The National Civic League works to strengthen the capacity of communities to solve their own problems, and recognizes and celebrates the best practices in community building.

Awards Program

The All-America City Award is America's oldest and most prestigious community recognition award. Since 1949, the All-America City Award has encouraged and recognized civic excellence, honoring communities of all sizes (cities, towns, counties, neighborhoods and regions) in which community members, government, businesses and non-profit organizations work together to address critical local issues. Communities that teach the rest of us how to face difficult situations and to meet those challenges in innovative and collaborative ways can become All-America Cities. Winning communities demonstrate a commitment to each other and to their ability to become more self-reliant, build new resources, and fight for what they believe in.

All-America City winners and finalists experience heightened national attention -- a proven boost for the recruitment of industry, jobs and investment to the area. Winning the Award reinvigorates a community's sense of civic pride. People are proud to live in an All-America City and they work hard to live up to the name. The application process itself presents a unique opportunity for communities to evaluate themselves and foster new community partnerships. To apply, see NCL's All-America City Award web site, www.ncl.org/aac, or call to request an application. Descriptions of All-America Cities and finalists also are available via our web site.

Community Building Assistance

The National Civic League's Community Services (CS) Team specializes in helping communities in creating collaborative solutions for shared problems. Since 1988, the CS Team has provided a wide range of assistance to communities, organizations, local and state government departments and agencies, nonprofits and foundations. Offering a fully integrated array of services from "hands-on" skills to long-term support. CS also maintains an active research program that focuses on identifying promising and exemplary practices, examining impediments to effective collaboration and building strategies that move large and small-scale change forward.

Speeches and Presentations

The National Civic League staff delivers speeches and presentations on topics of national and local interest, such as community revitalization, building civic society, opportunities of diversity, youth issues, and community-based economic development. These presentations and forum-style dialogues can be delivered to communities at conferences and conventions across the nation and are designed to help communities identify critical issues and potential solutions.