As we look ahead to August and the next stage of Census outreach, Michigan remains third nationwide in 2020 Census participation. The latest data shows that Michigan has a participation rate of 68.4%, surpassing our 2010 response rate of 67.7%.

However, some Michigan counties are behind the state and national average.

At the county level, 10 Michigan counties have a response rate of 75% or above, while 24 of Michigan’s 83 counties have response rates below 50%. Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Ottawa and Lapeer counties have the highest rates of completion; Alcona, Mackinac, Oscoda, Keweenaw and Lake counties round out the bottom five.

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.

To promote the census, the U.S. Census Bureau released a Response Rate Challenge Toolkit to guide communities to encourage residents to surpass 2010 response rates. Funders can use this guide to promote the census within the communities they serve. Some strategies for increasing completion rates include involving small businesses, leveraging partnerships with local organizations and creating competitions between communities.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, community leaders shifted strategies to focus on ways to reach Michigan residents virtually to encourage they fill out their census forms. Some solutions to remind residents about the importance of the census have included phone banks, handing out flyers at food distribution locations, sidewalk chalk art and more.

The Census Bureau will begin dispatching census takers to nonresponsive households in Michigan starting August 11 and continuing through October 31.

The Michigan Nonprofits Complete Count Campaign (NPCCC) led by the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) in partnership with CMF continues to work on targeted outreach. As CMF has reported, many CMF member community foundations are serving as regional census hubs in this work and have deployed mini-grants to grassroots organizations doing on-the-ground outreach efforts.

MNA has provided an update on NPCCC activities happening around the state as organizations have developed creative solutions to allow for census completion while maintaining social distancing and providing residents with much-needed services.

Neighborhood Engagement Hub in Flint included census materials with water deliveries to residents and hosted a virtual event with music, prizes and ads promoting the census.

Centro Multicultural La Familia, Inc. in Pontiac provided free vehicle headlight and taillight replacement for families and helped families complete the census as the repairs were completed.

In Benton Harbor, Paris’ Purse held a drive-through food bank where volunteers provided tablets to families to complete the census while they waited in line.

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) is one of nearly a dozen CMF community foundation members serving or partnering as a census hub. CFSEM recently shared with CMF that it has provided grants to over 40 organizations working in historically undercounted communities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Grants and support were provided in partnership with the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, MNA, CMF and the Ballmer Group.

The 2020 Census can be completed online, by phone or by mail.

Want more?

See census completion rates at the national, state, county and city levels.

Download the Census Response Rate Challenge Toolkit.

Learn more about the NPCCC.

Learn how to spread the word about the census and encourage others to respond via social media.