HARRISBURG, PA — State Rep. Jake Wheatley said local nonprofit organizations, including religious groups and colleges and universities, are eligible for recently announced state funding to encourage participation in the U.S. Census. The application deadline is February 14.

“The census is how this country counts its residents and is used as the basis for determining how billions of federal dollars are allocated and federal services are delivered to our local communities,” Wheatley said. “But many groups have been historically undercounted, whether it’s due to their distrust of the government because of their inequitable treatment, a language barrier, or even a lack of internet access. This grant program is designed to help everyone be counted.”

The Census 2020 Outreach Grant Program is intended to support grassroots efforts promoting awareness and participation in the 2020 Census in Pennsylvania with a focus on efforts targeting hard-to-count populations, such as non-primary-English speakers, ethnic minorities, immigrant and rural communities, children, the elderly, LGBTQ people and the homeless.

Up to $50,000 is available per grant. The funds may be used for local-media advertising, sponsoring census-related events in the community, technology rentals for census participation, event costs for outreach activities and administrative costs.