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Description

TITLE: CANVASSING FELLOW

LOCATION: Detroit (Michigan) - In-person

ANNUAL COMPENSATION: $25/hr

RETENTION BONUS: $750 (must remain on staff through Nov 8th, 2025)

POSITION DURATION: This position is considered temporary and will conclude on November 8, 2025.

POSITION SUMMARY

Are you someone who has an interest in how politics shapes our lives? Have you ever seen or experienced systemic oppression and felt a calling to dismantle it? Are you someone that doesn’t feel wholly represented by business as usual politics? Are you looking for a high energy political home focused on justice for the 2025 election cycle and beyond? Are you an amazing canvasser, desperate to win not only this election but also liberation?

The Movement Politics Fellowship is a recruitment and training program for rising organizers who are passionate leaders of all social justice movements; especially economic equity, immigrant rights, workers rights. Fellowship graduates will be connected with other professional development opportunities, job opportunities, academic support, and join a growing alumni network.

MI United / MI United Action is going to contact hundreds of thousands of voters in 2025 with strategic resolve and an ambitious voter contact strategy. In 2022 and 2024 we were the source of the largest voter contact program not affiliated with organized labor or a political party, this year we’re planning on scaling that program to effect change in the Detroit municipal elections and we need you to help us to once again execute an incredibly large and complex independent voter canvassing campaign.

We are looking for a team of high energy individuals to become our Movement Politics Lead Fellows. Under the mentorship and supervision of Michigan United staff, lead fellows will be proficient in all the responsibilities of fellows: conducting extensive outreach (primarily through door to door conversations) into the community to register, educate and mobilize voters for the coming 2025 municipal elections in Detroit. Additionally, lead fellows will be expected to provide daily support to the management team in the following ways: setting the standard in terms of metrics and door conversation quality, shadowing fellows and giving feedback on door conversations, supporting launches and onboardings, and providing other support in the turf as necessary.

Our electoral program differs from most because our Fellows and Managers will participate in an ongoing training program to learn how to motivate others toward action, to learn the history of and challenges facing the social justice movement, and to develop a systems-based analysis of the power structures at the local, state, and federal level.

MI United’s Theory of Change:

Michigan United is building a vibrant, inclusive movement in Michigan where community members are organizing to build power to affect change at local, state, and national levels. We are working to dismantle systemic barriers perpetuating inequality by building power. Michigan United defines power as the ability to act, and it comes in the form of organized people and organized money. We focus on issues from a racial, economic, and gender justice lens. We are a hub of people-centered leadership development, issue organizing, and civic power building. We are movement builders.

Michigan United’s theory of change is rooted in our core values. We start from the position that everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential and live with dignity. We’re committed to bridging gaps and fostering unity across different communities, recognizing that our destinies are linked in the fight for equity and justice.

Michigan United is dedicated to dismantling white supremacy, economic injustice, and patriarchy, transforming lives through tangible victories and leadership development. We believe in the power of a united community driven by a shared vision and strategic action, capable of making significant impacts at local, state, and national levels. Our focus on organizing communities, training leaders, and tackling systemic barriers is crucial in shaping Michigan's future.

Our commitment to a movement that reflects our multiracial base is at the core of our work, guiding us as we organize and mobilize communities, build collective power, and seek just outcomes. We are steadfast in these principles, aiming to create a Michigan where government and economy are inclusive, accountable, and equitable.

Michigan United's approach is grounded in practicality, driven by our values, and focused on building a state where dignity, equity, and justice are realities, not just aspirations. Through strong relationship-building, continuous leadership development, and strategic collective action, we pave the way for the radical, systemic changes our communities need and deserve.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

As a Canvassing Fellow, your responsibilities will consist of executing our electoral canvassing program by using door to door canvassing tactics. You will report directly to a Canvassing Fellowship Manager.

