2010 Census Initiative
The California Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2010 Census Initiative, a $1.5 million investment in the future of our local communities. As a key source of information in determining the distribution of federal and state funds, in municipal and community planning and in ensuring political representation, the 2010 Census will have multiple and significant impacts on the well-being of all residents of Los Angeles County.
The 2010 Census Initiative seeks to achievea Census questionnaire completion and return rate from hard-to-count (HTC) populations[1] that is equal to or better than the Los Angeles County return rate of 70 percent for the 2000 Census. To achieve this, CCF is employing the following strategies:
Grantmaking:Support nonprofits with extensive community networks and relationships with HTC populations in areas of the county which were undercounted in the 2000 Census.
Leadership: Forma “2010 Census Taskforce,” made up of public, nonprofit and other stakeholders, to coordinate their outreach and engagement efforts.
Grantmaking
Twelve grantees are expected to meet the following measurable objectives:
- Raise awareness about the importance of participating in the 2010 Census
- Coordinate and partner with other nonprofits and government entities
- Provide direct questionnaire assistance
- Develop ethnic and new media opportunities to promote the 2010 Census
CCF has developed a reporting template to assess the impact of each grantee and of the initiative. Further, CCF will overlay the results reported by grantees with the Census Bureau’s questionnaire return rate to measure the impact of the project on different geographic regions throughout Los AngelesCounty.
Leadership
The foundation will be partnering with the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and several nonprofits in the region, through the 2010 Census Taskforce, to coordinate and leverage resources to ensure the most accurate count for the region. The taskforce seeks to track the progress and assess the impact of Census outreach and engagement efforts until the end of July 2010.
Philanthropic Opportunities
CCF seeks to partnerwith funders interested in playing part in a successful Census 2010 count. Philanthropic investments to support door to door outreach and local media campaigns will be critical in this effort, particularly during the spring and summer of 2010. Partners can join in the 2010 Census Initiative at various giving levels, and will be recognized in promotional materials to be distributed throughout the county.
For more information regarding the initiative please contactDirector of Civic Engagement Virginia Mosqueda at or Director of Donor Relations Terri Mosqueda , at . Visit our Web site at myccf.org for more information.
[1]The Census Bureau designates low mail response areas (in the Census) as “hard to count” (HTC) communities.