Census2020 Webinar Recording: Why and How It Matters for Impact Investing
How do impact investors and policymakers use and rely on census data? And what are the consequences for impact investors if the census fails to include all our communities? This Mission Investors Exchange 90-minute webinar on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 3 PM ET explored why and how foundations and other impact investors are mobilizing to get out the count for the 2020 Census. This webinar explored these key areas:
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How census data is used in impact investing, policy, and much more.
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The risks of inaccurate data and why policy makers and others are so alarmed about the potential for an under-count in 2020. We'll particularly focus on risks for vulnerable populations, including households with young children, mixed-status families, immigrants, refugees, Native communities on tribal lands, people in the rural south, and other under-counted groups.
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How you can take action, including how philanthropy is using its resources to mobilize capital right now to fill funding gaps and support organizations on the ground reaching hard-to-count populations.
Webinar Recording
Scroll down the page for webinar speaker names and curated resources on the U.S. Census.
Speakers
Featuring more than seven experts in philanthropy, community development, policy, and more.
- Dr. Jessica Barron, Consultant, Frontline Solutions
- Catherine Berman, CEO, CNote
- Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Wayne L. Ducheneaux II, Executive Director, Native Governance Center
- Humaira Faiz, Mission Investment Manager, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Florencia Gutierrez, Senior Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Felecia Lucky, President, Black Belt Community Foundation
- Karla Miller, Program Director, Northwest Area Foundation
- Karen Narasaki, Consultant, The Bauman Foundation
- Huong Nguyen-Yap, Director of California Programs, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
- Dr. Kenneth Prewitt, Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs, Columbia University, 2000 Director of the US Census Bureau
- Jess Riegel, Co-Founder & CEO, Motivote
101 Resources
"The census is a respected part of our democratic history" - Dr. Kenneth Prewitt, Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs, Columbia University, 2000 Director of the US Census Bureau
Counting the entire U.S. population may be a challenge, however it is an essential component of U.S. democracy. These 101 resources provide general information on the census and how it is used.
- Watch this video by Ford Foundation for a brief primer on what the census is, how it reflects American democracy, and why we should be worried about the 2020 count.
- Read fact sheets by The Center for Poverty and Inequality created to make sure that everyone understands how important an inclusive and effective 2020 Census is to economic justice and political equality in the U.S.
- Visit the The United States Census Bureau's Census Library for fact sheets, webinars, infograhics and more that provide an in depth understanding of the census.
Strategies for & Barriers to an Accurate Count
"Philanthropists and impact investors need to be more community minded, collaborative, and creative." - Humaira Faiz, Kellogg Foundation
A fair and accurate census provides support to communities that need it most and ensures that every single person is represented by their goverment. If the census misses members of hard to count populations it could mean more than underrepresentation in government and lack of political power, it can actually have cascading effects that also include ineffecient allocation of public and private funds and skewed demographics for the next decade. For these reason, many groups work tirelessly to include historically marginalized populations into the census each decade.
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The Census Bureau's "Counting the Hard to Count in a Census" details outreach measures, challenges, and responses to including hard to reach populations into the census.
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Census Counts reviews the implications of technology on the census and describes how an inclusive census is essential for civil rights in "Counting Everyone in the Digital Age".
Reaching Under-Counted Communities
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The Leadership Conference Education Fund published "Will You Count? Latinos in the 2020 Census" which spotlights why the Latinx community is at risk for being undercounted, the consequences of undercounting Latinos, and how you can help ensure they're counted.
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The National Congress of American Indians is facilitating a multifaceted approach to ensuring the accurate count of Native peoples, learn about their efforts here.
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The untimely adoption of the citizenship question has put immigrants and refugees at risk for an undercount, read background information on the citizenship question here and see how Fair Immigration Reform Movement is working to get these populations counted so they do not lose much needed funding and resources.
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Color of Change, National Urban League, and the NAACP are dedicated to promoting a robust census count to the African American population through grassroots efforts, messaging campaigns, and engagement of Black state legislators.
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This webinar by Partnership for America’s Children highlights the young child undercount and steps to ensure that every child be counted in the 2020 Census.
