Increasing Census Participation

Background

Through the Democracy and Civic Initiatives program, the William Penn Foundation (WPF) seeks to build trust and participation, particularly among underrepresented communities, in Pennsylvania’s democratic processes. Increasing participation in the 2030 census count helps the state to secure its fair share of resources and representation for the next decade.

The United States Constitution requires a census, every ten years, to count all persons in the United States. This population count serves as the basis for sharing political power among the states, with the number of congressional representatives assigned (or “apportioned”) to each state based on the updated count. Census counts also guide electoral redistricting and distribution of a large portion of federal funding.

New research from the Project on Government Oversight shows that more than $2.24 trillion dollars of federal funds were divided among the states based on census data in the 2023 fiscal year.  In Pennsylvania, 371 federal programs use census data to distribute over $94 billion in federal spending, the vast majority of it through Medicaid, Medicare, and other health-related spending.  Additional census-guided federal funding supports the state’s infrastructure, education, economic development, and housing.

However, we face tremendous challenges to achieve a full count in the 2030 census. As in 2020, the logistical hurdles of a nationwide data operation, budget and staffing concerns at the Census Bureau, community concerns about data security, and widespread distrust of government make it difficult to achieve an accurate count. Furthermore, some groups of people have been historically undercounted by the Census Bureau, including Black or African American people, Hispanic or Latino/a people, children ages 0-4, renters, and men ages 18-49.

Thoughtful planning and coordinated statewide collaboration can help communities to overcome these barriers and historic inaccuracies. Together, we can boost our state’s self-response rate. When people self-respond to the census – by filling out the census questionnaire themselves on behalf of their household – rather than relying on the Census Bureau to follow up, the data are more accurate, leading to a fairer distribution of resources and representation.

Opportunity Overview

WPF and our co-funder partners seek to support efforts to advance community-driven, place-based planning processes. We expect the plans created with grant support will guide census-related education, outreach, communications, and get-out-the-count activities in Pennsylvania through 2030.

We are requesting proposals for up to 18 months of funding. The appropriate project term will depend on the context in which you are working, including early plan development that may or may not already be complete. At the end of the grant period, organizations should have a complete and implementable plan that can be used in the years leading up to and through the 2030 census. A “complete and implementable plan” created with support from this planning grant will include, at minimum:

• a goal for what will be accomplished by the end of the 2030 census
• a timeline outlining phases of the work and activities to be undertaken
• roles and responsibilities of key partners
• strategies for stakeholder and community engagement
• a full picture of the resources (budget and staff/volunteer capacity) necessary to implement the plan
• process or operational questions about the census surfaced during planning

The Foundation recognizes that plans can be produced using a variety of tactics or approaches. Applicants may request support for one or multiple components of the planning process (e.g. outreach and education, community engagement, research and data analysis, message testing, technical assistance, consultant support, etc.). In describing the proposed work, all submitted proposals should:

• define the geographic area and/or demographic group for which the applicant(s) intends to increase census self-response rates, and the number of people to be reached,
• describe the elements and anticipated goal of the plan that will be completed by the end of the grant term,
• explain how the applicant(s) will coordinate with local, county, and/or statewide partners, including government agencies (as applicable),
• describe the process that will lead to creation of the plan.

All proposals that meet the criteria described on pages 7-8 of the RFP packet are encouraged. After reviewing proposals, WPF and its co-funders will conduct site visits and gather additional information from a limited number of organizations.

Organizations that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits. However, the Foundation and its partners recognize that the work necessary to make significant progress on the objective will be complex and encourages organizations to include partnerships that leverage complementary strengths, resources, and expertise.

WPF has $1.275 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. The maximum amount that a single organization may request is $50,000. A coalition of two or more organizations and/or government entities applying together on a single proposal may request up to $100,000.

Proposed projects must occur in Pennsylvania. During the grant term, there will be opportunities to coordinate planning with other local efforts and with Keystone Counts, the statewide campaign for a complete and accurate census count through state census convenings.

Full Request for Proposals (RFP) and Application 

Download the full RFP packet for more information about this opportunity including eligibility, review criteria, learning and insights, budget, and link to an application template.

All applications must be submitted through the Grants Portal.

Webinar

Interested organizations are invited to participate in an optional informational webinar on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET. Following the live webinar, a recording will be posted to this page.

Register for the Webinar