Nonprofits Count! 2010 Census Workshop

Minnesota

Agenda

Introduction Basics about the Census

Why it’s important How it works

Barriers to a complete count ‘Be the Enumerator’ game

Seven simple things you can do Practice conversation about Census with your constituents Evaluating next steps and possible activities for your

organization Q & A

The Census is the great equalizer. Its goal is to count all residents, regardless of background, race, ethnicity, or immigration status--because everyone benefits from the census.

The Census is safe, and by law the Census Bureau cannot share the answers you provide with any individual, private, or government entity. The information cannot be used against you!

The Census count decides how much funding and other resources the federal government will give to Minnesota over the next 10 years.

The 2010 Census:What you need to know!

The crux of the problem—why we are here today

The 2000 Census missed 16 million people nationwide

Low-income communities, particularly low-income communities of color, were disproportionately undercounted

As a result, these individuals lose equal voice in their government and are shortchanged on community funding

But why me? Why us?

Regardless of what we’d like—which is probably to not have to worry about this—we know that unless we act, the work won’t get done

The Census Bureau is focused on operations—but if even they did take an organizing approach, we know they would still need us because we have the trusting relationships that alone can remove fears and barriers to participation

What are census data used for?

Allocating funds Apportionment of representativesDrawing district linesDetermining policy priorities

Allocating funds

Allocation of $6.2 billion annually in federal program funds to Minnesota, based in whole or in part on Census Bureau data

Some are distributed purely on populations (Social Services Block Grant)

Others based on population plus one or more variable (Medicaid is population plus income)

2001 Census audit indicated Ramsey and Hennepin County together lost $40 million in funding due to an undercount

Allocating funds

Minnesota receives approx. $1,204 per person annually through census-data driven federal formula grantsThat’s $12,000 over the decade for each

person counted in the census! (and $12,000 lost for everyone missed)

Used for planning and policy development on state and local levels

Apportionment of representatives

Each decennial Census triggers re-apportionment of House seats

Estimates for Minnesota show that the difference between losing and keeping a seat could be as small as 2,000 people

We’ve had 8 seats since 1960Midwest power is in decline

…and electoral college seats

The number of electors for each state is equal to number of House seats plus their two Senate seats

Beware of this beast…

Political power will be mine!

Civil rights law enforcement

Congressional and state legislative districts will be redrawn using the results of the Census

Accurate Census data are necessary to enforce Voting Rights Acts of 1965, which protects minorities from having their vote diluted

Timeline

March 2010: Pre-census letter, followed by mailed census forms and “thank-you/reminder postcard”

April 1, 2010: CENSUS DAY Early April 2010: Targeted replacement

questionnaire Late April - June 2010: Door-to-door visits to

unresponsive housing units December 31, 2010: Deadline for reporting

state population totals to President

Group Quarters enumeration

Those who live in a managed house or facility with others are counted through a special ‘group quarters’ process

Depending on the size of the facility, Census enumerators will either get names and information from facility managers, or will have residents fill out a modified form

Group Quarters enumeration

Group quarters facilities will be receiving a visit from a Census worker this fall or early next year to explain the process

Group quarters enumeration will take place shortly after April 1st

3 Special Enumerations

Group quarters Dorms, nursing homes, juvenile institutions April – May

Transitory March 22nd –April 16th Hotels, campgrounds, RV parks

Service-based enumeration Late March

Shelters Outdoor camps Soup kitchens, mobile food units

The Form

Don’t confuse decennial Census 2010 with ACS In previous Census years, a portion of the

population received a ‘long-form’ Since 2000 this has been replaced by

annual American Community Survey (ACS)This will be shortest Census form ever: just

10 questions

Barriers to an accurate count

You be the enumerator activity

Complete and accurate count

This is our task: everyone counted…in the right place…only once!

Everyone counted…

Young children Unemployed people Snowbirds Students Homeless People with disabilities Families from recently

foreclosed houses People of color

Low income populations/renters

Highly mobile people Immigrants and people

with limited English proficiency

People living in complex households

Adults without a high school diploma

…in the right place…

Residents are to be counted at their usual residence

Usual residence is where you live 51% of the year

If there is no one place you live 51% of the year, you are to be counted where you are on April 1st

…only once!

People who own more than one home, non-Hispanic Whites, suburban residents, and higher-income people are more likely to be counted twice

Enumerator game recap

What were the barriers to participation you saw during this activity?

