Have you gotten your free census poster yet?

Nonprofits Count is helping nonprofits get the word out about the census by offering webinars, free posters, toolkits and information for community organizers. I just ordered a Census 2010 poster for our office; I think it's really going to spruce the place up. Plus, it will probably be a collectors item one day. Get yours. (Read my previous post about why the census matters.)

Census Bureau in major outreach push

This morning I was happy to see a table set up at the University Metrorail station with materials about the census. (See my previous post about why the census matters.) We should have more Census Bureau presence like this in visible public spaces throughout the county.

We are very excited that the Census Bureau is now coming to the Human Services Coalition on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to distribute census questionnaires and information.

Be sure to tell your friends, family, co-workers and clients about the census. Remember the mantra: It's safe. It's easy. It's important.

Community orgs develop census strategy

I'd like to thank all the Public Allies, HSC staff and community members who turned out for our Spring Conversation Cafe about the 2010 Census. Our speakers--Ralph de la Portilla of the Census Bureau, Social Compact's John Talmage, Jackie Colon from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and Miami-Dade County's Mercedez Rodriguez--did a great job presenting the importance of the census and the challenges Miami-Dade faces getting everyone counted.

As our guests pointed out, the federal government uses census date to allocate funding to education, transportation and other programs; supermarkets and other businesses use it to determine where they will place stores, and congressional districts are drawn based on population information. Unfortunately, not everyone participates in the census, resulting in an undercount that deprives our communities of greatly needed dollars.

What should you be telling your friends, family, constituents and clients about the census? "It's safe. It's easy. It's important." Census information is confidential and will not be shared with other government workers, such as immigration officials.

So, how can you get the word out?

• Distribute postcards or other materials explaining the importance of the census at your office, at events and through the mail.
• Educate your staff about the census.
• Add a tagline to every email message you send out that says, “Census 2010: It’s safe. It's easy. It's important.”
• Tell your friends, family members and coworkers about census jobs (For more information call 1-866-861-2010 or go to www.2010census.gov.)
• Promote the census through online social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Share resources about the census with local businesses, churches and other places in your community.

Have more ideas? Leave a comment or email me.