“When everyone in New Jersey is counted, everyone in New Jersey benefits,” said Kiki Jamieson.
Kiki Jamieson, the President of The Fund for New Jersey, was referring to the importance of an accurate census count. At our recent seminar, Census 2020: How Your Nonprofit Can Help Ensure an Accurate Count in the Upcoming Census, sponsored by Borden Perlman, we heard from Kiki, as well as Jeff Behler, Regional Director at the US Census Bureau; Peter Chen, Policy Counsel at Advocates for Children of New Jersey; and Brian Lozano, Lead Organizer at Wind of the Spirit NJ.
Our panelists spoke about the crucial role that nonprofits play in ensuring all community members are counted.
Here are five facts from the discussion:
- The Federal Government allocates more than $22.7 billion to New Jersey every year, but when New Jersey residents are not counted the state loses funding and influence. Funding for school lunch programs, Community Block Development Grants, and many other programs are dependent on Census data.
- For the first time ever, you will be able respond to the Census online.
- Census workers take an oath of confidentiality for life.
- An estimated 27,000 young children were missed in the 2010 Census count.
- Census data helps businesses, nonprofits, funders, and local governments understand their communities’ needs and how to meet them.
Learn more about the Census here and view this map to see if your community has a Complete Count Committee. Jeff Behler says among the ways to get community members involved in the Census is to work with the organization’s field operations. Learn more here.
Exit tickets were distributed at the seminar, and we encourage all attendees to pass along this document to anyone who might be interested in volunteering to help with the Census in New Jersey. Please email all submissions to Pamela Mason.
Enjoy these photos from the Census 2020 seminar:
