Preparation and 
 Assignment of Lists 
 
 Bulletin III 
 United War Work Campaign 
 for $170,500,000 
 
 November 11-18, 1918 
 
 SERIES OF CAMPAIGN BULLETINS 
 
 I. 
 
 Organization in the City, Large or Small 
 
 II. 
 
 Organization in the County 
 
 III. 
 
 Preparation and Assignment of Lists 
 
 IV. 
 
 Victory Boys 
 
 V. 
 
 Victory Girls 
 
 VI. 
 
 The Campaign among Students 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Campaign in Industries 
 
 vin. 
 
 Publicity Organization and Distribution 
 
 IX. 
 
 Meetings: How to Plan and Conduct 
 
 X. 
 
 Campaign in Army and Navy Camps 
 
 XI. 
 
 Collection, Custody, and Forwarding of Funds 
 
 XII. 
 
 The Precinct Plan 
 
 Issued by the 
 OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 
 347 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/preparationassigOOunit 
 
PREPARATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF LISTS 
 
 THE CARD OR LIST PLAN 
 
 This pamphlet gives the most accurate information available on the 
 list plan. In the United War Work Campaign it is agreed as a na- 
 tional policy that the first four days of the campaign shall be devoted 
 exclusively to the canvass of lists. Information is given herein on 
 the best method of preparing and assigning these lists. 
 
 It is not only an important point of honor that during the first four 
 days of the canvass solicitors shall confine themselves strictly to the 
 names that have been placed on cards, but it has also the most 
 important bearing upon the success of the campaign. Any other plan 
 will mean that prospective givers will be approached for amounts 
 far below the scale upon which most of them ought to give. Further- 
 more, very many earnest canvassers have been discouraged and dis- 
 gusted in time past by making a visit at considerable inconvenience 
 to a man whose card they had, only to find that some other canvasser 
 who had disregarded the rules and who did not have the man's card 
 had been there in advance and had secured a minimum contribution. 
 The penalty in every case of this kind should be that the subscription 
 thus secured be credited to the person who had the card, no matter 
 who secured the pledge. 
 
 MAXIMUM RESULTS 
 
 It is of vital importance that where such a tremendous sum is to 
 be raised, the maximum results be secured from every person 
 who is approached. During the first four days of the canvass it is 
 imperative that all workers refrain from street canvassing, booths, 
 benefits, shops and factory canvasses, public collections and all mis- 
 cellaneous canvassing for fear that large prospective givers, not being 
 personally seen, may give small sums under a misapprehension of 
 the scale of giving required. It is the universal experience that the 
 team plan of campaign indicated in this pamphlet is the most suc- 
 cessful in securing large contributions. 
 
 THE LAST TWO DAYS 
 
 The last two days of the canvass will give full scope to the great 
 variety of methods whereby no one is permitted to feel that he has 
 been excluded. 
 
 A special pamphlet will be issued on the complete popular canvass 
 or so-called precinct plan. In this supplementary pamphlet we shall 
 
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suggest that the various number of smaller contributors necessary 
 to the success of the campaign be secured by a wide extension of the 
 team plan during the last two days of the campaign into factories and 
 trades, to labor unions and fraternal organizations and especially to 
 residential sections of the city through an organization known as 
 the precinct plan. 
 
 IMPORTANT 
 
 Almost without exception the canvass of the lists of men and women 
 of largest financial possibilities should be made by the business men 
 of the community. 
 
 The work of the women will be no less important in making very 
 largely the canvass in the precincts and the residential sections of the 
 community, which may also be made from lists. 
 
 It should always be borne in mind as of major importance that it 
 endangers the success of the Campaign if these methods of general 
 canvass begin before the canvass of the lists be completed. It is 
 therefore well to reiterate that they should be confined to the last two 
 days of the Campaign. 
 
 LISTING 
 
 To make the campaign a success it is positively necessary that we 
 follow the list plan for the first four working days of the Campaign. 
 It is necessary that during that period we secure the bulk of the large 
 contributions. These are secured by working systematically with 
 carefully prepared lists, which should be obtained from all sources in 
 the community. Each of the seven organizations which have com- 
 bined in this Campaign will have lists to be incorporated. 
 
 These lists should be copied first on the combined information and 
 pledge card. Names should be secured from lists of former subscribers 
 to various funds, from club rosters, from Dunn's and Bradstreet's and 
 from telephone directories. The cards should be alphabetically ar- 
 ranged as prepared. 
 
