Philanthropy's Role In Ensuring A Fair And Accurate 2010 Census Count

Due to the holiday schedule, FCCP’s January Call will be held this Monday, January 12th (the Second Monday of the Month) 3-4pm ET/ 12-1pm PT

The data gathered from the 2010 Census will provide a comprehensive snapshot of thousands of local communities across the United States and will be used to determine the yearly distribution of over $400 billion dollars in federal funding. Additionally, government agencies, the private sector and non-profit groups will assess trends and develop programs based on the Decennial Census numbers, and these same numbers will underlie the reapportionment of political representation, helping determine everything from Congressional and state legislative district boundaries to school board districts and voting precincts.

As a snapshot, however, the decennial census has historically undercounted marginalized populations, specifically people of color and low-income communities, as well as children, especially those under the age of 10. And for the 2010 Census, the challenges of achieving a complete and accurate count are particularly daunting -- from an increase in hard to count populations, due to both migration trends as well as current economic conditions, to the current underfunding of 2010 Census preparation at the federal, state and local levels.

Join us this Monday for the first in a series of co-sponsored calls focused on Philanthropy’s Role in Ensuring a Fair and Accurate 2010 Census Count, with speaker Terri Ann Lowenthal, President-elect Barack Obama’s Census Transition Team member and call moderator, Darren Sandow from the Hagedorn Foundation, with another speaker to be announced, to hear the latest update on the state of the 2010 census, its implications and the opportunities that exist for funders and advocates to ensure a fair and accurate count. In subsequent calls, we’ll delve deeper into the issues surrounding the census undercount, beginning with a call on February 9th focused on immigrant populations and the 2010 Census.

Note: Participation is limited to representatives of grantmaking institutions, individual donors and philanthropic advisors.

The subject matter of this call is strictly limited to discussion of nonpartisan civic participation work as set forth in the agenda. Please refrain from any discussion or references to partisan activities.

For call-in information, please email mlugay [at] funderscommittee [dot] org.