U.S. Census Outreach Resources for nonprofits

Posted by on January 11, 2010

U.S. Census Outreach Resources

It only comes once a decade, so make it count! The U.S. Census, conducted once every ten years, serves as the primary lens to understanding our population.  An important part of the U.S. Census is to determine and distribute federal funds to state and local governments of roughly $400 billion a year — or $4 trillion over a ten-year period.  Census experts estimate that for every  person not counted in 2010, a local government could lose $12,000 during the next ten years in federal funding alone.  Therefore, communities of low- to moderate-income households can be severely impacted by the Census results.

As a direct service provider to communities of low- to moderate-income households, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites can leverage the tax time opportunity to encourage clients to fill out the Census form.  Help your clients understand how vitally important the U.S. Census is for them, their families and their communities and how easy it is to complete the form.

Get more information, like Census Resources for Nonprofits, Census Promotion at VITA Sites and Connecting with Local Census staff at http://www.tax-coalition.org.