Upcoming Events
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Past Events
In 2020, Minnesota was able to retain a Congressional seat by the narrowest of margins (by only 26 people!). This victory was built on six years of stakeholder engagement and strategic organizing.
On March 30, a webinar was held to learn more about the Minnesota model, and how your state or community can better organize around the American Community Survey—in order to ensure adequate federal funding today, and to build a more solid foundation for a successful Census count in 2030.
In addition to the Minnesota case, we heard from early and promising efforts to organize the business community in Florida, the Asian American community in Nevada, and Native American and AAPI communities across the country.
Agenda
Welcome
Karthick Ramakrishnan, Director, Center for Social Innovation and AAPI Data
Presentation – MACS Case Study
Karthick Ramakrishnan (Presentation)
Joan Naymark, Minnesotans for the ACS and 2030 Census (Presentation)
Presentation – Florida TaxWatch Game plan of piloting in FL and spreading to other states
Susan Racher, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation (Presentation)
Tony Carvajal, Florida Tax Watch (Presentation)
Presentation – AIAN ACS engagement strategy
Jim Tucker, Natives Count (Presentation)
Presentation – AAPI ACS engagement strategy
Howard Shih, AAPI Data (Presentation)
Panel – Community perspectives from leaders in MN, NV, and FL
Moderator:
Karthick Ramakrishnan, Census Legacies
Speakers:
Susan Brower, Minnesota State Demographer
Vida Lin, Asian Community Development Council (Nevada)
Dr. Jerry Parrish, Florida State University
Next steps, call to action
Sue Van, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
Jim Tucker, Natives Count
Karthick Ramakrishnan, Census Legacies and AAPI Data
Close and After Party/Strategy Conversation
American Community Survey Educational Workshop

Did you know special Census data about your community—from poverty, education, workforce, transportation, housing, and health—is underfunded and at risk of getting defunded?
This past October 20, 2021 at the info session, Census Legacies-State/Local Strategies for a Stronger, we learned about the American Community Survey (ACS) and how this one-of-a-kind Census survey is the only source of data on that information. ACS data is also vital to civic and voting rights, public investments, community development, philanthropy, and the business community to name a few. You can find the recording of the event on CSI’s YouTube channel or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbI2CZPRUT4.
During this event, you discovered that this precious data is underfunded, under-resourced, and at risk of being lost. Can you imagine a world without ACS data?! (see slide below, red is Census Decennial Data and black is ACS Data) This is the data that contains your story, but only you can find what is relevant in this universe of information, and only you can breathe life into it so it can tell your community’s story.
During this meeting, we went over how to access Census, ACS, and other data tools that can help guide and elevate your work. The data explored will help you and your staff better understand where to start looking for data to strengthen your grant writing, advocacy, and connection to other community stakeholders.
- Here is a link to the video

State / Local Strategies for a Stronger ACS and Census

Did you know that 2020 data on your community—from poverty, education, workforce, transportation, housing, and health—are at risk?
Given low response rates during the pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau will only be able to release experimental estimates from the 2020 American Community Survey. These will be released in November 2021, for “a limited number of data tables for limited geographies.”
More generally, funding for the all-important ACS is at risk, and low response rates present a problem in many states, particularly in rural areas, Native communities, and communities of color.
What can states and localities do about this important problem?
On October 20, we held an event to find out what is already happening, and how your state and locality can get involved. We also welcomed leaders and stakeholders from business, philanthropy, community organizations, government agencies, and state legislatures to attend.
- Here is a link to the video
Speakers:
Tony Carvajal, Executive Vice President, Florida Tax Watch
- Tony Carvajal serves as Executive Vice President for Florida TaxWatch and brings more than 30 years of nonprofit management and consulting experience to the team, having helped organizations across the country design and implement plans to address all types of opportunities and disruptions. Prior to joining TaxWatch, Tony served as President and CEO of The Able Trust, a foundation committed to supporting persons with disabilities, and recently completed a decade of service as the futurist and Executive Vice President at the Florida Chamber Foundation where he developed research, programs, and policies designed to engage business leaders, chambers, and community leaders around a vision for Florida future.
