Census Participation

The William Penn Foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in Philadelphia, has a longstanding commitment to promoting civic engagement and equitable resource distribution. As part of its Democracy and Civic Initiatives Program, the Foundation has developed a grant opportunity aimed at increasing participation in the decennial census. This initiative reflects the Foundation’s recognition that an accurate census count is vital for Pennsylvania to receive its fair share of the more than $2.8 trillion in federal funding distributed based on census data, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This grant opportunity specifically supports projects designed to increase the census self-response rate across Pennsylvania, with a heightened focus on Philadelphia. The goal is to raise the self-response rate by 1.5 percentage points statewide and by 4.0 percentage points in Philadelphia by the 2030 census. The Foundation emphasizes that self-responses are typically the most accurate form of census data collection, as they come directly from residents. As such, this grant will prioritize programs that make it easier for individuals—especially those in historically undercounted communities and families with children under the age of five—to participate. Eligible projects may include a wide range of community-based outreach efforts. While the Foundation does not provide an exhaustive list of acceptable activities, it encourages applicants to propose initiatives they believe will effectively contribute to increasing census self-response rates. This includes culturally competent messaging, language access efforts, community ambassador programs, and partnerships with local institutions that can help amplify participation among hard-to-reach populations. The Foundation’s approach allows for flexible and innovative programming tailored to the specific needs of communities across the state. Applicants must ensure their proposed activities are charitable and compliant with IRS standards, as the Foundation funds only such initiatives. The William Penn Foundation remains strictly non-partisan and does not support any political activity or lobbying. Applications are evaluated based on their potential effectiveness in increasing census participation, alignment with community needs, and the organization’s capacity to execute the proposed program. The Foundation uses weekly updates from the Census Bureau's dashboards to monitor progress on self-response rates during active census periods. Although the Foundation has supported census-related work for over 50 years, this opportunity focuses on the 2030 census cycle and thus anticipates a long planning horizon. No specific deadlines, funding ceilings, or application open/close dates are provided in the source material, and prospective applicants are advised to contact the Foundation for further information. For questions or to discuss potential applications, interested parties may contact Jessica Richards, Program Director of the Democracy and Civic Initiatives Program. She can be reached via the William Penn Foundation’s general contact number at (215) 988-1830 or by emailing grants@williampennfoundation.org. The Foundation’s offices are located at Two Logan Square, Suite 1100, 100 North 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.