Census 2020

Everyone Counts. Everyone Wins! And We’re Counting On You! There is strength in numbers. The more people counted means more power and money for ILLINOIS residents. ILLINOIS  stands to lose an estimated $1,500 per person per year in federal support for programs that use census data. Historically, the census has missed disproportionate numbers of racial minorities, immigrants, young children and those living in poverty – “hard-to-count populations” – leading to inequality in political power, government funding and private-sector investment for these communities. The “Census 2020 the American Arab Chamber of Commerce THE ETHNIC CIVIC COALITION of CHICAGO Count Campaign” is an ambitious effort to mobilize nonprofits Organization  and partner with state and local government to encourage participation in the census in communities that are at significant risk of being undercoated. The campaign is spearheaded by the American Arab Chamber of Commerce THE ETHNIC CIVIC COALITION of CHICAGO A lot is at stake with Census 2020.  As nonprofits serving hard-to-count communities, we are one of the few remaining trusted entities among that population – as we have well-established relationships and speak the communities . language. Why It Matters The census count has consequences we will live with for the next decade, if not longer. This makes the stakes even higher. ILLINOIS  stands to lose an estimated $1,500 per person per year in federal support for programs that use census data. These include Medicaid, nutrition assistance, highway construction and planning, Title I and Special Education Grants, Foster Care and Child Care Grants, K-12 education, Section 8 Vouchers, and Head Start/Early Start — for which ILLINOIS received more than $ 26 billion in 2015. American Arab Chamber of Commerce THE ETHNIC CIVIC COALITION of CHICAGO can be effective in reaching out to their networks in the hard-to-count populations. You can provide education about the benefits of Census 2020 and encourage them to participate. We all win with an accurate census count. The time is now too Educate. Engage. Empower.