BPL Receives $10,000 Grant for Alabama 2020 Census Outreach

The Birmingham Public Library has been awarded a $10,000 grant to promote, educate, and encourage participation in the Alabama 2020 Census.

BPL was among 34 government agencies and organizations Governor Kay Ivey announced December 1 will receive a combined $1 million in funds provided by the Legislature to increase Alabama’s self-response rate during the 2020 Census this spring.

“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of what a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census means for Alabama," Governor Ivey said. "Those numbers have a direct impact on billions of dollars in funding that affect schools, community programs, health care, job opportunities and just about every other aspect of our state. I thank our legislators for allocating funds for these outreach efforts, and I also commend local leaders and organizations for being proactive in these efforts.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funding allocated by the Legislature in the 2019-2020 Education Trust Fund Budget. ADECA acts as the state’s liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau and the lead state agency for 2020 Census outreach and preparation.

Governor Ivey’s Alabama Counts Initiative aims to ensure a maximum count in the 2020 Census, which begins in mid-March 2020 when every Alabama household address will receive an invitation to respond to the census.

BPL’s $10,000 grant will be used to implement programs and outreach initiatives to increase awareness and participation in the census.

Read about each of the grant recipients by clicking here.