Census 2020 questions? We have answers!

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The 2020 Census is right around the corner, and we know you have questions about how your organization can advocate around it. The census is a crucial opportunity for the groups we serve to have proper representation, and it’s also a critical factor in determining how federal support is allocated to nonprofits. Bolder Advocacy is here to answer your questions and help your organization get involved in the census while complying with the law.

We’ve seen a number of nonprofits stepping up to advocate for a full count – they are ensuring that historically hard-to-reach populations are represented accurately. In Alabama, the Alabama Hard-to-Count Collaborative – a group of five nonprofits – are collaborating to prevent an undercount. In California’s Central Valley, 501(c)(3) public charities that empower Latinx and immigrant populations have come together to make sure the groups they serve are counted.

There are also questions brought on by the Trump administration’s attempt to include a citizenship question on the census. The Supreme Court’s decision on this case resulted in the exclusion of the question that would track citizenship status, but there is still work to be done to ensure this census is fair, inclusive and accurate.

The good news is that nonprofits can safely participate in census advocacy and litigation. Ready to join in? We’ve pulled together all of our census resources to help you make sense of the rules while advocating boldly. If you have more questions, you can always reach us on our free technical assistance hotline (1-866-NP-LOBBY) or at advocacy@afj.org.