Giving Compass' Take:

• From tech challenges to insufficient funding, the 2020 Census is facing serious challenges. Because nonprofits and governments rely on this data to administer services, there is a call for philanthropy to support current efforts for an accurate count.

• If you fund efforts on a national level, how will you support the 2020 Census efforts?

• Read more about why the 2020 Census is critical.

In less than one year, the U.S. government will kick-off the 2020 Census. The U.S. Constitution requires our country to count the entire population of our country, and at the location where each person usually lives, every 10 years.

Nonprofits, foundations and other community leaders rely on accurate census data to make decisions about services for children, seniors, veterans and other core populations; identify community and demographic trends that inform long-term plans and grants; and define other community needs.

But despite the vital importance of the census to philanthropy and all sectors of our society, the census continues to face serious challenges as we approach its public launch on April 1, 2020: insufficient federal funding, resulting in canceled tests and scaled back preparations; technical challenges as the census moves to be primarily online for the first time ever; and growing community reluctance to share information with the government, to name a few.

To help overcome these challenges, United Philanthropy Forum has been working since 2016 with our network of 79 regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) to engage philanthropy in ensuring a fair and accurate census count in 2020.

Working closely with FCCP, the Forum has provided our members with census tools, messaging, information, financial resources and more. Activating the power of our network, PSOs have been engaging their philanthropy members on the census, advocating with local and state governments to provide adequate funding for census outreach and education, and supporting other efforts to ensure a fair and accurate census count.

As a result of this work, the Forum has leveraged an initial foundation investment of $310,000 to result in more than $150 million of additional philanthropic and state/local government support for the census.

I urge philanthropy to heed the call to support the national “get out the count” effort, particularly if you fund on the national level.

Read the full article about 2020 census by David Biemesderfer  at United Philanthropy Forum.