 Be Sure That Addresses Are Accurately Given and Clieck Over Care- 
 fully to Prevent Much Unnecessary Trouble to Canvassers. 
 
 When the list of names has been completed on cards, they should 
 be copied on sheets of paper eight and one half by thirteen and three 
 quarters inches, written on a typewriter, triple space with a margin 
 of two and a quarter inches on the left-hand side. 
 
 After the list is in complete alphabetical order, each card should 
 be numbered with a blue pencil as follows: Al, A2, A3; Bl, B2, B3; 
 CI, C2, C3, and so forth, until all the cards are numbered. This will 
 enable the cashier to put the cards in order quickly when returned 
 by the solicitor after securing the pledge. 
 
 The United War Work Campaign Committee should appoint a 
 committee, preferably credit men of the leading banks, to go over 
 
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the cards and make an estimate of the amount each person might 
 reasonably be expected to give if seen under the most favorable con- 
 ditions. This cannot be done with every card or person, but should 
 be done w^ith those who can give in substantial amounts. 
 
 It is important to make these estimates, because the United War 
 Work Campaign is a national affair requiring the largest sum of 
 money that has ever been raised by voluntary subscriptions in the 
 history of the world. People generally do not know how to appraise 
 themselves in such a vast enterprise. Business men nowadays do 
 not object to being asked for a definite amount on a scale which in 
 the judgment of a general committee is required if so large an amount 
 is to be secured. In most cases they prefer to have a definite amount 
 suggested. This kind of work has been done in all recent successful 
 campaigns for various objects with a great degree of success. One 
 of the most prominent business men in the latest Red Cross Campaign 
 emphasized this method of asking for definite amounts as the most 
 important factor in his wonderful success. 
 
 It is suggested that in approaching a man for a definite amount, 
 some such introduction as the following be used: "In securing our 
 
 allotrnent of $ the Committee has carefully studied the 
 
 situation and has determined that it will be necessary to have 
 
 men who will give $ each. The Committee wish us to ask 
 
 whether you will not be one of the subscribers to this amount." 
 
 MOVING CERTAIN NAMES FROM THE LIST 
 
 Before the lists of names have been given out to the team workers 
 for the selection of names as hereinafter indicated, the Committee on 
 Estimates should go through the cards and remove from them names 
 of those persons who in their judgment should give large amounts 
 and who should be solicited by the members of the Executive Com- 
 mittee or by individuals to whom the cards may be assigned. No 
 card should be withdrawn in this manner without carefully indicating 
 on the left-hand margin of the sheet the symbol Ex., indicating that 
 the Executive Committee will make the solicitation. 
 
 The Campaign will be conducted on the team system throughout 
 the entire country, as indicated below in this pamphlet. 
 
 After the team Captains have been secured, as indicated later in 
 this pamphlet, there should be distributed to them one week prior 
 to the Campaign a form on which they can submit thirty to fifty 
 names of firms and individuals whom they wish to canvass, together 
 with an amount which they think it will be possible for them to secure 
 from these firms and individuals. This indicating of amounts is 
 important, because it will guide the Committee in many cases in their 
 choice of the best available men to make the approach. These requisi- 
 tion sheets should be in the office of the United War Work Campaign 
 not later than Thursday, November 7th, so that they can be checked 
 
 5 
 
up with the Usts of cards in the office and all duplicates be eliminated. 
 
 The Committee on Estimates will then assign names listed m requi- 
 sition sheets of more than one team worker. u • i„^cr 
 
 The assignment card will be given to the worker who in the judg- 
 ment of the Committee on Estimates can best deal with each case. 
 
 As indicated later in this pamphlet, the first few hours of the actual 
 campaign will be given up to the canvassing of these names that have 
 been indicated in the requests. 
 
 NUMBER OF WORKERS NEEDED 
 
 The United War Work Campaign Executive Committee of a school 
 district, village or city, should determine how many workers de- 
 voting themselves earnestly to the task from November 11th to 18th 
 will be required to make a thorough canvass of the lists. In the 
 smaller communities or school districts, from one to ten teams of 
 ten men each will be required, one of whom will be the Captain. 
 In the larger communities, teams of nine men and a captain will be 
 organized with from ten teams to several hundred teams, according 
 to the size of the city. In making up the teams the constituency of 
 none of the seven agencies which have combined in the Campaign 
 should be overlooked. 
 
 TEAM CAPTAINS 
 
 The team Captains should first be selected. 
 
