The United States Census Bureau Director, Robert Santos, recently visited Minnesota from July 24-25. The goal of the visit was to meet with census stakeholders and communities to gather insights for improving operations for the 2030 count based on learnings from the work for 2020. In preparation for his visit, the director’s team contacted the Minnesota Council on Foundations due to MCF’s role in the 2020 census and ongoing mobilization efforts to help in coordinating visits with the census community in Minnesota.
MCF worked with Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership partners (including Voices for Racial Justice, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census, and the Minnesota State Demographic Center) to help facilitate community meetings between historically undercounted population and local community organizations that serve them. Director Santos and his team spent two days meeting with: leaders of the Deaf community, Native American legislators and American Indian and Alaska Native group leaders, rural stakeholders, and African American, African immigrant, and Latino leaders, Hmong community leaders, leaders from the Minnesota Census and Mobilization Partnerships’ Co-Creators table, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and state government leaders.
While MCF was not able to partake in every meeting, the themes and messages shared in many events was evident:
- Cross sector and cross-cultural partnerships between communities, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, are critical to ensure robust get-out-the-count efforts.
- Community - and especially historically undercounted communities, desire to be engaged and help lead all parts of the census process. Culturally relevant messaging and outreach is critical to ensure communities understand the full value and impact of completing a census form and have the opportunity to do so.
- Data disaggregation is necessary to ensure accurate representation. Furthermore, having access and the knowledge to interpret data is a necessary asset for communities.
- There are improvements to be made to census operations and data classification and it is vital that impacted communities inform these decisions. For example: Hmong communities must be engaged on the topic of Hmong misclassification, and their opinions must shape how the census bureau codes the Hmong ethnic group. Additionally, members of the disability community have long advocated for the inclusion of American Sign Language on the census to ensure that data about Deaf communities can be accessible. Lastly, while Minnesota leads the nation in self-response rates, undercounts still exist which exacerbate racial disparities.
MCF and the Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership are grateful for Director Santos and his team for visiting Minnesota and for meeting with community members. We have asked for continual community engagement and ongoing communication to work towards a full and accurate count in the next census. MCF and the Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership remain committed to supporting a long-term census and democracy infrastructure in Minnesota. We continue to advance a more inclusive census and democracy through advocacy, education, and organizing and have an unwavering commitment to centering historically undercounted communities. Thank you to all the community leaders, organizations, and partners, who participated in visits and shared your knowledge and perspectives with the U.S. Census Bureau team. As we ramp up towards the 2030 census, connect with us and join the partnership to stay up to date for engagement opportunities.
For more information, contact May Yang myang@mcf.org
Gallery of Community Meeting Photos
U.S. Census Bureau team members who participated in community meetings include:
- Robert Santos – United States Census Bureau Director
- Eileen O’Brien - Staff Director & Senior Advisor
- Mayumi Escalante – Senior Manager Strategic Alliances
- Dee Alexander - Intergovernmental Tribal Affairs Specialist
- Cass Dorius - Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University
Minnesota Philanthropy Meeting
MCF members with the United States Census Bureau team following a conversation about the important roles philanthropy can and should play in census efforts. Thank you to the Minnesota funders who shared stories about their roles in the 2020 census efforts. We look forward to strong philanthropic engagement as we continue to work towards the 2030 census!
Pictured:
- Jaci David - Blandin Foundation
- Darlynn Benjamin - Minneapolis Foundation
- Tsega Tamene - Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation
- Dean Penk - Golden Valley Community Foundation
- Tim Murphy - McKnight Foundation
- Jennifer Woodford - Rochester Area Community Foundation
- Sara Carlson - Willmar Area Community Foundation
- Nancy Zallek - Mankato Area Foundation
- Carrie Carroll - Northfield Shares
- Matt Johnson - Woodbury Community Foundation
- Heidi Herron - St. Croix Valley Community Foundation
- Mindy Nuhring - Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation
- Susan Brower - Minnesota State Demographic Center
- Eric Guthrie - Minnesota State Demographic Center
- Susie Brown - Minnesota Council on Foundations
- Katina Mortensen - Minnesota Council on Foundations
- May Yang - Minnesota Council on Foundations
Minnesota Census Mobilization Partnership Co-Creators Dinner
Community is power! Members of the Minnesota Census and Mobilization Partnership Co-Creators group met with Director Santos of the US Census Bureau to share what is possible when community is authentically engaged in all steps of the census process. To effectively mobilize historically undercounted communities in Minnesota to participate and be accurately counted in the 2020 Census, the outreach needs to come from people they trust and are from their communities.
