Los Angeles, Dec. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In anticipation of one of the most consequential census efforts of our time, the California Community Foundation (CCF) completed a second wave of funding to local nonprofits for education and outreach efforts across Los Angeles County for $5.7 million. With the first wave of grants made in July 2019, total investment for the census efforts in the region total $12.7 million to 100 community-based partners from every corner of L.A. County. This powerful network of community groups have formed the We Count LA campaign to ensure all of Los Angeles is counted.
CCF has been appointed as the region’s Administrative Community Based Organization (ACBO) by the State of California. In addition to providing state funding, this role designates CCF as responsible to lead and coordinate education and outreach in Los Angeles County–which is ranked the hardest to count region in the nation. In addition to the state, CCF’s other key funders supporting the We Count LA campaign include the Weingart Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Ballmer Group, The California Endowment, Smidt Foundation, Libra Foundation, Mindy and Gene Stein, California Wellness Foundation, Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation and the City of Los Angeles.
“The magnitude of the effort in L.A. County demonstrates the value we place on ensuring every person is counted,” said Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. “Too much is on the line. We must all stand up and be counted.”
Once per decade, the U.S. Constitution requires the count of every living person in the nation. Census data influences the amount of federal funds allocated at the local level for schools, hospitals, public transit and vital programs, such as Medicaid and Head Start. In 2015, 80 percent of California’s federal funding was tied to the census.
The count also defines our representation in Congress. The Census Bureau will reapportion the country’s 435 U.S. House seats in 2021 using the data derived from the Census 2020 count. California’s independent redistricting commission will then draw the new congressional districts lines for the apportioned seats. An inaccurate count could cost California at least one Congressional seat.
Nearly half of L.A. County residents meet the hard-to-count criteria, including racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, mixed-status families, young children and the homeless. Census 2020 will be principally administered online for the first time, creating major concerns around privacy and digital accessibility. Many immigrant communities are suspicious of how their information will be used. Compounding these issues is anticipation that bad actors will emerge to suppress participation.
In the face of such challenges, funding will provide critical support to the We Count LA groups’ efforts in direct outreach activities.
Grassroots community-based organizations are trusted ambassadors within the county’s diverse communities. With so many challenges facing Census 2020, this network of community groups will serve as essential messengers on the importance of being counted as well as answer questions on how to participate in Census 2020. Please visit www.wecountla.org for more information. See our data snapshot to learn more about our grantee outreach efforts by tactic, population and region.
CONTACTS
MEDIA: Roshin Mathew
rmathew [@] calfund [.] org
(213) 452-6229
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: Stephania Ramirez
(213) 452-6247
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See below for full list of grantees.
Action Network
ALMA Family Service
Anahuak Youth Soccer Association
Armenian National Committee of America- Western Region
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
CANGRESS (dba Los Angeles Community Action Network)
Child Care Resource Center Inc.
Chinatown Service Center
Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero
Community Partners fbo ActiveSGV
Community Partners fbo El Monte Promise Foundation
Community Partners fbo Latino Equality Alliance
Council on American-Islamic Relations California
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
El Nido Family Centers
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Golden State Opportunity Foundation
Homies Unidos, Inc.
Instituto de Avance Integral Latino CDC
Korean American Coalition
Korean Resource Center
Koreatown Youth & Community Center, Inc.
Lancaster Museum & Public Art Foundation
Legacy LA Youth Development Corporation
Mar Vista Family Center
Maternal and Child Health Access
Meet Each Need with Dignity
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
NewStart Housing Corporation
ONEgeneration
Pacoima Beautiful
Para Los Niños
Parent Engagement Academy
Pasadena Altadena Coalition of Transformative Leaders
Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley Inc.
Pueblo y Salud Inc
Rio Hondo Community Development Corporation
SALVA
Self Help Graphics
South Bay Center for Counseling
South Central LA Regional Center
Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing
Southern California Education Fund
Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California
Toberman Neighborhood Center Inc.
United Cambodian Community, Inc./Cambodian Complete Count Committee
University Auxiliary Services, Inc./Pat Brown Institute
Vision Y Compromiso
Watts Century Latino Organization
Westside Center for Independent Living, Inc. (Disability Community Resource Center)
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