2020 Census Action Guide 

for the Faith Community 

For more information, visit: 

2020CENSUS.GOV 

D-BR-FB-EN-448 
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Promote the 2020 Census 

in your community. 

Shape the future of your congregation, neighborhood, and community by supporting 

the 2020 Census. Over the next 10 years, data from the 2020 Census will inform the 

distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds each year that support 

education, health care, emergency services, housing and food assistance, and more. 

In August 2020, census workers will begin visiting households that have not responded 

to the census to help ensure that everyone is counted. Members of your community can 

minimize the need for census takers to follow up in person by responding to the census 

now—online, by phone, or by mail. The Census Bureau has made adjustments to its 2020 

Census operations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can visit the 2020 Census 

Operational Adjustments page <https://2020census.gov/en/news-events/operationaladjustments-covid-19.html> for details. 

Encourage your community to respond. 

We encourage you to use the ideas below and the outreach materials 

<https://2020census.gov/en/partners/outreach-materials.html> on our partner website to 

promote participation in the 2020 Census in any way that suits your practice or tradition 

and that will resonate with your community. For example, you could: 

Engage in one-on-one conversations by phone, text, and video chat with members 

of your community to make sure they and their families, friends, and neighbors— 

especially those who are considered hard to count—have responded to the census. 

<https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/director/2018/11/counting_everyoneon. 

html?> Let people know they can still respond <https://2020census.gov/> to the 2020 

Census; it’s not too late. 

Remind people in your community that they can respond to the 2020 Census online 

or over the phone: in English (844-330-2020), Spanish (844-468-2020), or 12 other 

languages <https://www.2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone. 

html>. 

Share information <https://2020census.gov/en/partners/outreach-materials.html> 

with your community about the importance of completing the 2020 Census, stressing 

that everyone in every household should be counted. 

View the 2020 Census response rate map <https://2020census.gov/en/responserates.html>. Work with the faith leaders in your local interfaith council to focus your 

efforts in areas with low response. 

For more information, visit: 

2020CENSUS.GOV 
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Record census promotional messages or public service announcements for broadcast 

on local radio stations urging your community to respond now. 

Provide a space with computers or tablets that people can use to respond to the 

census online following weekly services. Be sure to follow guidance from federal, state, 

and local authorities about precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

During weekly services, have your pastor or faith leader call upon their congregation 

to participate in the census. 

Reach out to your regional census centers <https://2020census.gov/en/contact-us/ 

rcc.html> for more information and assistance. 

Post messages with 2020 Census information on marquees, social media, websites, 

and blogs. Use our 2020 Census Digital Action Guide <https://spark.adobe.com/page/ 

ogRYEUucXKJn5/> for ideas. 

Connect the 2020 Census to scriptural messages. 

Share 2020 Census materials in over 59 languages <https://www.2020census.gov/en/ 

languages.html> to help reach immigrant communities and people with limited English 

proficiency. 

Stress that the 2020 Census is safe, secure, and confidential <https://2020census.gov/ 

content/dam/2020census/materials/partners/2019-03/2020-confidentiality-factsheet. 

pdf> and that responses cannot be used against people in any way. The Census 

Bureau can only use your answers to produce statistics. Everyone is kept anonymous. 

Host a virtual event about the 2020 Census. You can invite Census Bureau staff 

to speak to your congregation at the event. Look for ideas on how to encourage 

response <https://2020census.gov/content/dam/2020census/materials/ 

partners/2020-06/encouraging-response-during-covid.pdf> amid social distancing. 

Share 2020 Census information with other groups your organization is affiliated with, 

including child care centers, schools, missions, youth and grandparent groups, and 

other nonprofit organizations. 

Include 2020 Census flyers <https://2020census.gov/en/partners/outreach-materials. 

html> or promotional items in the food or clothing packets you distribute to those 

in need. 

Share 2020 Census messages over social media during Faith Communities Census 

Weekend of Action (July 24–26, 2020). This weekend is a coordinated opportunity for 

faith leaders to focus their outreach and support of the 2020 Census to encourage 

their community to respond. 

Lift your voice and spirit and make everyone count by hosting a 2020 Census music 

event, a virtual gospel concert, or a music-filled evening with your choir. Share 

music messages like this Veggie Tales video on social media <https://twitter.com/ 

uscensusbureau/status/1263182926985994241?lang=en> to remind congregants that 

everyone counts, including children! 