What are the barriers your own participants will face in deciding to answer the Census?

How did Minnesota do in 2000?

Very high response rate 75% (national average 67%)

Least accurate of any stateHigh overcount 14,000 undercounted: we need to do

better, and we can!

Barriers to a complete count

Respondents might fear the data will be used against themPassed along to immigration or law

enforcement officialsGiven to landlords or creditorsAffect eligibility for social welfare programs

Barriers to a complete count

Respondents might have distrust or suspicion of governmentFirst post-9/11 CensusMistrust of U.S. government among some

Native Americans, Somalis, LatinosRep. Bachmann believes it is an invasion of

privacy and will not answer any questions apart from number in the household

Data Privacy Laws

Census Bureau by law cannot share individual data with other branches of government

Bureau employees face imprisonment and/or fine for disclosing confidential information

Individual responses are made public after 72 years for historical research

Barriers to a complete count

Language and literacy barriersSpanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Simplified

Chinese, and Russian are official languages along with English; other language speakers must request a language assistance guide in their language and submit an English form

Confusion or offensive at form itselfRacial or gender categories might not

correspond to the respondents self-identity

Send in your form by April 1 is critical to our success

In late April 1st enumerators (canvassers) will hit the streets for several months to houses that didn’t respond

Canvassing is less effective and increases anxieties for many people

That’s why a key strategy for us is to make the initial response rate as good as possible

7 Simple Things You Can Do

Why Nonprofits?

Access: To hard to count communitiesTrust: Nonprofits are trusted messengers

Cultural Competency: Highest response

when people approached by people of similar cultural backgrounds in a culturally appropriate way

If we don’t do this work, no one will

Census participation builds power for your community

People should know that census participation is one more element of building power for their communities

The 2010 Census campaign is a component of a larger effort to inform, encourage, and support people in being active citizens This includes participating fully in democratic

processes, including election activities, the census and redistricting debates, and public policy advocacy

1. Talk to your participants

The most effective way to increase Census participation is to have conversations about it between people in a relationship of trust

Train your staff to answer basic questions and respond to likely barriers

Practice conversation

With a partner, rehearse how a conversation about the Census might go with one of your participants

Where are some of the objections they might raise?

What will you say in response?

2. Commit to major effort during ‘Census Week/Day’ in March

March 22-26th Focus on one week in March to ask

everyone who comes through your door if they have responded to the Census

Host a Census party—invite your participants to come together and fill their forms out together—make it fun!

3. Add to Your Communications

Utilize your website, e-updates, newsletters, and member mailings

Add a standing box with key deadlines, websites to go to, and basic information on how to participate in the Census and why

We have text available on our web site that you can drop in

4. Use what you already have

The key to doing this work is understanding how it can fit into the service delivery infrastructure you already have

Think of all the ways you are already interacting with your participants, and then determine how to add Census dialogue or materials to that process

4. Cont.

Add a question to your intake processAdd a footer to your invoicesAdd a short Census pitch to all your

events next SpringLeverage your office space

Make language assistance guides available in your office

Distribute promotional items

5. Be a Questionnaire Assistance Center or Be Counted Site

30,000 Questionnaire Assistance Centers

One of your staff members paid by Census to assist people in filling out and returning their form at your community-based nonprofit

40,000 Be Counted Sites

Be Counted forms are census questionnaires available at community locations, for people who did not receive a census form in the mail or who believe they were not otherwise included on any other census questionnaire.

Be counted forms will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian. The form should be picked up and mailed back in the attached postage-paid envelope.

6. Promote Jobs

The Census wants and needs to hire people from hard-to-count communities

You can help your communities find out about jobs with the Census

http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/

7. Partner with the Census Bureau

The Census Bureau can provide you with promotional materials and information

Ami Nafzger, Partnership Specialist with the Census Bureau, works with nonprofits in Minnesotaami.i.nafzger@census.gov651-707-4765

Identifying your activities

Which of these activities would work at your organization?

Are there things missing from this list that your organization could do?

www.mnparticipationproject.org

Translated forms (language assistance guides)

Web graphics, newsletter text templatesInformation about what’s at stakeLinks to the Census Bureau resources

For more information:

Jeff Narabrook, Public Policy Assistantwww.mnparticipationproject.org651-757-3062jeff@mncn.org