Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

For good. For ever.

306 South University Avenue Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858 United States

(989) 773-7322

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Census 2020: Michigan Nonprofits Count Campaign Grants Available

June 25, 2019  /  Guest User

Background: The Michigan Nonprofits Count Campaign is a collaborative, coordinated, statewide effort to encourage participation in the 2020 census in communities that are at significant risk of being undercounted. Led by the Michigan Nonprofit Association, the campaign will mobilize nonprofits to encourage participation in the 2020 census by:

  • Providing trainings and tools for nonprofits on effective outreach tactics;

  • Assisting nonprofits in identifying historically undercounted communities;

  • Award grants to local nonprofits; and

  • Working with government officials to avoid duplication of efforts and enhance government’s communication and outreach efforts to support a fair and accurate census count.

What’s at Stake: As required by the U.S. Constitution, the federal government conducts the decennial census once every ten years to count the population of the United States. In addition to providing critical demographic data that guides the work of nonprofits, the census:

  • Influences the allocation of more than $14.5 billion dollars annually in federal government resources to communities across the state;

  • Helps state and local officials, community leaders, and nonprofit organizations identify current and future needs for health care, education, housing, food and income security, rural access to broadband, and other services;

  • Determines how many seats Michigan will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and how many electoral votes we will have; and

  • Guides private-sector investment decisions on where to invest in job creation, new facilities and marketing.

The census has historically missed certain communities—communities of color, urban and rural low-income households, immigrants, and young children—at disproportionately high rates. Being undercounted deprives these communities of equal political representation and private and public resources. The 2020 census is especially alarming since there will likely be less follow-up with non-responding households due to the Census Bureau’s change in its model for collecting responses, funding challenges and reduced number of Census Bureau employees at the local level.

Learn more about grants available to local nonprofits to help ensure an accurate count in Isabella County here.