Climate, Jobs, and Justice Canvasser | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Climate, Jobs, and Justice Canvasser

Position Title:  part-time door-to-door canvassers

Position Locations: Priority locations for these positions are listed below. 

  • Bowling Green

  • Louisville

  • Hazard

  • Other

Position Duration: August 16, 2021 through December 17, 2021

 

Who We Are

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is a grassroots organization with 12,000 members across the state. Together, we organize for a fair economy, a healthy environment, new energy and an honest democracy.

We believe in the power of community organizing – people working together to achieve common goals. Organizing empowers us to help shape decisions affecting our lives and the larger community. It's a long-term approach that focuses on building and exercising power, especially among people affected by injustice, to improve the quality of life for all.

We know that climate justice is deeply rooted in broader struggles to build a just, sustainable, and anti-racist Kentucky and a healthy democracy. That’s why, as part of a broad coalition of Kentuckians and allied organizations, one of our top priorities in 2021 is to build grassroots power for a Just Transition in Kentucky. We aim to do this by deepening relationships across a diverse coalition; investing in organizing -- especially in Black, brown, youth, and low-income white communities; training hundreds of grassroots leaders in deep canvassing and messaging; and knocking at least ten-thousand doors so that more Kentuckians are engaged and working together to demand, vote for, and win a bold agenda for climate, racial, and economic justice. 

We can only do this with a team of devoted canvassers, rooted in community, knocking doors and having honest conversations with strangers.

Congress has the opportunity right now to pass bold legislation on climate justice and good jobs. But in states like Kentucky, those priorities are contested ground. Kentuckians have mixed feelings about the Thrive Agenda because climate justice is being weaponized, being used as a wedge -- when we know it should be a bridge. This project is aimed at learning about how folks are thinking about the crisis we face and the solutions we need.

Kentucky has a number of races in 2022 that could set the course for bold action on climate justice and good jobs. This canvassing project is a critical step towards challenging the ways in which politicians are trying to divide us, and shifting the narrative that folks will take with them into the voting booth next year.

 

What You’ll Do:

Canvasser roles and responsibilities will vary depending on the needs of the KFTC region and individual skills. But mostly, you’ll be knocking doors and talking with your neighbors. 

Door-to-door canvassing: With this project, we’ll be using an approach called Deep Canvassing. Deep Canvassing uses story and narrative rather than facts and figures to change deep-seated attitudes around challenging topics.

Canvassers may also help to train and lead volunteers during door-to-door canvasses. They may also be responsible for data entry following canvass shifts.


Here’s What That Looks Like:

  • Learning! We will provide upfront and consistent training and practice. Canvassers are expected to be open to learning and to gain skills and confidence on the job. 

  • Door-to-door canvassing - using walk lists, scripts, and technology - to have long, engaging, and sometimes challenging conversations with Kentuckians about climate, jobs and justice. 

  • This work requires significant walking in many weather conditions, hilly terrain, and communities that may be unfamiliar to you.

  • Some shifts may be spent phone- and text-banking to recruit volunteers or to have conversations with people we can’t reach at the doors. 

  • Training and leading volunteers in door-to-door canvassing

  • Participating in weekly canvasser trainings and check-ins, and showing up with good spirit, curiosity, and consistency.

  • Data-entry (after the fact and while canvassing)

  • Contributing to a culture of mutual respect, support, accountability, appreciation and learning, based on good working relationships and communication with other staff

  • Other duties as assigned

 

Who You Are:

  • You have a demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of KFTC. You value justice and believe in the power of community organizing. You know that we can’t build a movement off of TV ads and social media -- that we need to build long-lasting, community based relationships for our movement to grow.

  • You love talking with people. You believe in the power of one-to-one conversations in our movement for justice.

  • You love teaching others, developing leadership in them, and seeing them thrive. 

  • You have a commitment to racial justice and diversity, and the ability to work well in diverse groups, especially with low-income communities and communities of color.

  • You’ve been told you’re a great listener! You might describe yourself as empathetic and caring.

  • You’re self-motivated and independent, and also work effectively in teams. You don’t need to be micromanaged in order to do your job well.

  • You’re a little thick-skinned. You can deal with rejection and know how to de-escalate potentially contentious situations. You know what it takes to stay calm, cool and collected.

  • You’re just fine being outside in all sorts of weather. You genuinely enjoy walking, exploring neighborhoods, and meeting new people. 

  • You’re willing to think and engage deeply with others about how climate, structural racism, and inequality intersect -- and why we need transformational, just solutions.

  • You’re reliable, organized, and responsive. 

  • You ask for help when you need it. You love learning new things and you don’t shy away from a challenge.

  • You prioritize your safety and feel capable of communicating your safety needs to your team and supervisor.

  • You have some access to wifi and are okay with communicating digitally when needed.

  • You have access to a car you can use for work (KFTC reimburses for mileage), or other ways to reliably get to work and to specific communities where we will be door-knocking.

 

Some Other Things you Might Want to Know:

  • These are contract positions. The pay is $20.00/hour, which takes into account KFTC’s hourly pay scale for employees, and then adjusts upwards to account for the fact that these positions are responsible for their own taxes and health coverage. 

  • Hours worked will range from 22 to 30 hours per week.

  • The projected start date for these positions is August 16, 2021. Positions are projected to end on December 17, 2021. 

  • Schedules will be consistent each week, plus four required Saturdays. You will have the option to add additional Saturday shifts. The planned schedule is as follows:

    • Monday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm (EST), focused on training and canvassing

    • Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm for canvassing in teams 

    • At least four Saturdays 9:00 am - 5:00 pm for training and canvassing with volunteers (Required Saturdays are Oct 9 and 23 and Nov 13, plus one Saturday in either August on September)

    • Additional Saturday canvassing shifts are optional 

  • This position requires moderate travel and working weekday evenings and weekends.

  • You will be required to attend an in-person, all-day training on August 16th in Lexington. Subsequent trainings will occur virtually via Zoom and in-person in local offices. 

  • KFTC is an equal opportunity employer; we strongly encourage people of color, trans folks, nonbinary folks and women to apply for open positions.

  • Currently, KFTC’s staff are 100% vaccinated against the COVID virus. You will be asked to voluntarily disclose your vaccination status, and expected to abide by CDC guidelines and KFTC health protocols.

  • The terms of the contract describe performance expectations and accountability.

 

Application Process

If you have any questions about this position please email [email protected] and write “Climate, Jobs, and Justice Canvasser position” in the subject line.