National Civic League: Year in Review

The challenges of 2020 have been well documented and discussed, sometimes ad nauseum. A global pandemic, racial reckoning, economic crisis, and a divisive national election made this a year unlike any other. In spite of it all, the important work of advancing civic engagement and good governance at the National Civic League not only continued, but also reached more people than ever before.

All-America City Awards

In August, the League hosted its first ever virtual All-America City Awards program, centered around the theme of enhancing health and well-being. 2020 finalists rose to the challenge, bringing their applications to life with inspiring virtual presentations that reached over 30,000 online viewers!

The event also included a virtual exhibit hall for sponsors, pre-recorded cultural entertainment showcases, motivational keynote speeches and informative workshops, all of which was available to a wider audience than ever before.

Relive the workshops and keynote speeches here.

Want to be part of next year’s event recognizing towns, cities and counties for building equitable and resilient communities? Download the 2021 All-America City application.

National Civic Review

For 109 years the National Civic Review’s cases studies, reports, interviews, and essays have helped communities learn about the latest developments in collaborative problems-solving, civic engagement, local government innovation and democratic governance.

In its second year of online distribution, the Review was made available to over 125,000 readers thanks to 16 distributing partners consisting of national associations, nonprofits, and state leagues.

In 2020 the National Civic Review featured articles on topics such as election reform, COVID-19 response, civic activism, vital conditions for well-being and much more. Use access code NCL20 to read articles from this year.

Interested in partnering with the League to send future editions of the Review to your association or state league members? Contact ncl@ncl.org for information about becoming a distributing partner.

Model City Charter

The National Civic League has officially launched a year-long effort to review, revise, update and publish a new edition of the Model City Charter, a document that countless towns and cities have used to draft and revise their own home rule charters.

Recent events have challenged local governments, with debates over public health, racial equity and policing raising important issues, including questions about the distribution of power and decision-making responsibility. In the midst of this constantly changing picture, the Model City Charter revision process will infuse principles such as equity and civic engagement in the document.

The revision process is in full swing and the new edition will be released in the Fall of 2021. Contact mikem@ncl.org for details.

Additional Programs

The League also hosted topical webinars on police reform, virtual civic engagement, and more, and created a depository for COVID-19 response resources.

The work continues in 2021 with the addition of an exciting new project on aging, which you can read more about in this month’s newsletter.

We invite you to continue to support the important work of the National Civic League by donating, becoming a member (if you’re not already), and considering a gift through our new planned giving page.

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