Every 10 years, the census determines which communities have the resources to thrive — and which are left struggling to meet growing needs.

The numbers collected during the census shape how billions of federal dollars are distributed each year for schools, healthcare, roads, affordable housing, emergency response, and food assistance programs across Colorado. Census data determines political representation in Congress and influences how legislative districts are drawn across the country.

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When communities are undercounted, the consequences are real and long-lasting. Fewer dollars for overcrowded classrooms. Less funding for hospitals and health clinics. Fewer resources for transportation, wildfire preparedness, and housing support. Entire communities can spend a decade trying to catch up from a count that failed to fully see them in the first place.

That’s why Colorado cannot afford to wait until 2029 to start preparing for the 2030 census.

An accurate census count is not built through mailers and government announcements alone — it is built on trust. Trust that personal information will remain confidential. Trust that participation matters. Trust that communities are seen and valued. And that trust is often built not by government agencies, but by the nonprofit and community organizations people already rely on every day.

Historically, communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, LGBTQ+ residents, rural communities, renters, low-income families, and young children have faced the greatest risk of being undercounted. Many families remain skeptical of government institutions or face barriers related to language access, internet access, housing instability, or misinformation.

Trusted local nonprofit organizations already have those relationships. They are the groups helping families find housing, navigate healthcare systems, access food assistance, and recover after disasters. They understand their communities in ways no statewide advertising campaign ever could.

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This summer, Communities Lead Communities Thrive will launch our Roadmap to 2030: Census Listening Sessions, a statewide effort to hear directly from nonprofit organizations about what it will take to ensure every community in Colorado is counted in the next census.

Colorado has already seen the value of investing in this work. Ahead of the 2020 census, state lawmakers passed legislation creating a statewide outreach effort and establishing $6 million in grants to support community engagement and participation efforts.

Last month, the State Demographer’s Office released a report summarizing the coordinated work led by state agencies, local governments, philanthropic partners, and nonprofits during the 2020 census, while also offering recommendations for 2030. The report is an important reminder that an accurate count does not happen automatically. It requires coordination, trusted messengers, and sustained investment — with nonprofits playing a critical role.

The urgency has only grown after the U.S. Census Bureau recently scaled back planned testing efforts for the 2030 Census, including removing Colorado Springs as a potential test site. That decision eliminated an opportunity for Colorado to refine outreach strategies and strengthen partnerships ahead of the next count.

Communities cannot rely solely on federal efforts to ensure an accurate count. Colorado must begin building the infrastructure now.

At CLCT, we have seen firsthand how community-rooted organizations are too often asked to do critical public work without the support they need to succeed. Our coalition advocates for more equitable access to public funding for nonprofits serving historically underinvested communities.

Last year, we convened listening sessions with nonprofit leaders across Colorado that informed our Funding the Frontlines Policy Agenda. That work helped lead to the bipartisan passage of House Bill 26-1274: State Agency Payments to Grant Recipients this legislative session, allowing state agencies to advance grant payments to nonprofits instead of relying solely on reimbursement systems that can create major financial barriers.

The same principle applies to census outreach. If Colorado wants nonprofits to serve as trusted messengers ahead of 2030, organizations need to be included in the planning process and funded early — not just in the months and weeks before census forms arrive in the mail.

The 2030 census may still feel far away, but the work to ensure every community is counted must start now.