Does Your Community Measure Up?
Does Your Community Measure Up?
Communities across the U.S. are facing numerous challenges, including homeland security, public education, rising medical costs, declining tax bases, and many others. The 2005 All-America City Award will recognize communities that are overcoming these challenges and others through innovation and collaboration. Applications are due for the 56th annual award by March 10.
The All-America-City Award is the oldest and most prestigious community recognition event in the country. The Awardrecognizes exceptional community problem-solving and is earned by communities that work cooperatively to tackle challenges and achieve results.
“We have created an average of 1,000 new manufacturing jobs per year since winning the All-America City Award in 1989,” said Shane Homan, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce in Tupelo, Mississippi. “Our service sector jobs have grown equally as fast. The Award validates our community’s quality of life and is used proudly in all of our economic development efforts.”
Since 1949, the All-America City Award has encouraged, and recognized, civic excellence. It honors communities of all sizes – cities, towns, counties, neighborhoods and regions – in which citizens, government, businesses and volunteer organizations work together to address critical local issues. Communities that address their challenges in innovative and collaborative ways can become an All-America City.
“The All-America City Award has been described as a Nobel prize for constructive citizenship,” said Christopher T. Gates, President of the National Civic League. “That’s how George H. Gallup, the famous pollster and one of the Award’s founders, described the program 50 years ago. That description holds true today.”
The benefits realized by All-America City Award winners and finalists include heightened national attention, civic pride, and a proven economic impact. The rigorous application process itself serves as a valuable civic self-assessment and can make communities stronger, Gates said.
“Since winning the award in 1990, 71 companies have relocated here, bringing in more than 3,900 new jobs, which are generating an annual payroll of more than $100 million,” said Paul Anderson, Chair of Jobs Plus, in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. “The Award gave us the credibility and pride to encourage these companies to relocate to our community.”
Since 1949, more than 500 communities in all but two states have earned this prestigious award. The National Civic League is now accepting applications for the 2005 Award. Cities, towns, neighborhoods, counties, and cohesive regions can apply. Applications are due March 10, 2005. The National Civic League will announce the 30 finalists on April 14, 2005. All finalists advance to the 56th annual All-America City Awards competition in Atlanta, June 23-25. A national panel of judges from all sectors of society will score all 30 presentations and select 10 winners based on the quality of the collaborative projects each community presents.
For more information, or to receive an application for the 2005 All-America City Award, contact Gary Chandler at the National Civic League. Call 720-931-0834, or write to [email protected]. Applications and information are available at www.ncl.org/aac.
Theodore Roosevelt and other government reformers founded the National Civic League (NCL) in 1894. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to building community and promoting political reform at the local level. NCL facilitates community processes and conducts and publishes research on political reform and community building.
