The Census Bureau is developing special materials to help religious leaders spread the word that answering the census is important for everyone. The census is how America knows what America needs. The information gathered by Census 2000 will help you understand your community better.
Many communities use census information to attract new business or plan for growth.
In fact, many religious groups use the census numbers to plan new facilities and programs for their congregations. But if some segments of the population don't participate as much as others, those segments will be underrepresented. The information collected by the census is an important tool for government decision-making. The Constitution of the United States mandates a census every 10 years to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The census helps direct the distribution of billions of dollars in state and federal funding to areas that need them.