April 2002

Hello, and welcome to the first issue of the National Civic League's email newsletter. This monthly communication will provide information on the activities and accomplishments of NCL and links to information on a variety of topics relating to NCL's mission.

The National Civic League is a 108-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing, research, and the All-America City Award. The National Civic League is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, call 303-571-4343 or visit www.ncl.org.

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1. All-America City Award Applications Arrive
2. Spring Issue of Civic Action to be Released Shortly
3. Model City Charter Revision Progress
4. Colorado Conversations
5. NPP Releases Government and Technology Report
6. Community Services Updates
7. Houston Chronicle: "Cities Tackle Reforming Local Campaign Finance"
8. ANR: Things You Can Do For Your Community
9. Civic Index Feature: A New Approach to Improving Community Life

Applications are now in and the selection process has begun for the 2002 All-America City Award, the nation’s most prestigious civic recognition program! The All-America City Award, a program of the National Civic League, encourages and recognizes civic excellence, honoring communities (neighborhoods, towns, cities, counties and regions) in which citizens, government, businesses and non-profit organizations have collaboratively resolved critical community issues. Since 1949, more than 4,000 communities have competed and nearly 500 have been named "All-America Cities."

The All-America City Award screening committee will announce the 30 finalists on May 1, 2002. The finalists will then participate in a final round of competition June 13-15, 2002 in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. The ten 2002 All-America Cities will be named during a special ceremony hosted on June 15, 2002.

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The Spring, 2002 issue of the National Civic League's newsletter Civic Action has been printed and will be mailed to NCL members next week. This issue contains articles on the lives of John Gardner and Betty Jane Narver, two influential NCL leaders who have passed away in recent months. NCL President Christopher T. Gates also reflects on what these two individuals meant to the National Civic League.

Other articles included in the issue will be written on the National Conference on Governance, NPP's event "Making the Link: Civil Rights and Campaign Finance Reform", and the Model City Charter revision process. The Civic Action is sent to all NCL members, and will also be available for download online.

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The National Civic League is currently working on the 8th edition of the Model City Charter, a document that has reflected and advanced trends in good local government since NCL first produced the Model in 1900. NCL recently convened the third meeting of the Model Charter Revision Committee on March 21-22, 2002, in Phoenix, AZ, at the annual conference of the American Society for Public Administration. At this meeting, the committee discussed the issues of citizen participation, term limits, intergovernmental relationships, and proportional representation, among other issues. The 8th edition of the charter is expected to be completed by the end of 2002. Those interested can learn more about the charter revision process and its subject matter by visiting the Model City Charter website or by sending email to Matt Krumme at the National Civic League, mattk@ncl.org.

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Colorado Conversations 2002 is a five program series for Denver Metro area leaders to engage in dialogue and make connections together around some of the most crucial issues currently facing the Denver region. In this "civic space", participants will hear national experts speak on cutting-edge ideas and initiatives taking place around the country, and have the opportunity to discuss and network around these issues with other Denver area leaders.

The National Civic League website contains summaries and photos of the first two events, the first featuring NCL President Christopher T. Gates, and the second featuring President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials Arturo Vargas. Both events have drawn a diverse group of Denver-area leaders and have stimulated good discussions and cross-sector networking.

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The National Civic League's New Politics Program recently released a report entitled "Bridging the Gap Between Citizens and Local Government with Information Technology: Concepts and Case Studies." The report examines the relationship between civic engagement and information technology by looking at the use of technologies such as the internet, geographical information systems, global positioning systems, handheld computers, and digital cameras in several case studies across the country. NCL's website currently has an online version of the introduction available for download, as well as links to purchase the report.

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Memphis, TN Selects Civic Index

At a recent press conference, Mayor Willie W. Herenton and Mayor Jim Rout announced a new initiative aimed at measuring the “civic infrastructure” of the Memphis metropolitan area within Shelby County. The tool that the Mayors and other influential community leaders have selected is the National Civic League's Civic Index. In their remarks, both Mayors emphasized that the findings of this important and timely initiative will be critical to the success of existing as well as future planning efforts that seek increased citizen participation. Read more...

Yampa Valley Partners Kicks off Indicators Project

Community leaders from the Yampa Valley met in Craig, Colorado to begin work on the Yampa Valley Partners Community Indicators Project 2002. Yampa Valley joins Baltimore, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and Charleston to participate in the League's civic health project.

Funded by a three year grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, this component of the Community Indicators project will help the Yampa Valley community move forward with planning and addressing issues through the identification, development, use, and tracking of civic indicators. The National Civic League is pleased to work with the Yampa Valley community over the next eighteen months and welcomes the opportunity to include a rural community in this national project. Read more...

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The Houston Chronicle recently published an article on reforming local campaign finance featuring commentary from NCL's New Politics Program director Carl Castillo. The article discusses approaches to local campaign finance reform from across the country. More information on the case studies discussed in the article may be found at the New Politics Program's Local Campaign Finance Reform Project website.

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The Alliance for National Renewal is an intentional community of civic leaders and community builders who collaborate to learn and tell their stories to inspire creative problem solving, imitation, and innovation in pursuit of democratic revitalization and the renewal of civic life. The following ideas are an excerpt from their poster "100 Things You Can Do For Your Community In A New Century".

1. Register and Vote! Not just for President, but for every local election.
2. Check out the New Politics Program at The National Civic League to learn more about our political system, and related issues like campaign finance reform (www.ncl.org/npp).
3. Help someone become a naturalized citizen through National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (1-800-346-2536).
4. Find volunteer opportunities on the Internet by ZIP code at www.SERVEnet.org. Also check out www.volunteermatch.org and your local chapter of the United Way.
5. Honor Martin Luther King by making his day a "Day On, Not Off" of service. Check out the Corporation for National Service’s web page (www.cns.gov) for ideas.
6. Become a Big Brother Big Sister (215-567-7000).
7. Help build a home for a low-income family with Habitat for Humanity (1-800-422-4828).
8. Explore renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind energy, for your home, workplace, or local community buildings (www.americangreen.org).

To learn more about the Alliance for National Renewal, visit their website at www.ncl.org/anr.

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Our approaches to solving societal problems in the United States have been evolving for over a decade. Successful communities no longer look primarily to Washington for money or program guidance. Rather, leaders in America's most vibrant and vital communities are blurring the boundaries between government, business, and the nonprofit sector. These successful communities recognize the interdependence among sectors and citizens, and they struggle to identify common goals to meet individual and community needs and aspirations. Read more of this article by NCL's Derek Okubo...

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