The US Census Bureau released a sneak peek of the 2020 Census online form last week during the National Advisory Committee Fall Meeting. We broke down the details and pulled a few screenshots to walk through the details.

In May, researchers estimated that $880 billion dollars in federal funding was at stake if there was an undercounting in the 2020 Census. After digging in even deeper, a new total has surfaced, emphasizing the importance of achieving a complete and accurate count. According to researchers, there is now $1.5 trillion at stake.

CommunityConnect Labs (CCL), a California-based nonprofit that develops high-quality, affordable mobile text messaging solutions that enable state and local governments and other service providers to reach low-income and other hard-to-engage individuals, successfully launched its Community Motivator solution with partner organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii with the aim of increasing 2020 Census participation

If you haven’t started implementing your outreach plan yet, NOW is the time. As the weather across the nation begins to chill it’s time to capitalize on the workable weather we have left before snow hits the ground.

Millions of questions about the Census were asked in 2010, and even more are expected in 2020. However, local government and library staff don’t have the resources to address the volume and variety of questions or language needs of their constituents. To address the critical need to help constituents get their questions answered, CommunityConnect Labs developed the Question & Answer HelpDesk, an automated question & answer system available via text and web chat that can receive and answer users’ Census questions in multiple languages.

With the 2020 Census less than six months away, organizers are trying to reach as many of their constituents as possible. In order to scale their outreach efforts, the United Way Bay Area (UWBA), the ACBO for California’s Region 3, has incorporated CommunityConnect Labs’ Community Motivator solution.

Only 181 days remain until Census Day 2020. On Sept. 26, representatives from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, along with Region 3 ACBO United Way Bay Area and Mercury Public Affairs, the state’s Census media partner, convened to discuss how they would leverage the remaining 181 days before the Census to enact effective and efficient implementation plans. From inspirational talks about the importance of the Census to texting pledges, the implementation workshop was not to be missed for organizers in the region.

CCL built a Field Staff Recruiter texting program that works as a job application assistant: helping screen, assist, and remind individuals who are interested in getting hired as Census workers. Learn the key takeaways of this program.

CommunityConnect Labs (CCL) is thrilled to be a featured partner in this fall’s Microsoft Digital Transformation Showcase in Washington, D.C.!

This month, let’s focus on your media and campaign strategy. From your strategic plan, you should have an idea of how you plan to use media to amplify awareness around the Census. Here are some things to consider.