For more information, visit: 

2020CENSUS.GOV 
For more information, visit:

2020CENSUS.GOV

Take a look at some of the ways 2020 Census partners have promoted the 

2020 Census: 

› The Washington National Cathedral hosted a 2020 Census event on Facebook Live:

<https://www.facebook.com/WNCathedral/videos/271129614075774/>.

› Emgage USA tied census messages to Muslim holidays: <https://twitter.com/

AhsiaBadi/status/1264594700675186691?s=20%3e>.

› Bread for the World tweeted 2020 Census messages in Spanish: <https://twitter.com/

bread_latino/status/1263884030631649281>.

› The “Be Counted Detroit” campaign brought together faith leaders from Detroit to

create a 2020 Census video: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddtjeyukfhw>.

› The National Latino Evangelical Coalition’s “Cuéntanos” campaign posted a public

service announcement about the 2020 Census in English and Spanish: <https://nalec.

org/census-2020/>.

› The Sisters of Charity Health System leveraged the interest generated by the February

2020 Census Interfaith Summit to conduct media interviews, including one with the

National Catholic Reporter: <https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/q-sr-judithann-karam-importance-being-counted-2020-us-census?clickSource=email%3E.>.

› The National Urban League posted a Twitter message encouraging faith leaders to

ensure all faith communities are counted: <https://twitter.com/NatUrbanLeague/

status/1244296151337185280>.
Sample messages for marquees, 

social media, texts, and more. 

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Shape our future by encouraging local congregations to respond to the #2020Census. 

Make your voice heard. Respond now at 2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020. 

The #2020Census affects your voice in government, the funding your community receives, 

and how your community plans for the future. #BeHeard #BePrepared #GetCounted at 

2020census.gov. 

#2020Census data will help inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in funding are distributed 

across our communities each year for things your community needs, like hospitals and clinics. 

Visit 2020census.gov. 

Love your neighbor; make sure they’re counted. #2020Census. 

No matter who you are, what you do, or how you worship—we all count! Visit 2020census.gov. 

Data from the 2020 Census will be used to help enforce anti-discrimination laws, like the Voting 

Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. #YourVoiceMatters #GetCounted. 

Complete the 2020 Census today online, by phone, or by mail. Visit 2020census.gov or call 

844-330-2020. Spanish and other language support is available. Visit 2020 Census Language 

Support <https://2020census.gov/en/languages.html>. 

Visit 2020census.gov to complete the #2020Census and help shape the next 10 years of services 

for your community, such as health care, infrastructure, and schools. There’s still time to respond! 

No matter your faith, you count. The #2020Census is your chance to shape the future of your 

community. Complete the census today! 

For more information, visit: 

2020CENSUS.GOV 
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Other materials available online. 

Several resources are available to download and print at 2020CENSUS.GOV, including: 

General information <https://2020census.gov/en/what-is-2020-census.html> 

about the 2020 Census. 

Fact sheets <https://2020census.gov/en/partners/outreach-materials.html> 

about how the Census Bureau keeps personal information safe and confidential. 

Information about how to respond <https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond. 

html> to the 2020 Census. 

Materials tailored to specific audiences, <https://2020census.gov/en/partners/ 

outreach-materials.html> including Hispanics, immigrants, people experiencing 

homelessness, and others. 

Answers to frequently asked questions <https://2020census.gov/content/ 

dam/2020census/materials/partners/2020-01/Faith_Community_FAQ.pdf> 

from the faith community. 

Posters, half-page handouts, social media posts, and more <https://2020census. 

gov/en/partners/outreach-materials.html> that you can use to inform your 

community about the 2020 Census. 

Information about Complete Count Committees <https://2020census.gov/en/ 

partners/complete-count.html>. 

A list of federal programs <https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ 

decennial/2020/program-management/working-papers/Uses-of-Census-BureauData-in-Federal-Funds-Distribution.pdf> that are impacted by the 2020 Census. 

Guides in 59 languages <https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennialcensus/2020-census/planning-management/language-resources/language-guides. 

html> that will help people to complete the 2020 Census. 

Additional ways to support the 2020 Census <https://2020census.gov/en/how-tohelp.html>. 

Revised Summer 2020 

For more information, visit: 

2020CENSUS.GOV