The National Civic League’s 2015 All-America City Awards

Agenda

• Who is NCL and what is AAC?• Why apply? The benefits of AAC• What people are saying about AAC• Keeping costs low!• Completing the Application• Keys to Success• Additional Support Materials• Questions

National Civic League

The National Civic League (NCL) is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose 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.

•Government and Governance

•Civic Engagement

•Civic Recognition Awards

The 2015 All-America City Award

Recognizing Community Achievement for

66 Years (1949 – 2015)

Spotlight on engaging and supporting vulnerable boys and young men

Does Your Community Have What it Takes?

The All-America City Award recognizes exemplary grassroots community problem-solving and is given to communities that cooperatively tackle challenges and achieve results.

A community that teaches the rest of us how to face difficult situations and to meet those challenges in innovative and collaborative ways can become an All-America City.

Why Apply?The Benefits of Being an

All-America City

Economic Benefits

Cynthia Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager of Dubuque, Iowa, a 2007, 2012 & 2013 All-America City, says that the All-America City Award “helped us land a BIG project in the midst of major economic recession in 2009/2010. IBM located their first data center in 10-15 years in downtown Dubuque and created 1300 new jobs with an annual payroll of 58 million! We feel truly blessed.”

Individuals and businesses looking to relocate seek out AAC Winners and Finalists, recognizing that they are good places in which to live and work.

*Tourism *New Business *Grants *New ResidentsExamples: Dubuque, Iowa & Carrollton, Missouri

Economic Benefits

Community Pride• 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.

Community CollaborationThe application process itself presents a unique opportunity for communities to identify their assets, challenges, and foster new community partnerships that last for years beyond the AAC event.

Brownsville, TX 2014 AAC collaborators

Additional Benefits• National opportunity to

tell your community’s story!

• You become part of a national exchange network to share best practices before, during, and after the AAC event in Denver in June.

What People Are Saying About AAC

“All-America City was truly the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my professional life. I honestly believe, I feel it in my heart, that I left a different person from the person that arrived…carrying a fire back to my community…to bring people together civilly, civically, humbly.” Miguel S. Seco, Governmental Affairs Manager, City of North Miami

What People Are Saying About AAC

“We were told that this would be life changing - and it IS! I have a renewed sense of urgency as I return to my work in addressing challenges in our community … that involves the community, includes diversity, etc. etc. I understand why individuals and communities come back to the competition again and again.”

“This was an experience of a life time. I would highly recommend this to any city in America. What a way to learn how to serve, celebrate those who do serve, and want to own a piece of their community.”

2013 participants

Keeping Costs Low!

• Application fee: $200 (Save $100 on your application fee when you submit a Letter of Intent to Apply by November 2014- date coming soon)

• Registration fees at AAC competition: $100 per person− includes everything: jury presentations, workshops and 3

receptions− average delegation size: 26− 4 free registrations per community

• Travel costs: transportation, hotel, meals, etc. (Note: AAC 2015 will be held in Denver, CO – a great family vacation destination!)

Applying for the All-America City Award

Deadlines• September 2014-February 2015: Monthly conference

calls

• November 25, 2014: Submit Letter of Intent to Apply (Save $100 on your application fee when you submit a Letter of Intent to Apply by November 25, 2014)(not required to apply)

• March 10, 2015: Submit Application

• April 2015: Finalists Announced. Finalist community delegations will be invited to Denver to present.

• June 2015: Peer-Learning Workshops & Awards Presentation/Competition in Denver, Colorado

AAC Criteria• Civic Engagement and Collaboration: participation of

the public, private and nonprofit sectors and key constituencies to the maximum extent possible and cooperation across jurisdictional boundaries

• Diversity/Inclusiveness: recognition and involvement of diverse segments and perspectives (ethnic, racial, socio-economic, age, etc.) in community decision-making

AAC Criteria Continued…

• Innovation: creative use and leveraging of community resources

• Impact: significant and specific community achievements, projects that address the community’s most important needs, and clear demonstration of project results and impacts (dollars raised or lives impacted)

AAC Criteria Continued…

• Three projects which have improved the community significantly within the last five years, and have potential to continue improving the quality of life

The Selection Process

• Application submitted by March 10, 2015: (electronic and one printed copy)

• Twenty finalists announced in April 2015: invited to Denver to present to national jury.

• Ten winners chosen based on application and presentation at the conclusion of June 2015 Peer-Learning Workshops & Awards Presentation/Competition in Denver, Colorado

The Application

The Major Components of the Application

• Community & contact information

• Your community’s story and challenges

• Three locally-driven projects

Community Information

• Community Name - what do you wish to be called?

• Community Application Designation - neighborhood, town, tribe, city, county, or region?

Community Information - cont.

• Contact Information - who is your primary contact for on-going communication?

• Community Statistics - the facts that help describe your community

• State Map – showing the location of your community (simple, 8.5”x11”)

Part I: Tell your community’s story• This section is an

opportunity for your community to demonstrate how you have engaged in the process of becoming a strong, healthy and vibrant community!

Tell us your story, continued…

• How does your community address its challenges?

• How does your community plan for the future? What is your community’s vision?

• How are the neighborhoods, government, businesses, and nonprofits organizations engaged in these efforts? Show us how the different sectors of your population are working together to make your community great!

• How does your community recognize and celebrate its diversity and demonstrate inclusiveness?

Part II: Community-Driven Projects

• Describe three recent community-driven projects that have significantly improved the community in the last five years

• Projects should address your community’s unique challenges

• We encourage, but do not require any projects addressing the 2015 theme “engaging and supporting vulnerable boys and young men”− approaches that help provide the opportunity for boys

and young men to create a path to success by addressing key issues such as education, health, access to housing, jobs, racial healing, empowerment, income inequality, and achievement, among others

− See here for more information on the theme

Helpful Hints re: Projects

• Provide a measurable result and demonstrate improvement in the lives of those affected

• Diversity - inclusive, citizen-driven initiatives will prevail over projects implemented by a single organization

• Do not try to include too many projects!

AAC Keys to Success• Remember the criteria

• Don’t forget the power of a good story

• Start fundraising now!

• Use the resources available to you

Application and Resources

• Full application is available by visiting our web site at www.nationalcivicleague.org or by emailing aac@ncl.org

• NCL Staff - (303) 571-4343

• NCL’s Civic Index

• Connect with an AAC mentor

More Questions?

Call Sarah Lipscomb at NCL

(303) 571-4343

or sarahl@ncl.org

We look forward to receiving your

application via email at aac@ncl.org and at our

address:

National Civic League6000 East Evans Ave

Suite 3-012Denver, CO 80222

Good luck!