Countdown to the Census: What Maryland Could Lose and Opportunities for a Complete Count

The next U.S. census will begin on April 1, 2020. Every ten years, the census aims to count every resident in the United States and capture critical population data. This data is used to determine how political representation is apportioned, the way state and federal dollars are distributed, and other matters.

Getting a complete census count is crucial. In Maryland, every person not counted equates to $1,821 in lost federal funding every year, or $18,210 per uncounted person over ten years. This census faces unique challenges for attaining a complete count including, a shift in the reporting process, competing with national and local primary elections, and for the first time since 1950 there was an attempt to add a question regarding U.S. Citizenship status.

Please join the Maryland Philanthropy Network for a discussion about the importance of a complete census count for education, workforce, environment, health, aging, and other issues in Maryland. This program will include an overview of Maryland’s census outreach strategy, why supporting census outreach is important for shaping strong and healthy communities, and an analysis of the gaps in census outreach support across the state. Time will be reserved for an open discussion about specific ways MPN members can get involved in supporting census outreach. Remote access is available.

Our speakers will be:

• Florencia Gutierrez, Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Thomas Wolf, Brennan Center for Justice
• Audra Harrison, Maryland State Planning Department
• Austin Davis, Baltimore City Office of Planning

This program is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members and invited guests only; lunch will be served.