PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Nonprofits in Rhode Island have been awarded grants totaling nearly $300,000 for outreach to boost participation in the 2020 Census.
The Rhode Island Foundation announced the grants Monday from the Rhode Island Census 2020 Fund, a statewide, collaborative funding initiative. The goal is to protect the $3.8 billion a year Rhode Island receives in federal funding for education, health care, transportation and housing based on census data, the foundation said.
Twenty-six organizations received funding for programs to reach hard-to-count communities, including the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education in Providence, Progreso Latino in Central Falls, and Meals on Wheels in Providence.
The 2020 Census will help determine how many congressional seats each state gets, and the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.
“These census outreach grants are an essential tool to build the grassroots effort that will help us achieve our goal of ensuring that every Rhode Islander is counted,” Rhode Island Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, who co-chairs Rhode Island’s Complete Count Committee, said in a statement.
Nonprofits, municipalities, houses of worship and public agencies including libraries and schools can apply for grants in the second round of funding. The fund is offering $125,000. Information is available online.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.