The National Civic League

Vision

NCL envisions a country in which people engage in the process of self-governance and encourage cross-sector partnerships resulting in an active civic culture reflecting the diversity of community voices.

Mission

NCL's mission is to strengthen democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation's people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. We are the nation's best at the science of local government, the art of public engagement, and the celebration of the progress that can be achieved when people work together.

Core Values

-Empower people to participate and act
-Celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusiveness
-Support democratic processes that create high-performance governments
-Nurture hope and contribute to success in communities

NCL's Strategies

• NCL assists communities engaged in civic renewal by strengthening their capacity for collaborative problem solving. Through the Community Services program, NCL is providing technical assistance, training and diagnostic tools for citizens to assess the civic health of their community. Technical assistance includes strategic planning, visioning, and facilitation.

• NCL assists state and local government to increase their effectiveness by developing responsive partnerships with citizens. Through training, technical assistance, historically important publications, such as the Model City Charter, the Model County Charter, the National Civic Review, and newer publications-the Civic Index -NCL is helping government work better with citizens and other sectors.

• NCL recognizes and celebrates communities that cooperatively tackle challenges, bring together diverse voices, and achieve results. The All-America City Award since 1949 has annually recognized 10 communities for their cross sector collaboration and achievements. For more information on applying to become an All-America City, please visit the AAC homepage.

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