Blog

April 30, 2020

Help us make sure every Texan is counted in the 2020 Census

Every 10 years, following constitutional mandate, our government conducts a count of every person living in our country. From that data, decisions are made that impact every facet of our daily life: our state’s representation in Congress, our region’s representation in Austin, and federal money for public education, healthcare, community services, and infrastructure in Texas. The census also undergirds the demographic data that companies use to identify potential investments for growth and expansion.

All of this depends on an accurate count, and the 2020 Census promises to be the most challenging in American history. For the first time ever, the census will be online. With nearly 1 in 4 Texans living in a hard-to-count area and widespread concerns about data privacy, a complete census count poses a tough challenge for our state.

(Angela Broyles of Communities Foundation of Texas leads a census breakout group for nonprofits in Collin County)

Closer to home, North Texas has a lot to lose from an undercount. This is why CFT is helping to lead the charge to get out the count in North Texas and around the state with a broad coalition of partners. Statewide, CFT is partnering with the Center for Public Policy Priorities to lead Texas Counts, a cross-sector, all-Texas collaborative of leaders and organizations working to leverage, amplify, and share resources to promote the 2020 Census.

(Katie Martin Lightfoot and Ann Beeson of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, John Fitzpatrick and Amy Desler of Educate Texas at Communities Foundation of Texas)

The Texas Counts Pooled Fund at CFT is mobilizing philanthropy to invest in efforts that activate high-need, hard-to-count communities throughout the state for the census. To date, the Pooled Fund has made nearly 50 grants to cities, counties, community-based organizations, and local advocates across Texas, totaling more than $1.4 million in aid to get out the count in our state.

Coordinating closely with both city and county leadership, the Dallas Complete Count Fund at CFT is supporting outreach to our own hard-to-count communities in Dallas. In March we held a community census workshop at CFT to bring together nonprofit and community leaders to deploy tools and coordinate messaging.

As part of our commitment to sustain a vibrant Collin County, we worked in partnership with the Collin County Business Alliance to bring together business and nonprofit leaders to build a census outreach plan for their employees and community.

The results of the 2020 Census will reverberate for years, and possibly decades, to come. At CFT, we work to improve lives through an unwavering commitment to lasting impact, and we believe a complete and accurate count in 2020 will be a critical lever to sustaining our vibrant community. Together with you and our partners across the state, we can build the foundation for that brighter future, one Texan at a time.



The 2020 Census form is now available online at My2020Census.gov — fill yours out today and spread the word. Visit TexasCounts.org to find resources for community outreach, or go to DallasCensus.com for tools that can make you a better ambassador for the 2020 Census in Dallas.