Pictured:
- Monica Hurtado - Voices for Racial Justice
- Nicole Donoso - Voices for Racial Justice
- Joan Naymark - Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census
- Xp Lee - APIC Minneapolis
- Emma Rage - Common Cause MN
- Linda Lelis-Her - Asian American Organizing Project
- Xorr Xiong - Asian American Organizing Project
- Fartun Weli - Isuroon
- Wali Dire - Islamic Civic Society of America
- Paul Andrighetti- CAPI USA
- Eric Guthrie - Minnesota State Demographic Center
- Susan Brower - Minnesota State Demographic Center
- Maya Santamaria – Santamaria Broadcasting, Inc.
- Paul Huffman - League of Women Voters MN (not pictured)
- Audrey Tchaa - Minnesota Council on Foundations
- May Yang - Minnesota Council on Foundations
Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership Meeting with Director Santos
The Minnesota Council on Foundations, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census, Voices for Racial Justice, and the Minnesota State Demographic Center met with the US Census Bureau team to emphasize the importance of a statewide partnership between philanthropy, community, nonprofits, and government. Minnesota leaders also shared ongoing census advocacy, education, and mobilization efforts since 2020 including census-related policy wins at the legislature.
Pictured:
- Nicole Donoso - Voices for Racial Justice
- Monica Hurtado - Voices for Racial Justice
- Joan Naymark - Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census
- Marcia Avner - Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census
- Bob Tracy - Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census
- Katina Mortensen - Minnesota Council on Foundations
- May Yang - Minnesota Council on Foundations
Hmong Community Meeting with Director Santos
Hmong community leaders, Asian American advocates, and supporters met with Director Santos to discuss the topic of Hmong misclassification.
Pictured:
- Marc Pfeifer – Hmong Cultural Center
- Jennifer O’ Rourke – Ramsey County Government Relations
- Jollie Wood - Ramsey County Government Relations
- May Yer Thao – Hmong American Partnership, Hmong National Development
- Chao R. Lee – Office of Congresswoman Betty McCollum
- Winona Yang – Office of Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong
- Frances Blee - Office of Representative Ilhan Omar
- Mary Niedermeyer – CAPI USA
- ThaoMee Xiong – Coalition of Asian American Leaders
- John Yang – AABRN
- Ploua Yang - Office of Councilmember Nelsie Yang
- Xp Lee - APIC Minneapolis
- Xorr Xiong - Asian American Organizing Project
- Amanda Xiong - CAPI USA
- Jen Heyer, Office of Representative Ilhan Omar
- Joan Naymark - Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census
- Samantha Sencer-Mura - MN House of Representatives
- Mai See Thao - Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Hmong Studies
- Ethan Cha - MN House of Representatives
- Eric Guthrie - State of Minnesota State Demography Center
- Susan Brower - State of Minnesota State Demography Center
- Chenda Hing – MN8 (not pictured)
- Kevin Huynh – MN8 (not pictured)
- May Yang - Minnesota Council on Foundations
Deaf Equity Meeting with Director Santos
Leaders from Deaf Equity met with Director Santos’ team to share their communities' experiences in the 2020 census, feedback on how the bureau does outreach to the Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing communities, and recommendations for how to better engage these groups.
Pictured:
- Migdalia Rogers - Deaf Equity board member
- Jessalyn Akerman-Frank - Deaf Equity board member
- John Fechter - Deaf Equity board member
Request for Proposals (RFP): Transfer of Wealth Messaging
The Minnesota Council on Foundations is seeking proposals from a consultant to work on Transfer of Wealth messaging and materials development.
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