Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to temporarily block the government from including a citizenship question on the 2020 Census hits the pause button on a critical ruling that will impact how millions of people are counted and how billions of dollars are appropriated for the next decade.
But while lawyers and government officials scramble to respond to this decision, philanthropy cannot afford to stand still.
In the days and weeks that follow today’s long-awaited ruling, foundations and nonprofits that have already been working to ensure a fair and accurate count must commit to do more.
While this drama plays out in the courts and among pundits, philanthropy must continue to lay the groundwork for aggressive, community-based outreach in areas that are most prone to undercounts.
The census is simply too important to our communities to risk anything less. It has an impact on government funding, representation, and how foundations and nonprofits approach their work in every corner of our country. According to a study by the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy, the census determines how roughly 300 federal programs allocate more than $800 billion annually. The same study found that every person missed in the 2010 Census costs residents in that person’s home state $1,091.
The Constitution requires the government to count every person living in the United States every 10 years. This is, of course, a massive and complicated process — and one fraught with challenges.
Historically, some populations have been undercounted in the census: communities of color, low-income households, immigrants, rural households, and young children.
Special Challenges This Time
Undercounts happen for many reasons. People may not understand the census, they may distrust the government, or they’re afraid to share their information. Whatever the reason, undercounts deprive communities of critical resources and representation.
But the 2020 census poses challenges that didn’t exist in 2010.
A recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau spotlighted a number of barriers in 2020, including concerns about data privacy and distrust of the government. But while similar concerns have existed for decades, two stand out in 2020:
1. The current climate for immigrants. Concerns are mounting that immigrants and children of immigrants will be afraid to participate in the census — the result of recent efforts by the government to separate parents and children at the border and increased raids by ICE. The push to add the citizenship question only heightens these fears.
2. The move to online questionnaires. For the first time, census data will be collected primarily online, which will help manage costs and make it easier for those with access to the internet to participate. But it will also make it harder for people without reliable internet access — most of whom live in areas that are already historically undercounted.
These challenges aren’t confined to one demographic or one area of the country. They affect those living in urban and rural areas, red and blue states, the coasts, and middle America.
What’s more, the government is still not properly equipped to handle these challenges. The Government Accountability Office labels the 2020 census as a high-risk program, due to worries about adequate funding, planning, and monitoring.
What Philanthropy Is Doing
Philanthropy has already been stepping up on this issue.
A number of national foundations have committed substantial resources to the effort. And, as the leaders of community foundations centered in Michigan, New York, and Washington State, we’ve been actively leading focused efforts in our home states to both raise and allocate money for census outreach. We also advocate for our partners in state and local government to work closely with us to advance important, on-the-ground work related to the census.
The New York State Census Equity Fund has raised more than $1.8 million to date and granted $628,000 to nonprofits in the state to help reach hard-to-count communities.
Southeast Michigan Counts — through a statewide nonprofit fundraising campaign that includes the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Ballmer Group, the Council of Michigan Foundations, and the Michigan Nonprofit Association — plans to contribute up to $1 million for similar outreach in historically undercounted communities in its region.
In Washington State, the Seattle Foundation, King County, and the cities of Seattle, Bellevue, and Kirkland are collectively investing more than $1 million in a Regional Census Fund, with $700,000 in grants announced just following the Supreme Court ruling. This is in addition to the statewide Washington Census Equity Fund, supported by philanthropic partners.
Our community foundations are also actively involved in petitioning state and local lawmakers to address this critical issue. And many of our peers are leading similar efforts in their own communities.
Outreach Makes a Difference
But here’s the rub — these investments are likely to fall short of what’s needed if they are not directed strategically and supplemented by additional support. We cannot afford to squander opportunities.
A targeted approach involves working directly with community-based nonprofits that have credibility and trust. Our experience during the 2010 census shows that concentrated outreach efforts can make a big impact on results, especially in communities that are typically undercounted.
For instance, the Long Island 2010 Census Initiative invested $340,000 in community-focused census outreach efforts. In turn, 19 of the 23 census tracts in which the Initiative focused its efforts on Long Island showed increased response rates, including a sharp 21 percent increase in Central Islip.
With this in mind — and knowing the unique challenges that are connected to the 2020 census — we urge our colleagues in philanthropy to take steps to consider the following approaches:
- Use data to identify the hardest-to-count communities and target investments to these regions.
- Expand access to internet service in hard-to-count communities and improve the digital literacy of people living in those communities.
- Build connections between hard-to-count populations and trusted nonprofit partners.
- Bolster support to hard-to-count communities where government has fallen short in providing assistance.
The Supreme Court’s decision only raises the stakes for those who are pushing for an accurate 2020 census. We cannot afford to drop the ball — or to invest our resources poorly.
Tony Mestres is president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation. Mariam Noland is president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Lorie Slutsky is president of the New York Community Trust.
