Census Impact

• The census is about money

• The census is about representation

• The census is about economic development

• The census is about the power of participation

Who Needs To Be Counted, Where & When

• All residents born on or before April 1, 2020.

• In their primary residence (this may not be with their guardian).

• NEW deadline for self-response is October 31st, 2020 (extended due to COVID-19)

SC Response Rate

• SC is tied with Hawaii at 39th in response

• Currently at 55.7% compared to national average of 60.9%

• Similar trends to 2010 census

• Best understanding comes from drilling into county and tract level data at www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us

SC Counts 2020

• A collaborative project of SC Grantmaker’s Network, United Way Association of SC, and TogetherSC

• Partner network of 200+ nonprofits, community collaboratives, faith leaders, and municipalities working on census completion

Sample Social Media Challenge

#CountMeIn Challenge Census Day of Action

• Wednesday, June 17, 2020

• GOAL: 200 households in each county will complete their census = approx. 10,000 householdsacross the state = 2% increase in one day

• If we all do our part, we are confident we can achieve this goal!

#CountMeInChallenge Census Day of Action

U.S. Census Bureau Resuming Field Ops

• June 1st – U.S. Census Bureau announced they would resume Update/Leave Field Operations meaning those who use P.O. boxes or who live in large apartment buildings will now begin receiving materials

• Last week – Partnership Staff cleared to resume field operations in South Carolina

How To Complete The Census

• Fill out the paper form using blue or black ink.

• Call 1-800-354-7271 and complete by phone.

• Go to www.my2020census.gov.

• It takes about 10 minutes.

• You don’t have to have your ID number to fill out the census.

It starts with YOU

• #1: Start with Yourself

• #2: Your coworkers + direct reports

• #3: Your community – asking friends and neighbors.

Visit and share content from the SC Counts 2020 on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram: @sccounts2020

#CountMeIn Challenge Census Day of Action –Ideas/Guides

On the following slides, you will find ideas you can use on the Census Day of Action or anytime between now and October to encourage Census Completion in your community!

Phone Tree• Create a script that volunteers can use when calling people. A sample

script could include: “This is NAME. I wanted to check in and see how are you doing today? Well I know things have been crazy lately, but I wanted to see if you had completed your census?

• If they HAVE Completed the census: “That’s so great! I’m so glad that you’ve been counted. Would you consider sharing about the census on social media or asking 3 of your neighbors to make sure they have completed their census? We want everyone to count so we can get our fair share of resources in SC for our schools, healthcare, and other programs.

• If they HAVEN’T completed: would you like me to stay on the phone with you while you fill it out? I can help you with www.my2020census.gov or if you have your paper form I can stay on the phone while you fill it out.

Phone Tree (cont.)• Create a phone list to send to each volunteer. Phone list may come

from churches, volunteer groups, or people can use their personal contacts.

• Ask volunteers to report back how many calls they made, voicemails left, people talked to, and how many people completed the census.

• Celebrate the volunteers by recognizing them on Facebook, offering them a giftcard or cash in appreciation of their time, and/or sending thank you cards.

Food Distribution At An Existing Site• Work with a local food pantry to ensure that census information is

included in food pick up, ideally every day, but at least on Census Action Day.

• See if the food distribution site will allow people to complete the census while they are picking up food.

One Time Food Distribution• Use the hard to count map (www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us) to

identify which areas in your community are most undercounted.

• Secure food or gift donations (great use of grant funds!). If you have very little ability to offer something to everyone, consider raffling off a desirable prize to people who complete their census at the event.

• Determine how many people you can serve and clearly share how many people can receive the benefit.

• Make sure your site offers wi-fi so people are able to access www.my2020census.gov

One Time Food Distribution (cont.)• Create a flyer showing the date and time of event, location, and what

people will receive in addition to help completing the census.

• Ensure your event is set up and ready to go before people arrive!

• Post photos on social media to celebrate the event so that people who weren’t able to attend your event still know they have time to complete the census.

• Celebrate and thank the volunteers who made the event possible!

Social Media Event• Schedule an event on your social media channel of choice.

• Determine if you need to use Zoom to stream your event so that multiple people can participate.

• Identify who will participate in your event: djs can play music, magicians can share tricks, community members can share other talents, locally respected people can share a message.

• Create a schedule for your event. You may have a day of action where videos are posted every hour. It could be a multi-hour music and dance party. It may be giving 20 people 2 minutes to talk about the census.

• Celebrate and thank the people who contributed to the event!

In Person Event• If you determine that volunteers in your community feel safe, secure, and

are equipped with proper protective equipment, set up a table at a local grocery or convenience store.

• Churches or other member-serving groups can set up appointments throughout the day for people to come in and complete their census.

• Use the hard to count map to help identify a site for your event (www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us).

• Ensure volunteers are comfortable talking to people about the census.

• If possible, have computers connected to wi-fi where people can complete their census onsite. Computers will need to be wiped down with disinfectant after each use.

• People can also use their personal phone to complete the census online.

Action Steps• Look closely at what’s happening in your community:

www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us

• Think about who is most likely to NOT complete the census.

• What will make them complete the census?

• Make a plan of action. Whose help do you need? What resources?

• Get your team on board with your action plan!

Questions? Contact: Mary Dell Hayesmarydell.hayes@uwasc.org or (803) 920-4868