Karla Lopez del Rio, Associate Director, Census Legacies and Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside
- Karla brings a wealth of community development experience and housing expertise to augment our Center’s capacity and impact. Prior to joining CSI, Karla served as the U.S. Census Bureau’s Lead Partnership Specialist for Riverside County. Her team created hundreds of multi-level and multi-stakeholder collaborations across the region to increase the Census questionnaire response rates for historically hard-to-count populations. For over a decade, before joining the Census Bureau, Karla dedicated her passion and career to affordable housing, homeownership, and community development. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Demographics and Policy at Chapman University. Karla has received awards from UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies and from Neighbor Works America in the categories of poverty alleviation and community building.
Joan Naymark, Executive Director, MACS
- Joan Naymark is the founder and Executive Director of MACS – Minnesotans for the American Community Survey. Joan retired in 2012 from Target Corporation with 30 years of market planning experience. Joan was a member of the Census Advisory Committee representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and also served ontwo panels for the National Academy of Science about the American Community Survey and annual Economic Data from the Census Bureau.
Susan Racher, Vice President and CFO, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
- Susan Racher is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, which she joined when the foundation was formed. As CFO, Susan manages the endowment’s investment portfolio, and also directs the Foundation’s civic engagement work in Florida. Susan is in the leadership group that created the Florida Counts Census 2020.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, Founder of AAPI Data and Census Legacies, Director of Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside
- Karthick Ramakrishnan is professor of public policy at the University of California, Riverside, and serves as the executive director of California 100, a transformative statewide initiative focused on building a shared vision and strategy for California’s next century that is innovative, sustainable, and equitable. Ramakrishnan also founded the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside, and AAPI Data, a national publisher or demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Ramakrishnan serves on the Board of The California Endowment and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni, chairs the California Commission on APIA Affairs, and serves on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (NAC).
James T. Tucker, Senior Special Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Dr. James Tucker serves as a Consultant to the Coulter Foundation on Census and the ACS, and currently is the Chair of the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee. A founding member of the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, he served as Pro Bono Voting Rights Counsel to the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) for 15 years, co-leading NARF’s efforts on the 2020 Census.
Speakers:
Tony Carvajal, Executive Vice President, Florida Tax Watch
- Tony Carvajal serves as Executive Vice President for Florida TaxWatch and brings more than 30 years of nonprofit management and consulting experience to the team, having helped organizations across the country design and implement plans to address all types of opportunities and disruptions. Prior to joining TaxWatch, Tony served as President and CEO of The Able Trust, a foundation committed to supporting persons with disabilities, and recently completed a decade of service as the futurist and Executive Vice President at the Florida Chamber Foundation where he developed research, programs, and policies designed to engage business leaders, chambers, and community leaders around a vision for Florida future.
Karla Lopez del Rio, Associate Director, Census Legacies and Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside
- Karla brings a wealth of community development experience and housing expertise to augment our Center’s capacity and impact. Prior to joining CSI, Karla served as the U.S. Census Bureau’s Lead Partnership Specialist for Riverside County. Her team created hundreds of multi-level and multi-stakeholder collaborations across the region to increase the Census questionnaire response rates for historically hard-to-count populations. For over a decade, before joining the Census Bureau, Karla dedicated her passion and career to affordable housing, homeownership, and community development. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Demographics and Policy at Chapman University. Karla has received awards from UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies and from Neighbor Works America in the categories of poverty alleviation and community building.
Joan Naymark, Executive Director, MACS
- Joan Naymark is the founder and Executive Director of MACS – Minnesotans for the American Community Survey. Joan retired in 2012 from Target Corporation with 30 years of market planning experience. Joan was a member of the Census Advisory Committee representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and also served ontwo panels for the National Academy of Science about the American Community Survey and annual Economic Data from the Census Bureau.
Susan Racher, Vice President and CFO, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
- Susan Racher is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, which she joined when the foundation was formed. As CFO, Susan manages the endowment’s investment portfolio, and also directs the Foundation’s civic engagement work in Florida. Susan is in the leadership group that created the Florida Counts Census 2020.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, Founder of AAPI Data and Census Legacies, Director of Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside
- Karthick Ramakrishnan is professor of public policy at the University of California, Riverside, and serves as the executive director of California 100, a transformative statewide initiative focused on building a shared vision and strategy for California’s next century that is innovative, sustainable, and equitable. Ramakrishnan also founded the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside, and AAPI Data, a national publisher or demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Ramakrishnan serves on the Board of The California Endowment and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni, chairs the California Commission on APIA Affairs, and serves on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (NAC).
