Below are various resources, tips, and guides to help you get started on the ground in your community.
Canvassing
Canvassing is how we turn concern into participation.
It doesn’t require experience, special training, or a big organization. It starts when a few people decide to take responsibility for a real place — a block, a building, a few streets — and go talk to their neighbors.
This is political work. Not because it’s loud or symbolic, but because it builds collective power where people actually live.
WHAT CANVASSING IS (AND ISN’T)
Canvassing is:
Knocking on doors
Having real conversations
Listening more than talking
Inviting people into shared action
Canvassing is not:
Debating
Convincing people of ideology
Selling a program
Rushing through interactions
You’re not there to win an argument. You’re there to find your people.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Get a small group together
Two to five people is enough. One person can do it alone, but it’s better together.
Choose a real, manageable area
One block. One apartment complex. A few streets.
Start small so you can follow up.
Pick a clear reason to knock
For example: Inviting people into Good Neighborhoods, councils, shared projects, or a kickoff event like a BBQ or block gathering.
Set a simple goal
Meet 20 neighbors
Identify 3–5 people who want to stay involved
Invite everyone to a kickoff event
WHY THIS MATTERS
Canvassing is how we:
Break isolation
Identify leaders
Build trust
Create the base for councils and collective decision-making
Without this step, nothing else holds.
START THE CONVERSATION
“Hey, my name is _______. I live / organize around here. I’m out today because we’re starting something called Good Neighborhoods — basically helping people on the block get to know each other and actually work together. Have you heard anything about it yet?”
If they haven’t:
“It’s a local program where neighbors come together through councils, shared projects, and regular gatherings — stuff like block meetings, BBQs, youth activities — so people aren’t dealing with everything alone.”
ASK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE
“How do you feel about this neighborhood right now?”
“Do people here know each other?”
“When something goes wrong, does anyone step in?”
“Is there anything you wish worked better around here?”
Let them talk. Your job is to listen, not steer.
If they name a problem:
“Yeah, that shouldn’t be something one person has to handle.”
If they say things are mostly okay:
“What do you think makes it work?”
“Who usually helps keep things together?”
NAME WHAT’S MISSING (PLAINLY)
A lot of neighborhoods have good people — but no way to act together.
People care, but:
Everyone’s busy
No one knows who to call
There’s no shared plan
Leadership falls on the same few people, if anyone at all
Good Neighborhoods exist to change that — by creating real participation, not just complaints or group chats.
Say this in your own words. Keep it human.
PAINT A REAL PICTURE
“If just one or two of us try to fix something, it usually doesn’t go far.”
“But if people on the block actually know each other, meet up, and make decisions together — that’s when things move.”
“That’s why we’re starting with something simple: a kickoff event. A BBQ, a block gathering — a reason for people to meet face to face.”
“That’s also how we figure out who wants to step up and help lead.”
MAKE THE ASK
“Does this sound like something you’d want to be part of?”
If not right now:
That’s okay. Thank them for their time. Leave info. Keep it respectful.
If yes: move to concrete steps.
Get their contact info
So they can hear about meetings, events, and decisions.
Invite them to the next meeting or event
“We’re trying to get as many neighbors out as possible so this actually belongs to the block.”
Look for leadership
“Are you someone who’d want to help organize?”
“Is there anyone on this block people already trust?”
A NOTE FOR CANVASSERS
You don’t need to say everything on this page. You’re not delivering a script.
Your goal is to:
Find people who care
Invite them into something real
Leave the door open for more
People's Assemblies
HOW TO RUN A GOOD PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
A People’s Assembly is just neighbors coming together in the same place, at the same time, to talk seriously about where things are going and what they want to do together.
It doesn’t matter what you call it. A town hall. Community assembly. Neighborhood meeting. Whatever, it doesn't matter.
What matters is that people show up, speak, listen, and leave knowing how to stay connected.
WHAT A PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY IS
A Good People’s Assembly is:
Open
Local
Grounded in real conditions
Focused on collective direction and next steps
It is not:
A lecture
A campaign rally
A space for one person to dominate
KEEP IT SIMPLE
You don’t need permits, microphones, or perfect facilitation.
You need:
A place (yard, park, community room, block corner)
A time people can make
Food
Food matters.
Not because it’s symbolic, but because it lowers the barrier to participation.
BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY
Pick a clear location
Somewhere familiar and easy to find.
Invite people directly
Door knocking works best. Texts and flyers help. Remind people the day before.
Be clear about why you’re meeting
You’re not hiding the politics. You’re not over-explaining either.
“This is a neighborhood gathering to talk about where things are going and what we can do together.”
Decide who’s facilitating
One or two people who can keep things moving and make space for others.
WELCOME + GROUNDING
Thank people for coming. Acknowledge that time is valuable.
Explain plainly:
“We’re here to bring people together, share a direction for the future, hear what’s happening right now, and figure out how to keep meeting.”
SHARE THE VISION — 2027
Lay out the vision in clear, concrete terms. Not slogans. Not hype.
Talk about:
What kind of neighborhoods we want by 2027
What participation could look like
Why waiting on institutions hasn’t worked
Why people organizing themselves matters
This is not a speech. It’s an invitation.
GET INPUT ON THE VISION
Ask questions like:
“What about this feels real to you?”
“What feels missing?”
“What would make this actually work here?”
Let multiple people speak.
Facilitators should make sure no one dominates.
This is how the vision becomes ours, not yours.
HEAR IMMEDIATE GRIEVANCES
Ask plainly:
“What’s not working right now?”
“What problems keep coming up on this block / in this neighborhood?”
Write these things down.
Be honest:
Not everything can be fixed immediately. That’s okay.
The point is to:
Name real conditions
See patterns
Figure out what’s within current capacity
MATCH PROBLEMS TO CAPACITY
For each issue, ask:
“Is there something we could actually do about this?”
“Who would be willing to help?”
“What’s a small first step?”
This is where seriousness shows up. No false promises. No moral pressure. Just reality.
HOW TO MAKE IT LAST
An assembly that doesn’t continue becomes a memory.
Before people leave, you must do this.
Collect contact info
Email list, phone numbers, or both.
Decide how people will stay connected
Options:
Neighborhood email list
Group chat
Facebook group
Regular meeting schedule
It doesn’t matter which platform. What matters is consistency.
Name the next gathering
Even if it’s tentative.
“Same place, two weeks from now.”
Momentum beats perfection.
Identify people willing to help organize
People who will:
Help set up
Reach out to neighbors
Keep communication going
A NOTE ON TONE
People’s Assemblies should feel:
Welcoming
Serious
Grounded
Shared
Not performative. Not chaotic. Not controlled by one voice.
If people leave feeling respected and connected, you did it right.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This is how collective life is rebuilt. Not through statements. Not through online discourse.
Through people gathering, eating together, speaking honestly, and deciding what comes next.
That’s how 2027 becomes real.