Census 2020 Outreach Toolkit
The national census is very important to our democracy. Every 10 years the federal government is required to count all people living in the United States. Every person counts, regardless of age, immigration status, or criminal history. This count is used to make sure that everyone is fairly represented in government and funding is distributed equitably. The information gathered is also used by businesses, schools, community groups and government agencies to make decisions about services they provide.
The next census will be in April 2020. We all need to reach out to neighbors, friends, family, and people we work with to make sure EVERYONE understands what the census is, why it's important, and how they can participate. This online toolkit has resources to help you prepare, plan, implement, and track census outreach.
| STEP 1: Understand Census Basics |
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| Census 2020 Overview Presentation (narrated video) |
| Census 2020: What You Need to Know |
| Census 2020: Sample Invitation Letter |
| Census 2020: Sample Paper Questionnaire |
| Census 2020: Confidentiality |
| Census 2020: How Census Invites Everyone |
| Census 2020: Timeline |
| Census 2020: Why We Ask (revised July 2019) |
| STEP 2: Get Comfortable Talking About the Census |
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| Census 2020 Key Points |
| Census 2020 Frequently Asked Questions (updated Nov 2019) |
| Addressing Common Census Barriers |
| Answering 5 Common Questions About Census 2020 |
| STEP 3: Prepare to Engage Community Members About Census |
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| Relational Approach for Census Outreach |
| Communication Principles for Census Outreach |
| Census 2020 Practice Scenarios |
| STEP 4: Planning and Tracking Census Outreach |
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| Census Outreach Brainstorm Worksheet (Microsoft Word .doc) |
| Census Outreach Planning & Tracking Grids (Microsoft Word .doc) |
| Census Outreach Pledge & Campaign Form |
| Other Helfpul Resources |
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| Messaging Guide |
| Social Media Guide |
You can find and request outreach materials in different languages here:
