The All-America City Award recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues.

Getting Started

Every year communities from across the country compete for the All-America City Award, telling the story of their community and their work.

• Download the application (complete the form on the right side of this page). Important dates and detailed instructions can be found in the full application.
• Gather with others from the community to discuss local efforts and their impact. Communities also explore their challenges and aspirations for the future.
• Take time to review all of the great resources for All-America City Applicants on our website, including past applications and presentations and the monthly webinars with previous winners to learn more about the benefits of the Award, the application process, and other communities' innovative projects
• Submit Application (applications are due March 5, 2019)
• Finalists are announced in April and invited to assemble a community team to present at the All-America City Event in Denver.
• Prepare presentation if chosen as a finalist (review previous presentations to get an idea of the feel of the event)
• Attend the three day Awards Event and Conference. The 2019 All-America City Award Event will take place June 21-23, 2019 in Denver. The event includes workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and community presentations to a jury of national experts.
• 10 winners are selected - by the jury - from among the Finalists.
• Celebrate your success!

The All-America City Award continues to be the most prestigious civic award in the country. Mandy Pitts, Communications Director, City of Hickory, NC

Important Dates

Important dates and detailed instructions can be found in the full application.

• July 2018-June 2019: 
  All-America City Promising Practices Series
• November 14, 2018:
  Submit Letter of Intent to Apply (not required to apply)
• March 5, 2019:
  Submit Application
• April 2019:
  Finalists Announced
• April-June 2019:
  Competition Preparation
• June 21-23, 2019:
  All-America City Awards Competition and Event in Denver, CO

The All-America City Award is like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Worcester Telegram Gazette

Application Criteria

• Civic Engagement:
  comprehensive citizen/resident engagement in decision-making and action planning
• Inclusiveness and Equity:
  intentional involvement of diverse segments and perspectives (ethnic, racial, socio-economic, age, sexual orientation, gender expression, people with disabilities, and others) in community decision-making
• Collaboration:
  cross-sector collaboration (business, local government, nonprofits, military, etc.) and regional collaboration
• Innovation:
  creative use and leveraging of community resources
• Impact and Future Planning and Visioning:
  demonstrable, significant and measureable achievements from the past 5 years

Guidelines

The 2019 All-America City Award is focused on celebrating examples of civic engagement practices that advance health equity in local communities. We are looking for communities that demonstrate inclusive decision-making processes to create better health for all, and particularly for populations currently experiencing poorer health outcomes.

The 2019 All-America City Awards will celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the award program, which has had a history of advancing healthy communities. With the National Civic League’s Health Partner, Kaiser Permanente, the 2019 Awards reflect the concept that good health for the entire community requires equity and social and economic well-being. Addressing health disparities and ensuring a thriving environment for all requires work from diverse sectors and stakeholders in a community.

It is with this framing in mind that our concept of healthy communities includes (but is not limited to) measures such as:

• access to healthy food
• affordable, accessible health care
• healthy schools
• affordable housing
• jobs with fair pay
• healthy natural environments with clean air and water
• crime and violence reduction
• safe neighborhoods, places to exercise, and play
• access to mental health care
• a sense of belonging and inclusion
• substance-abuse recovery and prevention programs
• work to address community-wide trauma and racial healing

View Past Awards Presentations

Community presentations are an essential part of the AAC experience. Finalist communities have 10 minutes to bring their application to life and present the story of their work and their community to a jury of national civic experts.

To the city and to the whole area, it’s like having that five-star rating on a restaurant. Karen Papouchado, Mayor Pro-Tempore, Aiken, SC

Contact AAC@NCL.org with questions.