National Civic League Names 20 Communities as 2025 All-America City Award Finalists

​The National Civic League has announced the 20 finalists for the 2025 All-America City Award, highlighting communities that are leading the way in tackling climate change through inclusive civic engagement. These finalists represent diverse regions across the U.S. and have been selected for their innovative, collaborative approaches to creating sustainable and resilient communities. The award emphasizes the transformative power of community dialogue and action, showcasing the impact of collective efforts in addressing environmental challenges. These communities provide valuable models for others seeking to engage residents in environmental sustainability. Read more in the blog post below.

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The National Civic League has announced 20 inspiring communities as finalists for the prestigious 2025 All-America City Award, recognizing their commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability through inclusive civic engagement.

The 2025 Finalists

• Akron, Ohio
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Austin, Texas
• Carrboro, North Carolina
• Chelsea, Massachusetts
• Delray Beach, Florida
• Denver, Colorado
• Fort Collins, Colorado
• Hampton, Virginia
• Jacksonville, North Carolina

• Kinston, North Carolina​
• Leominster, Massachusetts
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Petaluma, California
• Port St. Lucie, Florida
• Seattle, Washington
• Snyder, Texas
• Statesboro, Georgia
• Tallahassee, Florida
• Western Riverside Region, California

Environmental Sustainability Focus

The 2025 Award specifically recognizes communities addressing climate change challenges through collaborative approaches. As National Civic League President Doug Linkhart noted, "Communities thrive when all residents are active and engaged in the policies and decisions that shape their lives. These finalists are breaking down barriers to meaningful participation and enacting programs that are creating sustainable and resilient communities."

These communities were selected through a rigorous review process led by an external committee of experts, evaluating applications across six key criteria:

1. Shared Vision
2. Civic Engagement
3. Inclusiveness and Equity
4. Collaboration
5. Innovation
6. Impact

The All-America City Award Event

The finalists will present their stories at the All-America City Award Event in Denver this June. This unique event combines an awards ceremony with valuable networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing sessions. Through presentations, interactive discussions, and concrete examples, participants gain insights, skills, and inspiration to strengthen their own communities.
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The award, typically given to 10 communities each year, celebrates neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties, tribes, and regions that engage residents in innovative, inclusive, and effective efforts to tackle critical challenges.

Why the Award Matters

​Communities that win the All-America City Award experience numerous benefits:

• Economic Stimulus: Winners find it easier to attract and retain businesses that generate jobs and a stronger tax base, while also appealing to residents seeking healthy communities. Many have reported increases in tourism and grants.
• Pride and Collaboration: The award process reinvigorates communities with a renewed sense of pride, accomplishment, and teamwork. Many participants discover previously unknown local initiatives during the application process.
• National Recognition: Winning puts communities on a national stage and connects them to an elite network of All-America Cities. The designation is permanent, with many communities still celebrating their win decades later.

The Value of Participation

The All-America City Award process offers both recognition and valuable reflection. When communities apply, they assemble diverse cross-sector teams to review strengths, discuss progress, examine challenges, and articulate their community's story. This year-long journey provides every participating community—whether as an applicant, finalist, or winner—with a deeper understanding of their assets, challenges, and collaborative pathways forward.

For those interested in community dialogue and deliberation work, the All-America City Award showcases the transformative power of inclusive civic engagement in addressing complex challenges like climate change and environmental sustainability.

Communities interested in applying for future awards can learn more at the National Civic League's website, where they can also access resources like the Civic Index, Promising Practices Database, and All-America Conversations Toolkit.

Learn more at: nationalcivicleague.org/2025-all-america-city-finalists/
Register to join: Linked here
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This award demonstrates what NCDD members already know: when diverse stakeholders come together in meaningful dialogue and collaboration, communities can achieve remarkable results in addressing even the most pressing challenges of our time.