CASE STUDY
Count Me 2020 / 2020 Census
Securing a brighter future for San Diego through 2020 Census
Overview
Count Me 2020 was a nonpartisan coalition of over 150 community-based organizations dedicated to an accurate U.S. Census count in our region. Their mission was to reach and educate the hardest-to-count communities living in San Diego County and the County of Imperial about the 2020 US Census. Filling out the US Census helps secure a brighter future for local families and neighborhoods. By completing the Census, you help fund more programs that serve the community, like preschools, healthcare, emergency services, and more. Census data and funding is critical to future of our bi-national region.
Challenge
Scatena Daniels was hired just four weeks prior to the official census launch with the goal of encouraging 2020 Census self-response among populations identified by the State of California as “hard to count.” These are often people who historically are hardest to reach, have a distrust of the government, and became the hardest economically hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through self-response, these community members could avoid having a Census taker visit their home. With the COVID-19 stay at home order enacted in mid-March 2020 and June 2020’s social justice efforts, our in-person outreach plans drastically changed.
Results
Both San Diego and Imperial Counties increased their response rates above 2010. Nearly 74% of San Diego County households took the 2020 Census, a jump of nearly 6 percentage points from 2010. The city of San Diego also ranked #2 among municipalities that have over 1M residents responding to the Census survey in the nation. In less than 6 months, our team secured media interviews and placements featuring trusted messengers, including elected officials and community organizers. Our intentional strategy showed true ethnic and linguistic diversity. Inspirational and informational in-language interviews we arranged helped coalition members advance their grassroots work of advocacy and COVID-19 relief and response. Together, we encouraged those who were most fearful of completing their census.
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