Because it’s about time that people working to overcome political differences got to walk a red carpet.

It all started with an idea. What if regular citizens, doing the hard work of civic engagement, coming together across divides, and improving their communities, got a national award for leading the way? The American Civic Collaboration Awards, or the "Civvys," do just that. 

In the fall of 2017, we partnered with the prestigious Bridge Alliance to create the “Oscars of Civic Collaboration.” The Civvys are designed to celebrate heroic Americans dedicated to moving this nation beyond polarization, divisiveness and finger pointing. We received a slew of incredible, inspiring nominations; put together an esteemed committee of reviewers; and highlighted winners and finalists in three categories at the National Conference on Citizenship in Washington, D.C.

In 2018, we built on the success of that first year with the help of the National Conference on Citizenship as a sponsor and advocate. We received so many submissions that we tripled our number of reviewers -- and added a new "Political" category, tied to the midterm elections. Again, we celebrated finalists and winners in Washington D.C. This year also saw a "Committee's Choice" winner. 

Last year, in 2019, we had the most submissions yet -- and celebrated five winners in Washington, D.C., including TWO Committee's Choice Awards.

Now, we're gearing up for a fourth year that promises to be even more impactful and inspiring than the first two. Amid a global pandemic, a challenging political news cycle and a reckoning around racial justice, Americans are stepping up to heal the nation and find ways to innovate through collaboration. We can't wait to hear their stories. 

You can nominate a person or organization, and see last year's finalists and winners, at Civvys.org. Thank you to all of our esteemed review committee members, without whom this work would not be possible!