Tim Delaney, President & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits and counsel of record on an amici curiae brief filed in the census citizenship question case, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision today in Department of Commerce, et al. v. New York, et al.:
“Nonprofits across the country celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that effectively keeps the untested and unnecessary citizenship question off the 2020 census questionnaire. While the Court’s decision today still leaves open the possibility that the question may still find its way onto the census form, it’s still a victory for nonprofits and the people they serve. Census data are used to allocate federal funds and political power between the states, plus they provide information that for-profit businesses, governmental entities, and charitable nonprofits will use when making decisions over the next decade. Anything less than a fair, accurate, and complete count would hurt everyone throughout the United States.
“The Supreme Court’s correct result in this landmark case, however, only provides the opportunity for a fair, accurate, and complete count. It does not guarantee it. There still is much work to be done to prepare for the actual 2020 census – and nonprofits play a critical role ensuring that everyone is counted.”
Additional background
- The National Council of Nonprofits wrote this Brief of National Council of Nonprofits, National Human Services Assembly, and YWCA USA as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondents, and filed it with the U.S. Supreme Court on April 1, 2019. The brief warned the Court that overruling the district court and putting the citizenship question on the 2020 census questionnaire would lead to an unfair, inaccurate, and incomplete count and, among other things, harm the work of charitable nonprofits by undermining access to dollars, data, and democracy.
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The National Council of Nonprofits (Council of Nonprofits) is a trusted resource and proven advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits. With reach and expertise across the executive, judicial, and legislative branches at the federal, state, and local levels, the National Council of Nonprofits is uniquely qualified and positioned to connect the policy dots and keep nonprofits informed and empowered to create a positive public policy environment that best supports nonprofits in advancing their missions. Working with and through the nation’s largest network of nonprofits – with 25,000-plus organizational members - we identify emerging trends, share proven practices, and promote solutions that benefit charitable nonprofits and the communities they serve.