 The Executive Committee should prepare a most select small list 
 of the best availa'.)le men of the community for Captains of teams. 
 These, so far as possible, should be men of executive ability and 
 popularity, and with iniluential circles of friends. 
 
 The Executive Committee should then select from this list the 
 number of Captains of teams of ten workers that will be required 
 to canvass the lists thoroughly in four days. 
 
 When the Captains have been selected, they should in conference 
 together prepare a list of names of the best available workers to make 
 up the membership in their teams. Naturally the more influence, 
 enthusiasm, and salesmanship ability these men possess, the better 
 will be their daily reports. In conference the Captains should select 
 the men whom they wish for their teams. Captains then assume 
 the full responsibility for securing the acceptance of their teammates. 
 
 In larger communities each group of ten teams is usually made a 
 Division with a Division Leader. 
 
 PRELIMINARY GIFTS AND THE LARGER SUBSCRIPTIONS 
 
 To be completed between October 25th and November 8th. 
 
 It is of the utmost importance that the Executive Committer secure 
 from the list that has been reserved for them as indicated above a 
 
 6 
 
few of the larger subscriptions in advance of the Campaign, to set a 
 fairly high standard of giving. These large advance subscriptions 
 should in most cases be announced on the opening day of the Cam- 
 paign to inspire confidence and enthusiasm. 
 
 OPENING EVENT OF CAMPAIGN. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 8TH 
 The Campaign will open nationally with a very important dinner 
 attended by the entire team organization on Friday evening, Novem- 
 ber 8th. Every member of every team should be in his place at a 
 table reserved for his team at this opening dinner. 
 
 SELECTING NAMES 
 
 At the opening dinner there should be one or two very brief inspira- 
 tional talks, after which the Committee should go to work selecting 
 from the lists prepared in advance additional names to be canvassed. 
 The program should be brief to allow ample time for selecting names. 
 For this purpose the lists should be divided into the number of sections 
 corresponding to the number of teams. One part of the lists should be 
 laid on each table to remain there while the team goes over it, selects 
 the names of the people whom the team selects to see, and marks 
 the number of the team before each name chosen. 
 
 At the end of five minutes all the lists will be passed along and 
 each team will have a second choice from each list passed into its 
 hands. Then the lists are passed again and again until each team 
 has been through all the divisions of the lists. 
 
 It is important that the teams do thorough work on these lists at 
 the opening dinner, taking practically all the names. 
 
 The method of indicating that these names have been taken is as 
 follows: Mark distinctly on the left-hand margin of the lists the 
 number of the team. At the same time the numbers are put on order 
 blanks. These order blanks are given to the office force, which will 
 at once withdraw the cards and return them to the team captains 
 on the following morning. 
 
 Members of teams will think of names that are not on the lists. 
 Requisition blanks will be provided on which these names may be 
 written by the team members. If they have not already been taken, 
 they will be assigned to the man making requisition for them. 
 
 The National Campaign agreement is that the first four days of 
 the six working days must be occupied exclusively in getting the 
 largest possible subscriptions from the names that have been listed. 
 The last two days may then be devoted generally to securing a great 
 number of small subscriptions under the precinct plan. 
 
 TEAMS' PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS 
 
 The team workers should by all means make their own subscriptions 
 at the opening dinner of the Campaign. This makes an impression 
 
 7 
 
upon the community such as nothing else will do. The personal 
 subscription of the canvasser has a marked effect in preparing him 
 for the business of soliciting from other people. It is impossible for 
 a worker to exert much influence if he has not himself made his largest 
 possible sacrifice. It is a great talking point to say: "Before our 
 teams started out to ask anybody else they themselves subscribed 
 
 a total of $ " 
 
 Each team worker when he has secured a pledge or contribution 
 should mark plainly his own name on the assignment pledge card on 
 
 the line: "Obtained by ," together with his team 
 
 number. 
 
 CASH PAYMENTS 
 
 As a matter of accountancy, if the pledge is paid in full clip the 
 check on the back of the card and write across the face: "Paid," 
 together with the date of payment. 
 
 If only partial payments are made, the amounts should be en- 
 dorsed on the back of the cards in the space provided for the endorse- 
 ment. In case of cash subscriptions given anonymously, a card marked 
 "anonymous" should be made out for check collected and the check 
 clipped on the back of the card and marked on the face "Paid." 
 
 IF DECLINED 
 
 In case the canvasser is unable to secure a subscription the assign- 
 ment card bearing the person's name should be turned over at the next 
 noon report together with a report of the interview written under 
 "Remarks." 
 
 8