ALPENA — The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan has awarded $19,500 in new grants through its role as the Census 2020 Nonprofit Hub for this region. These grants are meant to help increase the chances of a fair and accurate count of northeast Michigan residents by raising awareness of the campaign’s importance, and ensuring that traditionally undercounted populations are counted in next year’s U.S. Census.

“Our entire region stands to lose over $48 million in annual federal funding with an undercount,” said CFNEM Executive Director Patrick Heraghty. “Our efforts as the Nonprofit Hub, and these grants, will hopefully help to fill some of those gaps where northeast Michigan has traditionally been undercounted.”

With the first round of grants awarded, CFNEM is now accepting applications for the second round of Census 2020 grants. Specifically, the Foundation is seeking applications from organizations that serve populations in the counties of Alcona, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle.

Applications for these grants are due by Jan. 2, 2020, with funding available by February 2020. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, churches, schools or government agencies, are eligible to apply. Community groups may also apply, provided they have a nonprofit organization as a fiscal sponsor. The maximum request amount is $2,500, but organizations requiring more can contact the CFNEM office.

The first round of Census 2020 grants to northeast Michigan nonprofits include:

¯ $2,500 to Alpena County George N. Fletcher Library for “Your Story Matters”, which will feature a town hall story-sharing event in partnership with The Alpena News about how the census has impacted lives and the importance of being counted. The grant will also purchase iPads for the library to use for people coming to the library to complete the Census survey.

¯ $2,500 to Association of Lifelong Learners at ACC for a “Senior to Senior 2020 Census” awareness project.

¯ $5,000 to the City of West Branch for “Be Counted Ogemaw,” which will focus on undercounted populations throughout Ogemaw County.

¯ $2,000 to Hillman Community Radio for ads and public service announcements related to the 2020 “get out the count” movement.

¯ $2,500 to Ogemaw Commission on Aging for a “Seniors Count” census party.

¯ $2,500 to Alpena Area Senior Citizens Council, Inc. for a “2020 Census Blitz” project which will feature events, education and resources.

¯ $2,500 to Thunder Bay Transportation Authority to purchase census awareness advertising bus wraps.

CFNEM was granted $50,000 through an initiative from the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Council of Michigan Foundations to provide these mini-grants to northeast Michigan nonprofits for Census outreach programs.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to providing people who care about the future of our area with unique and effective ways of supporting their community now, and for generations to come.