The IL Count Me In 2020 Funders’ Collaborative RFP

In February 2019, Forefront’s IL Count Me In 2020 Funders’ Collaborative released a new grant opportunity where Illinois community-based organizations were encouraged to apply for funding to engage in Census 2020 outreach efforts. The RFP and grant portal are now closed, and Forefront will announce grantees at our April 3 Census Summit in Springfield.

The IL Count Me In 2020 Funders’ Collaborative is a collaborative of Illinois foundations that have joined together to support coordinated census outreach in hard-to-count communities across the state. Co-chairs of the Funders’ Collaborative, Mark Murray of the Field Foundation and Deborah Bennett of Polk Bros. Foundation, have worked hard all year to help secure contributions for this pooled fund. This fall, Forefront worked closely with several foundations through a smaller working group to create a pertinent grant application, drawing from the 2010 IL Count Me In RFP, that the larger Funders’ Collaborative for 2020 is reviewing to inform the RFP for Census 2020.

It is vital that Illinois increase its participation in the 2020 census. Communities across the state are at risk of being undercounted. Without a fair and accurate count, Illinois will lose significant federal funds necessary for social service programs and resources utilized by all residents. In every census cycle since 1950, Illinois has lost one Congressional seat, and we stand to lose two more Congressional seats because of the 2020 census count. If we do not make a concerted, coordinated effort to ensure a comprehensive count, we will lose those two seats in the House of Representatives as well as millions of dollars in federal funding.

If you have any questions regarding the IL Count Me In 2020 RFP, please email Anita Banerji at [email protected] or Yoselyn Ovalle at [email protected].

If you have any questions regarding the online portal, please email our Librarian Zoe Magierek at [email protected].

Learn more about the IL Count Me In 2020 RFP here. For further information about the 2020 Census, see our website.