2010 Census: Money on the Table
The Census, or the attempt to count every living person within the United States, is carried out every ten years. The results shape both Congressional representation and federal spending formulas that determine how money flows to the states. So if people don’t stand up to be counted, states lose both money and power. And since community organizations are trusted messengers, we have a vital role to play in making sure that our constituencies are counted and get their share of both money and representation.
Many groups Western States Center works with are particularly well suited to reach out to those who have historically been least likely to respond to the Census: poor or homeless people, immigrants and refugees, Native peoples, and other people of color. These groups tend to respond at below average rates, skewing the understanding of who lives in our communities and the allocation of resources in programs designed to meet their needs.
If you haven’t yet, the first thing to do is visit the Nonprofits Count! website and review their recommendations for supporting a complete count in your community. It can be as basic as adding a widget to your website or as engaged as door-knocking your regular turf. Some groups will find that their local communities have raised a small pool of money to help fund the work, but the real money comes via those federal dollars that are spent based on the size of the community itself. Undercounts in the Census mean under-funding down the road! In the last Census, only 65% of people responded. Much like using voting, the census is another tool that community groups can use to advance their own goals and make a difference at the state and federal level.