James T. Tucker, Senior Special Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Dr. James Tucker serves as a Consultant to the Coulter Foundation on Census and the ACS, and currently is the Chair of the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee. A founding member of the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, he served as Pro Bono Voting Rights Counsel to the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) for 15 years, co-leading NARF’s efforts on the 2020 Census.
Southern California Census Data Community Summits–Pilot
Hosted by Census Legacies, in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau and local partners, these special Summits explored how to access socioeconomic, demographic, and housing estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS). The event also educated community stakeholders through a series of live demonstrations on how to easily access data and tools directly from official U.S. Census websites. Partners had the opportunity to establish a partnership with the local Census Bureau Data Dissemination Specialist who can answer questions and provide resources, as well as create tailored presentations and training for your own groups.
Census Data Community Summit-Orange County
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Summit Recording
- Available on Youtube
Summit Resources
- Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside-Presentation
- 2021 Census Apportionment and Redistricting Status Update-Presentation
- Accessing San Diego County Census Data-Presentation
- Vaccinate Orange Collective Impact Tables-Presentation
- Decennial Census Redistricting Data Resources-https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html
- 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer – https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/geo/demographicmapviewer.html
Census Data Community Summit–San Diego County
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Summit Recording
- Recording available on YouTube
Summit Resources
- Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside-Presentation
- 2021 Census Apportionment and Redistricting Status Update-Presentation
- Accessing San Diego County Census Data-Presentation
- Decennial Census Redistricting Data Resources-https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html
- 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer – https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/geo/demographicmapviewer.html
- This interactive map allows you to zoom into your geography of interest and access the latest data from the 2020 Census Redistricting data release.
Census Data Community Summit–Ventura County
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Summit Recording
- Recording available on Youtube
Summit Resources
- Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside-Presentation
- 2021 Census Apportionment and Redistricting Status Update-Presentation
- Accessing Ventura County Census Data–Presentation
- Luz Castillo, Data Dissemination Specialist Contact-PDF
- Decennial Census Redistricting Data Resources-https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html
- 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer – [link] https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/geo/demographicmapviewer.html
- This interactive map allows you to zoom into your geography of interest and access the latest data from the 2020 Census Redistricting data release.
Census Data Community Summit–San Bernardino County
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Summit Recording
Recording available on YouTube
Summit Resources
- Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside-Presentation
- 2021 Census Apportionment and Redistricting Status Update-Presentation
- Accessing San Bernardino County Census Data–Presentation
- Decennial Census Redistricting Data Resources-https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html
- 2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer – https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/geo/demographicmapviewer.html
- This interactive map allows you to zoom into your geography of interest and access the latest data from the 2020 Census Redistricting data release.
- County of San Bernardino Self Response Rate Matrix-PDF
Census Data Community Summit–Taller en Espanol
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Census Data Community Summit–Riverside County
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Summit Recording:
Recording Available on Google Drive
Summit Resources:
- CSI Introduction-Presentation PDF
- Census Apportionment and Redistricting Update-Presentation PDF
- Census Bureau Data Summit-Presentation PDF
- Census Bureau Data Summit-Resource Sheet PDF
- California City Estimates-View sheet here
- Riverside County Senate Districts-View folder here
- Riverside County State Assembly Districts-View folder here
Census Data Community Summit–Imperial Valley
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
American Rescue Plan: Strategies for Community Co-Design
Held on Monday, May 24, 2021, this event explored how Community Investment Boards can ensure more effective and equitable allocation of American Rescue Plan dollars.
- Read the Op-ed: Needed: Community Investment Boards for an Effective American Rescue Plan
National Launch, December 15 at 10am PT / 1pm ET
National launch of Census Legacies, with partners from national and state philanthropy, government, nonprofits, and more.
- Here is a link to the video
- Here is a link to the slide deck
- Here are links to presentations from our partners:
Information Sessions
Want to learn more about Census Legacies? We held two information sessions, on Tuesday November 10 and Friday, November 13.
- Here’s a link to the video
- Here’s a link to the slide deck (PDF)
Funders' Committee for Civic Participation Webinar
On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, in collaboration with the Center for Social Innovation-UCR, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and The California Endowment hosted a national webinar.
This webinar discussed the important work of Census outreach coalitions in a variety of contexts (regions like the Inland Empire, metros like Houston, states like New York and South Carolina, and urban Indian/Native American communities nationwide).
The webinar concluded with a preview of Census Legacies; please see the full video below, and please visit FCCP for more information about this event.
- Here is a link to the video