The U.S. Constitution requires that every person living in the United States is counted every ten years to ensure fair representation and distribution of resources.

The Census matters!

What’s at Risk?

• Funding – The failure to count every Illinois resident would have devastating effects on Illinois’ ability to meet the needs of its residents. Even a one-percent undercount would result in the State losing $19,557,435 per year for a decade, resulting in a total loss of $195,574,350.
• Representation – The number of seats Illinois has in the S. House of Representatives for the next 10 years will be determined by the Census count in 2020.
• Legislative Districts – State and local governments use Census data to redraw electoral maps in order to align with the principle “one person, one vote.”

What does “Hard to Count” Mean?

Some populations and locations are considered “Hard to Count” by the U.S. Census Bureau. “Hard to Count” areas are defined as a geography where the self-response rate in the 2010 Census was 73% or less. There are also populations that have been historically undercounted, including young children, immigrants, low-income households, people of color, and rural residents to name a few. DeKalb County has “Hard to Count” populations and locations.

Census Day is on April 1, 2020. Nonprofit organizations have a lot at stake…and so do the people many nonprofits serve. Now is the time to encourage your partners, clients, and stakeholders to take the Census this spring so we can ensure a complete and accurate count!

How Can I Help?

Spread the word! At your agencies, on social media, in meetings, with clients, and wherever else you have an opportunity.

More than 120 materials and resources across languages are now available on the 2020 Census website, with more additions coming soon. Visit the Outreach Materials page at to find downloadable handouts, posters, social media posts, toolkits, and other resources to support your 2020 Census outreach. Materials can be filtered by language, type and audience and can be used both digitally and in print.

When you visitors the 2020 Census website you can use an interactive version of the 2020 Census questionnaire to explore the questions asked on the Census and access translated web pages and guides in 59 languages other than English, as well as resources in large print. Resources for American Sign Language and Braille are coming soon.

Some of the many materials and resources now available include:

• 2020 Census Recruitment Toolkit
• Brochure About Residence Criteria
• Fact Sheet: The 2020 Census and Confidentiality
• 2020 Census FAQ
• Partnership Fact Sheet
• Counting Young Children in the 2020 Census
• Sample Copy of the 2020 Census Questionnaire
• Benefits of Being Counted Poster
• Social Hub

*Partial content in this post derives from the State of Illinois official website for 2020 Census.