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National League of Cities

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. Working in partnership with 49 state municipal leagues, the elected leaders of the 1,700 member cities and 18,000 state league cities, NLC serves as a powerful national resource to speak on behalf of America's cities in state capitals and Washington, D.C. Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance.

NLC was founded in December 1924 by 10 state municipal leagues that saw the need for a national organization to strengthen local government through research, information sharing, and advocacy on behalf of hometown America. In the 1960s and 1970s, membership was gradually opened to cities of all sizes, giving local elected leaders a more direct opportunity to shape the priorities, policies and advocacy positions of the organization.

NLC adopted a strategic plan that refined the organization’s mission and established core beliefs and key objectives that have guided its work through the years. The core beliefs serve as guiding principles for all activities. NLC believes in:

  • representative, participatory local government;
  • local governments as the cornerstone of government in the United States;
  • the value of public service;
  • the value of diversity throughout its organization and the nation's communities;
  • municipal authority over municipal issues;
  • a commitment to the highest ethical standards among public officials;
  • civility and mutual respect;
  • strategies to meet community needs and improve the quality of life; and
  • partnerships, coalitions and collaborations to strengthen cities and NLC's advocacy efforts.

NLC’s work is organized around five key objectives:

  1. to develop and advocate policies that strengthen and support cities;
     
  2. to strengthen the ability of city officials to serve their communities;
     
  3. to retain and expand membership by delivering innovative, effective and quality services;
     
  4. to promote the image and enhance the stature and influence of NLC and the municipalities it represents; and
     
  5. to provide an organizational structure that is flexible, efficient and responsive to the diverse needs of municipalities and state municipal leagues.
     

NLC Organization Structure

The NLC staff is organized into an executive office that oversees organizational operations, five centers that provide services to members and six offices that provide internal administrative support and special programming.

Executive Office
Working closely with the NLC officers and board of directors, the Executive Office provides overall leadership and direction to NLC programs and services.

Center for Communications
The Center for Communications is responsible for developing and carrying out a comprehensive communications program that enhances the image and stature of NLC and the municipalities it represents.

Center for Policy and Federal Relations
The Center for Policy and Federal Relations is responsible for NLC’s policy development and advocacy programs on behalf of local governments.

Center for Member Programs
The Center for Member Programs is responsible for developing and managing both general and specialized service programs for NLC member municipalities and state municipal leagues. These include membership, publications, constituency groups and international program work.

Center for Research and Municipal Programs
The Center for Research and Municipal Programs develops and conducts research on programs and issues of importance to cities and towns, provides library references, offers advisory council support, oversees the Municipalities in Transitions program and seeks funding for programs for NLC members.

Institute for Youth, Education and Families
The Institute for Youth, Education and Families is a special entity within NLC to help municipal leaders take action on behalf of children, youth, and families in their communities.

Office of Conference and Seminar Management
The Office of Conference and Seminar Management is responsible for managing all aspects of NLC’s two annual conferences—the Congress of Cities and the Congressional City Conference—and Leadership Training programs.

Office of Corporate Programs
The Office of Corporate Programs is responsible for developing and managing relationships between NLC and private industry to support and enhance NLC programs and services.

Office of Financial Management
The Office of Financial Management is responsible for providing financial services for the organization.

Office of Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources is responsible for planning, developing and implementing policies, procedures and programs in employment, benefits, compensation, employee relations and staff training and development.

Office of Administrative Services
The Office of Administrative Services provides organizational support in central storage, leasehold management, facilities management and purchasing and procurement.

Office of Information Technology
The Office of Information Technology manages NLC’s technology infrastructure, oversees the city information system and provides technical support to NLC’s online services for members.

Ensuring Racial Equality Agenda

NLC is committed to valuing diversity throughout its organization and the nation’s communities. Its efforts in this regard are continuous.

In 1991 NLC implemented the first Futures Process topic—“Diversity and Governance.” The result was an agenda for the organization of research, reporting and action on governance in diverse communities.

In 1999 the organization explored the issue again in Undoing Racism: Fairness and Justice in America’s Cities and Towns. This report included a frank discussion of racism and offered local elected officials specific suggestions on how they can begin to address this problem in their communities.

In 2000 then-National League of Cities President Bob Knight, who was mayor of Wichita, Kansas, called on leaders of the nation’s cities and towns to join together in a concerted effort to “eliminate racism once and for all.” To carry out that call to action, NLC launched the Campaign to Promote Racial Justice, which focused on promoting local actions and produced a special report on Racism in the Workforce Development System.

In 2002 NLC launched the Racial Justice and Race Relations Project, which focuses on strengthening the effectiveness of local governments and the leadership capacity of local officials in racial justice and race relations. This project is NLC’s current effort to carry out the Ensuring Racial Equality Agenda.

NLC’s Race Equality Week is held annually during September. This week aims to encourage action in cities and towns to promote the importance of racial equality and increase awareness nationally.

For more information, contact:

Gwen Wright, Project Coordinator for the Racial Justice and Race Relations Program, National League of Cities, 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 550, Washington, D.C. 20004-1763. 202-626-3037 (phone), 202-626-3143 (fax), wright@NLC.org (e-mail), www.nlc.org (Web site).