“So open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!” - Dr. Seuss

The census isn’t sexy. Unlike a politician, you can’t shake it’s hand. And unlike a bill, you can’t see it signed into law. But perhaps no process outside of elections has so much impact on our daily lives.

Did you drive on a road today? The money allocated to build and repair it was determined by the census. Take the train or bus? Yup, the census informed that too. Stop by the grocery store for food for dinner? The owner of that store or chain used census data to determine which neighborhoods need new stores. Drop off the kids at school? School districts use the census to predict how many teachers are needed and how many schools to build.  

The U.S. census is a foundational yet often overlooked part of our democracy. Fundamentally it comes down to this: how can you be heard if you aren’t counted?

The U.S. census, which is mandated by the Constitution, counts every resident in the country and collects important demographic information, every ten years. The next Census will take place in 2020. Census data is used to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds each year for programs including Head Start, SNAP (food stamps), roads, public transportation, Medicare, and more. Businesses and organizations rely on census data for decisions on everything from where to build new shopping centers to how many flu clinics are needed.

In addition to the complexity of counting hundreds of millions of people spread out over 50 states, the 2020 census faces unique challenges. The bureau has been underfunded and without a chief administrator for over a year. This is the first time the census will take place largely online, and the dry run tests have been scaled back due to costs. Then there is the citizenship question, which could lead to an undercount of Latinx, Asian, and other immigrant communities.

A potential undercount is particularly worrisome considering that the census is used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to inform redistricting, a process that takes place every 10 years following the census. Redistricting is the process by which new U.S. House and state legislative districts are drawn – a process that impacts every voter.

Too often, politicians manipulate redistricting for partisan outcomes (called gerrymandering), diluting the voice and vote of citizens. In the 2012 elections (after the 2010 census and corresponding redistricting), fewer than 50 out of 435 congressional seats were deemed competitive. In other words, in too many places, politicians are picking their voters more than voters are picking their elected representatives.

An accurate census and a fair redistricting process are critical to ensuring that every person counts.

Our approach will hone in on California for ensuring an accurate census count; we simply stand too much to lose with a large population of immigrants and other communities who are least likely to get counted. For redistricting, we will turn our attention to the nation. California reformed its redistricting process in 2010 and serves as a powerful example for other states.

California Counts

The census is a timely and potent issue for California, in particular, which receives approximately $368 billion in federal funding per year. California also stands to lose 1-2 congressional seats in reapportionment if our people are undercounted. And California is the largest and hardest to count state: 10 of the country’s 50 hardest to count counties are in California. 

The census is a partnership between federal, state, and local government, but philanthropy has an important role to play. Here, our approach will focus on local coalitions with a proven track record to “get out the count” and ensure that the populations least likely to participate are counted. Strategies include updating addresses and new housing for census mailings, educating direct service providers like food banks and community health centers, and organizing pediatricians and others who interact with the parents of young children (the most under-counted age cohort).

“Grantmakers and the community organizations you support are key to the type of outreach needed to make sure that no communities are undercounted in the census."

ditas katague 
director 
california complete count

 

But the critical work primarily consists of training trusted messengers from local organizations to go door to door and to community events to explain the importance of the census. The timing of Battery Powered funding is ideal to lay the groundwork needed now and to support throughout the census.

Reform Redistricting

The purpose of reforming redistricting is to give people a stronger voice, foster accountability, and allow public support to translate into public policy. In other words, to create a government that is more reflective of and responsive to its citizens.

In 2010, California voters set out to do just that by passing a ballot measure to transform the way it draws districts. California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission is independent, comprised of 14 citizens who draw the maps to keep communities of interest together without regard to party preference. But this is not the case for most states. In 39 of 50 states, the process is inherently partisan; the state legislature and/or Governor play a key role in drawing and approving the district lines.  

This FiveThirtyEight podcast explains how California worked to ditch politics in its redistricting process.

Efforts are underway in numerous states to reform the redistricting process. There are five states focused on redistricting in 2018, attempting to implement independent commissions, protect communities of interest, increase competitiveness, and prohibit incumbent protection. Other states will likely put forth reforms in 2019-2020.

 Philanthropy can play a key role in several ways. We are interested in the following approaches:

• Supporting broad and diverse coalitions in states working on redistricting reform, whether through legislative measures or ballot initiatives.

• Promoting unity maps which bring communities of color together to build collective political power and propose maps that protect voting rights of underrepresented populations. These coalitions have been successful in influencing maps in places like New York and California.