My first nonprofit job was in 1996 as a door-to-door canvasser to raise money for the Florida Public Interest Research Group. It was hard and felt like a crapshoot. But it taught me the value of perseverance and not taking no for an answer. I canvassed for six summers in my teens and twenties, all the while knowing there had to be a more efficient way to reach our potential supporters. We were a kick-ass group and we knew that the right people would support us when we found them.