Tips for Service Provider Organizations

Direct service organizations have a special role to play in increasing census participation. Community-based organizations that provide direct services to people in harder-to-count communities are uniquely positioned to:

Raise awareness of the critical need for an accurate census count;
Assist families in completing census forms;
Answer questions, provide reassurance and overcome resistance to participation;
Directly empower clients and benefit communities by helping all clients make themselves count.

Tips

Add census information to current programs. If you have a parent or youth leadership program, focus on the census during one session. If you have a health promoters program, talk about the importance of the census in funding health and nutrition programs.
Include census information as part of your intake procedures. Ask clients if they know about the census or if they want to know more about the census.
Use staff meetings to raise awareness of the census among staff. Recruit staff members to be core volunteers for census outreach activities.
Become an official partner organization and get access to materials and campaign plans
Consider setting up a temporary census assistance center in your facility if you have space.
Encourage friends and colleagues at other service organizations to get engaged