14 Apr Video Call (to action): The 10min, $23k meeting

Passing along something for all the founders and managers out there. At your next all hands, team meeting, or happy hour, consider adding 10 minutes for everyone to fill out their Census.

There are 55 sources of federal funding that make their way into our state, which works out to about $2,300 per person per year. You multiply that by 10 years and you’re talking about $23,000 in federal funding allocation for every Colorado resident!

That $2,300 dollars is allocated to programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program [known as CHIP], and other social welfare and safety-net programs, like housing assistance, head-start programs, emergency food assistance, as well as schools, hospitals, and more. Many of which will be called upon as we enter into a post-COVID society.

Unfortunately, the counts historically come up short, especially among children, rural residents, individuals of color, immigrants, the elderly, and those experiencing homelessness. Heading into the 2020 Census, many fear that the undercounts will be even more significant than in years past, due to heightened fears over how information will be used. While information collected through the census is protected and cannot be used for other purposes (such as in IRS or immigration proceedings), the perception among many vulnerable communities is that it’s dangerous to willingly give one’s information to the government.

For anyone looking to make an impact with just 1% of your work day, call a team meeting, lunch, or happy hour and fill out the Census online – it’s easy, impactful, and takes just 10 minutes.