were successful in producing 50,000 unlikely voters in San Diego county, resulting in a 5.5% increase in support meaning San Diego was 1/2% higher than the entire state in support.

When the San Diego City Council planned to vote on a proposed ordinance that would amount to a de facto ban on medical marijuana in the city, we leapt into action, building a campaign called 'Stop the Ban San Diego.' In partnership with many advocacy groups such as Americans for Safe Access, and the Drug Policy Alliance, our campaign produced thousands of letters to elected leaders from San Diego voters voicing their concern for this restrictive ordinance. If the city counsil votes to pass this ordinance, they will have done so in opposition to one of the largest grassroots voter-driven efforts in San Diego history.

In addition to working as donated staff on campaigns, Canvass for a Cause also uses its expertise to sponsor grassroots actions for other organizations that are in need of support.

 

Latest News