ORGANIZING A SIGN CAMPAIGN Presenter: Marilyn Birmingham Kingston Health Coalition.

ORGANIZING A SIGN CAMPAIGN

Presenter: Marilyn BirminghamKingston Health Coalition

Planning and preparing campaign

divide region into polls and prepare maps:

prioritize polls: best visibility, busy streets, corner locations, a few on every street, areas around hospitals

prepare maps: 200-250 houses per poll (can use election maps), define boundaries clearly so canvassers don’t cross into another person’s poll

divide large campaign regions into zones (groups of polls) as needed

place sign order form on web site & assign responsibility to pick up email orders.

Sample Map

Planning and preparing campaign(contd)

street index (poll key)

buttons/badges

sign request slips, location records

thank you notes

volunteer records

canvass boards

4.25x 5.5(print 4 per page and cut ) Sign Request Slip

Poll:________ Date:___________

Name:_______________________

Address:______________________

Phone:___________________

Instructions or Comments:___________

________________________________________________

Erected Date:_______________By:________________________

Lawn___ Window___ Large___

Poll:_____

NameAddress Phone Type

Street:_____________________

NameStreet # Phone Type

Location Records8.5x 11paper

Thank you note to household

Thanks very much for taking a sign in support of the Hamilton Stop the P3’s Campaign to keep our hospitals public.

If you have any questions or if we have put this sign on your property in error, you may reach us at 519-xxx-xxxx.

Our sign crew will take down your sign within a few days of the end of the campaign which will be the xth of March 200x(Let us know if you want to keep your sign up after end of campaign so we don’t remove it.)

Thanks againHamilton Health Coalition

8.5” by 5.5”

Name: _______________________________________

Address:______________________________________

Volunteer Record

Phone:____________ Email:______________________

Date Comments

Bristol Boardand

8.5” x 11”paper

Canvass Boards

Poll # Canvasser Status

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Natalie Mehra

Slash means taken

Matthew Gventer

Cross meanscompleted

1/2 Crossmeans started

not yetcompleted

Marilyn Birmingham

Planning and preparing campaign(cont)

Sign canvass instructions:

• to be written, not just verbal• suggestions re: what to wear• what to take along• suggested script

include when signs will be taken down (some people may keep them up if they wish)

• canvassing tips • campaign background information sheet• campaign contact information• thank canvasser for help

Sample canvass instructions will be on OHC web site. www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

Recruiting Volunteers (and immediate sign locations)

Contact lists: local health coalition supporters people who have signed petitions supporting organizations like Council of Canadians political parties (parties may have to phone own members) unions (unions may have to phone own members) brainstorm for other names When phoning for volunteers ask if will take a sign (to get quick visibility of campaign)

• Two teams: canvassers and sign erectors.

Starting the canvass

• slotting

• training

• going over the map

• badges or buttons

• follow up with canvassers

• blitz options

• sign crew to get requests filled within two days

• signs to be perpendicular to street

• thank you note to be put in mail box

• processing slips

envelope/box: signs needing to be put up envelope/ box: signs up and to be entered in book

Filling sign requests and maintaining records:

Large Signs:

• sign erectors responsible for assembling and placing

• municipal by-laws must be obeyed

• sign erectors to keep track of them and remove them

End of Campaign:

• use sign location book for removing signs

• take down signs within a day or two of end of campaign

• store signs for reuse or send them for recycling.

• keep sign location book future recruitment

• keep volunteer records for future involvement

• thank the people who volunteered by letter (and a party?)