Census 2020 Outreach Grant Program | Compendium

Sharing from the Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission: 

We are pleased to announce the Census 2020 Outreach Grant Program. The program is being administered by Department of Community and Economic Development. Our main goal is for grassroots outreach supporting local efforts in hard to count communities in rural, suburban and urban Pennsylvania.

Census 2020 is a top priority for the Commonwealth. Outreach, education and awareness is critical in the identified hard-to-count populations and low response rate counties. Grants are up to $50,000 per grantee. Final amount will be determined by the review committee.

Census 2020 Outreach Grant Program is now open for applications. The application period will close on February 14. The review committee will review applications as they come in. Award notifications will be made no later than March 15.

For more information about the program including eligibility and application instructions, visit the DCED website by clicking this link.


Libraries may want to check out these resources on Libraries and the Census: https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/public-libraries-2020-census.html, and http://www.ala.org/advocacy/govinfo/census, looking especially at the Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census, which lists how libraries can help.  (This grant opportunity is not limited to libraries).

The Census Bureau identifies the following populations as hard-to-count:

  • Young children
  • Highly mobile persons
  • Racial and ethnic minorities
  • Non-English Speakers
  • Persons experiencing homelessness
  • Undocumented immigrants
  • Persons who distrust the government
  • LGBTQ persons
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities
  • Persons who do not live in traditional housing