An Update From the New York State Census Equity Fund
At the beginning of the summer, the
NYS Census Equity Fund anounced the
first round of grants
it awarded, and shared the news that it was prepared to send out an LOI in early August for
Get out the Count (GOTC) efforts. The LOI was sent to a pre-selected
group of organizations in regions of the state where grantees were preparing to lead and assist with GOTC efforts locally and/or regionally. There are five regional review teams (Western New York, Central New York, the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York City) that consists of funders from the corresponding counties, and whose foundations invested in the Census Equity Fund. The regional teams are in the process of reviewing the grant applications and will be making recommendations to the Steering Committee at the end of October. The Committee looks forward to sharing the results of the second round of grantmaking in early November.
If you have questions about the grant process, please direct them to a member of the Steering Committee. And a big thank you to all the Foundations who have supported this work to date!
Sincerely,
The NYS Census Equity Fund Steering Committee:
- Sol Marie Alfonso Jones – Long Island Community Foundation
- Jennifer Drake – Dyson Foundation
- Lisa Fasolo Frishman – Engage New York (ex officio)
- Sabrina Hargrave — Brooklyn Community Foundation
- Randi Hewit – Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes
- Maria Marcantonio – Charles H. Revson Foundation
- Maria Mottola – New York Foundation
- Robyn Smith – Central New York Community Foundation
- Pat Swann – The New York Community Trust (Chair)
- Allie Urbanski – Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
|
|
Upcoming Event for New York Grantmakers on Redistricting
Funder's across New York State have been focused ensuring every resident is counted during 2020, but the Census is also about fair and equitable state representation in Washington DC. To ensure funders are equipped with information about redistricting, the NYS Census Equity Fund is inviting you to the following event:
When:
Thursday, November 7, 2019
from 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Where:
Philanthropy New York, 320 East 43
rd
Street, New York, NY
Click here
to register through Philanthropy New York’s site.
This panel discussion will examine the major issues surrounding redistricting nationwide, with a special focus on New York State’s challenges and its newly established redistricting laws and processes. We will consider what community-based organizations and advocacy groups can do – with support from philanthropy – to prevent gerrymandering and ensure lines are drawn to create districts of cohesive communities.
New York’s focus on redistricting is taking place in the context of a wide array of efforts across the United States to take on gerrymandering (for example, state court mandates in Pennsylvania and North Carolina to redraw legislative maps based on their state constitutions) and powerful political forces determined to maintain control over the process of drawing legislative maps in their favor. This program will start with an overview of the national redistricting environment, provide basic information on the specific challenges in New York and provide ample time for Q&A. Panelists include:
- Gary Bass, executive director, Bauman Foundation
- Juan Cartegena, president and general counsel, Latino Justice
- Yurij Rudensky, counsel with the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice
- Esmeralda Simmons, founder and executive director of the Center for Law and Social Justice, at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
- Jerry Vattamala, Director, Democracy Program, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
|
|
NEW YORK STATE
Here are some of the latest headlines and news stories from around the State...
|
|
Tioga County
has developed a 2020 Census advertising campaign titled, "We Count in Tioga County." The campaign which is aimed at residents is meant to educate the County about the importance of being counted.
From Syracuse, NY
- On August 2nd, Jubilee Homes, a census partner agency, hosted a job fair to increase applications applying for Census jobs in Central New York. The event was well attended and the County Executive, Ryan McMahon, shared his enthusiasm for a complete count in 2020.
From Troy, NY
- Congressman Paul Tonko embarked on a week-long tour in early September titled "Sound the Alarm on 2020 Census Undercount for Capital Region Tour." As part of the tour, the Congressman attended an event hosted by the Sanctuary for Independent Media where community leaders discussed the challenges facing communities in obtaining a complete count. The group has decided to continue to meet to understand the issue fully and to develop solutions to increase the number of residents completing the Census questionnaire.
Delaware County
leaders are looking to overcome barriers like homelessness, seasonal roads, lack of internet, as well as homeowners who live elsewhere as they prepare to undergo Complete Count efforts. A new communications strategy is being prepared to talk about Census with seasonal residents.
The Episcopal Church in
Sodus, NY
hosted the Mexican "Consultant on Wheels" where citizens could obtain or renew important documents in Wayne County, saving them a trip to New York City. Census Partnership Specialists and recruiters were at the event to discuss how individuals living in this rural community can apply for census jobs, explain how to complete the questionnaire, and to answer specific questions about Census. This rural community is home to hundreds of migrant workers who harvest crops on Lake Ontario and ensuring they are counted in 2020 is a goal of event organizers.
Glen Cove's Sub-Committee on Long Island
has been leading conversations about complete count efforts as well as census hiring. Local conversations have led to a pop-up job fair as well as a communications strategy that includes creating hashtags for social media, sending personalized messages to community members, as as well as organizing events and sharing resources.
Summer in
New York City
included numerous census related activities including:
- Distribution of census materials in the back to school back program at Brentwood Recreation Center
- The Dominican Day Parade hosted US Census Bureau employees to increase awareness
- During Harlem Week Census messages were featured during all events with support from Census partners like the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the NAACP, Manhattan Community Board, and the Census Bureau itself
- The NYC Department of Probation featured Census 2020 as part of their Community Resource Fair at Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn
- Over 500 residents attended the Queensbridge Family Fund Day in Long Island City where Online Application and Census 2020 Recruitment were just part of the offering for families. The event also included a Family Fun Day and the Night Out Against Crime event.
|
|
The US Census Bureau Announces Guidance On Door to Door Canvassing, click
here
for details.
T
his
Comprehensive Guide of Census 2020
was provided by Paul Reyes, Partnership Specialist for New York State. This PowerPoint provides a great overview of all things Census 2020.
A
new video
has been produced by the Bureau about why Census is important and key facts about the 2020 process. Please share it with your networks!
|
National News and Resources
|
|
For those interested in New York's numbers, Table 4.1 on page 13 includes a list of
states with their omission rates and estimates.
Ne
w York is 16
th
with an omission rate of 6.1 percent
(meaning that an estimated 1,137,000 people were not counted in 2010 who should have been counted).
Table 4.2 on page 14 ranks the top 50 largest counties ranked by omission; New York has 7 counties in the top 50.
|
|
Find out
Why Your Foundation Should Become a 2020 Census Official Partner
by clicking
here
.
|
|
For grantees looking to engage in census-related activities, refer them to
NY Counts 2020.
NY Counts 2020 is a coalition of nearly 100 diverse nonprofits/groups from across New York State developing a state-strategy focused on advocacy efforts, and providing information, resources and technical assistance as it relates to 'get out the count' measures to community-based organizations.
|
|
This email was generated by
Engage New York
in support of the NYS Census Equity Fund; a pooled fund focused on supporting and mobilizing get out the count efforts to ensure every New Yorker is counted in Census 2020.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
