Census 2020
Counting on Creative Solutions
This isn’t a joke. What happens when you have a once in a decade census count, a global pandemic, and a community of resourceful and creative organizers?
You get bike caravans, pet photo contests, chalk art projects, and street banners. You get a census self-response rate in Santa Cruz County of 71.7%, up from 67.8% in 2010. And you get a more representative disbursement of millions of dollars in funding for things like food assistance, basic health services, child care, and education.
Collaborations Matter
Many people feared an undercount even before COVID-19. The federal budget for 2020 Census outreach had been cut since 2017 and fears from marginalized communities over how the information will be used were running high. In response, foundations, donors, and nonprofits across the country stepped in to help fill the gap. We raised $200,000 from donors, foundations, and state funds for coordinated outreach efforts. We then awarded grants to trusted community-based organizations who serve the chronically undercounted including seniors, students, veterans, immigrant families, and our homeless community.
“Engaging veterans, especially older adults, those with disabilities or experiencing housing insecurity, that’s not a task for just anyone. The grant funds from the Foundation allowed us to pay a bilingual Navy vet to help hundreds of vets get counted, who otherwise could have been missed.”
- Dean Kaufman, Founder, Vets 4 Vets Santa Cruz
Gratitude for our Trusted Messengers
The pandemic hit just as census day April 1 was approaching. Suddenly our nonprofit partners were facing a crisis of epic proportions--trying to keep families safe, fed, and housed in addition to being counted. And in a year of heroic perseverance, they not only kept going, they found creative solutions that were imitated across the state. The result? Getting millions more of our share of federal resources over the next ten years that help our community thrive. And importantly, an even better ability to make Santa Cruz County’s voice heard at the national level.
Special thanks to our lead funding partners Ventura County Community Foundation, Joe Collins Fund, Applewood Fund, Hawley Family Fund, Sunlight Giving and the County of Santa Cruz. And thank you census outreach partners for your dedication to making sure Santa Cruz County counts, now and in the future.
City of Watsonville
Community Action Board
Community Bridges
First 5 Santa Cruz County
Grey Bears
Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Salud Para La Gente
Santa Cruz Community Health Centers
