Polk County Canvasser

Environmental Career Center; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Food & Water Watch is seeking Iowa canvassers for a temporary contract position through November 3, 2026. The role involves extensive community engagement across Des Moines, Iowa City, and Davenport, with 20–39 hours per week at $25 per hour.

Report to a regional canvass director and help educate voters on core issues, collect petition signatures, and log activity in our outreach tool. An equal opportunity employer welcoming diverse applicants.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
• Commitment to Food & Water Watch's core values of justice and equity.

Responsibilities

• Knock on dozens of doors every day.
• Talk with voters about issues and ways to get involved.
• Log data in our voter outreach tool.
• Collect petition signatures to advance our key issues.

Skills

Verbal communication

Public speaking

Commitment to justice and equity

Job description

Food & Water Watch is reaching out to Iowans around the state to have conversations about the pollution running into our waterways, and the cancer crisis it is causing. We have been fighting for clean water for Iowans for over a decade. Last year, we stopped a law that would give industrial agriculture legal immunity against cancer claims. Now we're building a paid outreach team who are committed to educating and engaging voters and will have thousands of conversations around the state.

About Food & Water Watch:

Food & Water Watch is working to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come - a world where everyone has food they can trust, clean drinking water and a livable climate. Making this happen requires involving people in the pressing issues of our time at the local, state, and federal level, building on one win after another, as we develop a larger movement that has the political power to make our democratic process work.

About the position:

This is a 20-39 hours per week position. The position is temporary and lasts through November 3rd. Iowa Canvassers will report to a regional canvass director, based in either Des Moines, Davenport, or Iowa City. This is a contract position running through November 3, 2026.

Salary:

$25/hr

Location:

Des Moines, Iowa City, and Davenport, IA

Responsibilities:

• Knock on dozens of doors every day
• Talk with voters about our issues and ways for them to get involved
• Log data in our voter outreach tool
• Collect petition signatures to advance our key issues

Required Qualifications:

• Commitment to Food & Water Watch's core values of justice, human dignity, fair treatment, and equity.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse racial, ethnic, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.

Compensation:

$25/hr

Food & Water Watch is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Food & Water Watch (FWW) is committed to the health and safety of its staff members. Moreover, FWW, as an organization, promotes science-based policy. Science clearly shows that unvaccinated populations drive the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, and that unvaccinated people are more likely to contract COVID and experience severe symptoms. Effective immediately, prospective new staff members are required to provide proof of vaccination or request a waiver as a condition of their offer of employment.