While participation is mandatory, a number of populations – such as persons with limited English proficiency, new immigrant communities, the elderly; those with disabilities, the homeless, disconnected youth, and neighborhoods/buildings with high concentrations of low-income residents — traditionally have been undercounted, often due to isolation and concerns about privacy. As a result, the jurisdictions they live in often don’t receive the full benefit of federal representation and funding available to them.
Recently, The Community Foundation awarded a $35,000 grant to the Census Project, which supports outreach and public awareness activities that will help ensure a complete and thorough census count across the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The Project awards “mini grants” ranging in size from $1,500 to $3,000 to nonprofit organizations that will work in timely and culturally sensitive ways to make sure that “hard to count” residents complete and return their Census forms.
For more information, contact Angela Jones Hackley, Vice President, Community Investment, at (202) 263-4766 or ajoneshackley@cfncr.org.
