People across America will be receiving their Census 2010 questionnaire in the weeks to come. It is vital that you do your part by taking 15 minutes to accurately fill out the information requested and help others in your community to do the same. Why?

Representation:
The decennial census is used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
Federal Dollars:
Census data directly affect how more than $200 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That’s more than $2 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets its fair share of federal and state funding. Following Census 2000, $388 million in federal grants shifted to states with the biggest estimated population increases based on the census.

Knowledge:
Census data are used to inform your community’s decisions. It is like a snapshot that helps define who you are as a community. Data about changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.

- Presented in partnership with TACL, an official Census partner.