U.S. Census 2020
The population of the United States must be counted every ten years under the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2. The data collected determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are allocated to states and localities for key programs, many of which are administered through nonprofits. The 2020 Census began in Alaska on January 21, 2020 and the rest of the country on April 1.
Status
The Census Bureau delivered the official apportionment data to the President on April 26, 2021. The release included the reapportionment information for the affected states: "Texas will gain two seats in the House of Representatives, five states will gain one seat each (Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon), seven states will lose one seat each (California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia), and the remaining states’ number of seats will not change based on the 2020 Census."
Why It Matters
Results of the U.S. 2020 Census influences individuals, communities, governments, for-profit entities, and nonprofit organizations throughout the next decade. Data obtained informs decision makers in all sectors and leads to allocation of political power and financial resources. If the data are wrong, there inequitable distribution of resources for basic community needs occurs affecting education, food and income security, health care, housing, transportation, and much more. The allocation of $1.5 trillion in federal funds hinges annually on the decennial data, including funding for state and local governments, as well as for nonprofits to deliver services to individuals and communities.
Where We Stand
“A fair, accurate, and complete count of all persons is important for our democratic institutions as the census determines how representatives are apportioned among the several stats, as well as how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are allocated to states and localities for key programs, many of which are administered through charitable organizations. Undercounts of individuals and demographic groups that charitable nonprofits serve can lead to inadequate representation and funding, which in turn put more pressure on nonprofits and foundations, state and local governments, and businesses in undercounted areas to do even more to address unmet needs.”
National Council of Nonprofits amicus brief
What Nonprofits Can Do / Take Action
Nonprofits are encouraged to engage and help ensure a fair, accurate, and complete count, particularly in hard-to-count areas. Several ways to engage on the issue include:
- Identify and partner with organizations and community stakeholders that are already connected to hard-to-count communities and have built strong relationships and trust.
- Advocate to federal, state, and local lawmakers for funding to support census outreach efforts.
- Use the Census Project toolkits to take action.
History
Government efforts to count every person in America ended on October 15, 2020, two weeks earlier than previously planned, after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lower-court order that would have required the Census Bureau to continue field operations through the end of the month in response to the COVID-10 pandemic. The Census Bureau issued a statement upon completion of the count stating that “well over 99.9% of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census.” Numerous groups objected, noting the claim does not equate to collection of accurate, high quality data, or a census that is acceptably accurate.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case regarding the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the census count in October 2020. In July, the President issued a memorandum instructing the Census Bureau to subtract undocumented immigrants from the count for the purposes of congressional apportionment — the reallocation of the nation's 435 House districts every 10 years. The Census Bureau subsequently missed the statutory deadline of December 31 for delivering the 2020 Census to Congress, effectively rendering the issue moot.
In 2019, President Trump announced the Census Bureau would not include the citizenship question on the 2020 Census questionnaire and would seek information from other government records. The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently rejected the Commerce Secretary's claimed rationale for adding the citizenship question and sent the case back to the district court, allowing the federal government the opportunity to provide a separate rationale for inclusion of the question. The National Council of Nonprofits attended the Supreme Court oral arguments, and, joined by the National Human Services Assembly and YWCA USA, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in opposition of inclusion of the citizenship question. Read What the US Supreme Court's Census Decision Means for Nonprofits for further analysis of the case. A federal judge overseeing the New York lawsuit formally blocked the citizenship question on the census form on July 16, 2019.
General Resources
- Census 2020, United States Census Bureau
- Census During COVID Toolkit, Census Counts 2020
- Language Guides, United States Census Bureau
- 2020 Census Jobs, U.S. Census Bureau
- Census Resource Library, Census Counts 2020
- Response Outreach Area Mapper (ROAM), National Conference of State Legislatures
- Counting for Dollars 2020: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds, GW Institute of Public Policy, November 18, 2019.
- Hearing on Progress Report on the 2020 Census Statement, Tim Delaney, National Council of Nonprofits, May 8, 2018.
- More
State Resources
- Alaska Counts 2020 Census, The Foraker Group (AK)
- 2020 Census Toolkit for Nonprofits, CalNonprofits
- Census Policy Advocacy Network, consortium of California nonprofits
- Census 2020 Toolkit for Nonprofits, Connecticut COUNT Me In 2020
- DANA's Mission Minute: CENSUS 2020, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, April 10, 2019.
- Forefront (IL) Announces New Democracy Initiative, Forefront (IL), January 19, 2018.
- Census 2020: KY Nonprofits Count, Kentucky Nonprofit Network
- 2020 Census: Resources for Nonprofits, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
- Massachusetts Census Equity Fund 2020, consortium of Massachusetts nonprofits
- Be Counted Michigan 2020, Michigan Nonprofit Association
- MI Voice Counts, Michigan Nonprofit Association
- Census 2020, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
- Missouri Counts: 2020 Census, Missouri Foundation for Health
- Montana Census 2020, Montana Nonprofit Association
- Montana Census 2020 - Make It Count, Montana Department of Commerce
- 2020 Census, New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits
- 2020 Census, New Mexico Thrives
- Census 2020, North Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations
- Why Does the Census Matter to Nonprofits?, Washington Nonprofits, May 18, 2018.
- State-by-State Resource Map, Census Counts 2020 and Leadership Conference
- More
Citizenship Question Resources
- Department of Commerce v. New York, U.S. Supreme Court, June 27, 2019.
- Nonprofits Celebrate Supreme Court Decision That Keeps Citizenship Question Off the 2020 Census, National Council of Nonprofits, press release, June 27, 2019.
- Brief of National Council of Nonprofits, National Human Services Assembly, and YWCA USA as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondents, Supreme Court of the United States, April 1, 2019.
- Citizenship Question Packs Supreme Court for Oral Arguments, National Council of Nonprofits blog, April 29, 2019.
- 2020 Census Resource Page, Brennan Center for Justice
- More
