The Foraker Group

The U.S. Census Bureau has extended the deadline for public comments on its proposed changes to the 2030 Census. Nonprofit, government, and corporate leaders, we need your voice. You have until November 2, 2026, to submit public comments – but don’t wait!

ACT TODAY to demand that the Census Bureau reverse course and stop these proposed changes! Join us and take these two important steps!

1. Submit a public comment
   • Use resources from Foraker’s partner, the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), to make your nonprofit voice heard. Check out NCN’s comment guide, which includes talking points, a comment template, and instructions for submitting comments.
   • Kids Count, a program of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has also created a toolkit for missions focused on kids and families.
2. Sign onto a national letter opposing the proposed changes if you are the official signer for your organization.

WHAT IS AT STAKE RIGHT NOW?

On September 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau published a proposed rule that would make significant changes to how the 2030 Decennial Census counts people and collects demographic data. If these changes are implemented, it will negatively impact the people and communities nonprofits serve every day.

So many decisions that affect Alaskans, like redistricting, are directly tied to census numbers. Ultimately, in fact, every federal dollar is tied to the census.

In FY 2020, $8.26 billion flowed into Alaska as a result of census data. That figure equaled $11,263 for each and every Alaskan, more than 11 times the economic impact of the 2025 Permanent Fund dividend.[i] In ten years, that means $82.6 billion (before inflation) of funding for Alaska communities.

This amounts to 30% of annual state spending – which in turn determines how much nonprofits receive in grants and contracts directly from the federal government and through the State of Alaska and our municipalities.

WHAT DOES THE PROPOSED RULE DO?

The proposed rule would remove questions on race and ethnicity, thereby erasing important demographic data about Alaskans. Furthermore, the way the census determines residency would eliminate countless Alaskans from the count altogether. These changes are an unprecedented departure from the longstanding practice of collecting critical information.

Demographic data is necessary to enforce civil rights laws, such as the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, and to ensure equal opportunity for all Americans and all Alaskans. Without this information, it will be harder for communities to identify and redress longstanding disparities or to serve underserved communities, or to appropriately distribute federal funding across the country – including Alaska.

The proposed regulations would deprive local communities of vital resources used by all Alaskans, shifting resources away from the people and places federal programs are meant to serve. The proposal also undermines public trust in the census itself, making the counting process even harder.

Every community deserves its fair share of resources and political power, and proposals that undermine public trust put our democracy at risk.

WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT THE 2030 CENSUS TODAY?

Nonprofits use census data to make critical decisions about where and how to invest resources. Based on the 2020 Census, that means we have 8.26 billion reasons to care about the 2030 Census.

We need your advocacy NOW to make sure all Alaskans are counted.

HOW CAN I STAY INVOLVED?

Want to be more involved? In Alaska, the Alaska Census Working Group, a nonpartisan, multi-sector effort including nonprofits, state and local government, business, education, and Alaska Native organizations, is focused on ensuring all Alaskans are counted in 2030 through our Alaska Counts Campaign. Contact Foraker to join the effort.

[i] POGO_Federal-Funds-Geographically-Directed-by-Census-Data.pdf