Your typical week responsibilities could look similar to this:

• Splitting time between shadowing fellows, training and retraining fellows, supporting launches/onboarding and be able to personally canvass
• Roughly 25 hours / week spent in turf shadowing and giving feedback to canvassers, providing material support to fellows and frequently communicating with the canvass manager(s) to successfully execute each day’s canvass
• Participating in a daily briefing with the canvassing team to receive daily instructions and updates
• Preparing and organizing materials for daily canvassing
• Once on turf you will be responsible for completing the canvassing of that list and recording details of that conversation in the MiniVAN app
• Debriefing daily with the canvassing team
• Practicing and learning organizing skills through a specific training curriculum

Programmatic responsibilities would include:

• Setting the standard for door knocks and conversation quality
• Shadowing fellows on doors and giving feedback after conversations with voters
• Supporting launches and onboardings
• Leadership on the team, building team culture and morale
• Troubleshooting on turf as necessary
• Executing a high energy electoral canvass rooted in MI United / MI United Action’s theory of change
• Ensuring canvass data integrity
• Receiving and providing feedback on training materials and curriculum
• Collecting stories, videos, photos, and other multimedia to use for promotion
• Attending staff development trainings and fellowship training opportunities
• Occasional relational outreach via SMS to family and friends to engage them around issues and the election
• At the end of the election you will be transitioning new and newly activated leaders to a permanent organizer

REQUIREMENTS

• A commitment to MI United Action’s theory of change and a strong commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice and their intersections, both inside and outside the organization
• Impeccable integrity and commitment to setting the highest standard for the rest of the team
• A desire to learn and grow as a leader or as as organizer
• Previous experience working with a culturally, religiously, and economically diverse staff
• A bold desire to talk to people you meet, hear and share stories, and ask people to take action
• Able to stand and walk for extended periods of time
• Effective communication skills and comfortability working with the public, talking to strangers, and asking people to take action
• Reliable transportation/ability to drive to and from canvassing locations
• A data-capable smartphone
• Not required, but would be advantages to success in this role: A high energy, highly organized, self starter capable of executing plans and implementing creative solutions to problems, ability to work with with a team to achieve a common goal, multi-lingual (particularly spanish and arabic), familiarity with MiniVAN, and previous canvassing experience

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Employees must be in person and based in Detroit, Michigan. There will be in-person events, meetings, and activities. Our work schedule is standard business hours with flexibility. Evenings and weekends are occasionally required.

BENEFITS

• Health Insurance and a $600/year Health Savings Account or monthly Health insurance stipend are available after 90 days of employment
• Paid time off (Accruing at 4.616 hours every two weeks (subject to black out dates around primary and general elections)
• Paid sick time policy beginning at 16 hours and accruing up to 80 hours
• Floating Holiday Policy
• Mileage reimbursement policy
• Phone stipend, if you use your own device

OUR COMMITMENTS

DISABILITY, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

MI United / MI United Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer; womxn, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.

TRAINING

MI United / MI United Action has a robust training program that will be made available to all Lead Canvassing Fellows as part of their work schedules. Training may include developing organizer skills such as how to properly do 1:1’s and cut issues strategically, storytelling, and self interest.

DEVELOPMENT

MI United / MI United Action believes in transformational, not transactional, organizing. We take our duty to develop our members, volunteers, leaders, and staff into the next generation of this movement’s leaders very seriously. Previous staff and current members, volunteers, and leaders are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to apply.

APPLICATION DETAILS

• Submit resume, statement of interest, and three references (at least two references must be work-related, one may be personal)
• You may apply via Paylocity. If you are having difficulties uploading your materials to paylocity please send them via email to: [email protected]. Please do not submit your resume to both Paylocity and our email.
• Please put the name of the position you are applying for in the email subject line
• Resumes that do not adhere to these instructions will be discarded

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

Michigan United is a statewide organization of community members and institutions fighting for the dignity and potential of every person. Michigan United organizes along with the following issue areas: immigrants’ rights, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, rural issues, healthcare, and civic engagement. Michigan United, along with Michigan United Action, our affiliated 501(c)(4), is serious about building long-term, political power with the aim of transforming our political and economic system into one that puts people and the planet first. Our main office is in Southwest Detroit, with additional offices in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Flint.

As a racial and economic justice organization, we actively encourage individuals who are underrepresented on the basis of race, ethnicity, income, gender identity, and sexual orientation, as well as those who share the life experiences of the members we serve, to apply.

Michigan United is represented by SOUL of MU & MUA (Statewide Organized United Labor of Michigan United and Michigan United Action), affiliated with the Newspaper Guild of Detroit, Local 34022. The person hired for this position will not become a bargaining unit member.