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 representatives Drawing district lines Determining 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 grants That’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 1960 Midwest 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 1 st

3 Special Enumerations Group quarters Dorms, nursing homes, juvenile institutions April – May Transitory March 22 nd –April 16 th 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 state High 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 them Passed along to immigration or law enforcement officials Given to landlords or creditors Affect eligibility for social welfare programs

Barriers to a complete count Respondents might have distrust or suspicion of government First post-9/11 Census Mistrust of U.S. government among some Native Americans, Somalis, Latinos Rep. 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 barriers Spanish, 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 itself Racial 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 1 st 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 communities Trust: 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 th 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 process Add a footer to your invoices Add a short Census pitch to all your events next Spring Leverage 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

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 Minnesota

Identifying your activities Which of these activities would work at your organization? Are there things missing from this list that your organization could do?

Translated forms (language assistance guides) Web graphics, newsletter text templates Information about what’s at stake Links to the Census Bureau resources

For more information: Jeff Narabrook, Public Policy Assistant