We’re 79 days away from Census Day. Beginning April 1, everyone who lives in the U.S. and participates in the census will be counted at the place where they reside most of the year.

A complete count is critical for our state, as Michigan stands to lose $1,800 for every person who isn’t counted, not just once, but every year for the next decade.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau released earlier this month shows Michigan is already on track to lose one of our congressional seats due to slow growth in our state’s population, raising the stakes for this census.

As April 1 nears, work is underway around the state to increase Michigan’s census response rate from 2010 and ensure everyone is counted.

The nonprofits that received mini grants from regional census hubs through the Michigan Nonprofits Complete Count Campaign (NPCCC) are currently gearing up to execute their plans to educate, engage and empower their local communities to participate in the census, especially those in historically undercounted communities.

As CMF has reported, many CMF member community foundations are serving as regional census hubs in this work.

The NPCCC recently gave an update on its work and what’s ahead between now and the census. The NPCCC’s final phase of its statewide multi-media campaign launched last week with more targeted ads on television, radio, billboards, social media and gas station televisions around the state.

The multi-media campaign is aimed at educating the public about the importance of a complete count when it comes to critical programs such as nutrition assistance, education, medical care and infrastructure funding.

The targeted campaign is expected to run until the summer as households have until July to fill out the census.

The NPCCC has also launched an interactive online mosaic, encouraging residents to upload images in areas of a map of Michigan in their county to show that everyone’s voice counts.

Invitations to fill out the census are scheduled to be sent in waves starting in March, with every household having the option to self-respond online, via the phone or a paper questionnaire.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a tool that shows how each household within a census tract will be invited to respond to the census. The tool identifies areas that may lack high-speed internet access; and residents in those areas will receive a paper questionnaire along with their first invitation to respond online.

The NPCCC is led by MNA in partnership with CMF. It launched in 2017 with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The campaign is supported by more than 40 CMF members and the Michigan Legislature, growing the campaign’s assets to more than $10.4 million.

Want more?

Connect with the Michigan Nonprofits Complete Count Campaign.

Access NPCCC campaign materials, including graphics for social media, videos and audio files.