Canvassing is a strategic campaign process targeted towards voter identification and/or "getting out the vote" (GOTV), but is also utilized by many nonprofit organizations as a means of fundraising and development. In most cases, neigborhood volunteers or paid workers go door-to-door or stand on busy streets and talk to targeted voters/members, oftentimes soliciting funds. Canvassing can also be done over the phone, aka telemarketing, but in this case canvassers only contact previously identified voters/members.

While many observers hail canvassing as the epitome of grassroots politics, in some cases, certain canvassing organizations have been criticized for exploiting the cheap labor of idealistic youth.
 

Online Resources
A Beginner's Guide to Door-to-Door Canvassing

Some Dangers of Door-to-Door Canvassing
 

Professional Canvassing Services:
Grassroots Campaigns Inc.,
http://www.grassrootscampaigns.com/index.php

United States Public Interest Research Group:
http://www.uspirg.org/

Analysis
Yale study on the effectiveness of canvassing in terms of cost/benefit analysis:
http://www.yale.edu/vote/canvassing.html

Article dealing with the canvassing industry during the 2004 Presidential Election:
http://www.altweeklies.com/gyrobase/AltWeeklies/Story?oid=oid%3A136188
 

Series of articles about problems of canvassing and progressive youths:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2787/