The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (Commission) is accepting nominations for the second annual EmpowerLA awards. The awards are given to Neighborhood Councils that best fulfill their city charter mandate of promoting more citizen participation in government and making government more responsive to local needs. Nominations can be submitted online at SurveyMonkey.com/s/EmpowerLAAwards2013 and must

For more than a decade, Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles have pursued their dual mission of promoting more citizen participation in government, and making government more responsive to local needs. Today, 95 Neighborhood Councils represent every corner of City of Los Angeles, and serve as the vital conduits between the City’s government and its people. By engaging residents of this City at the

In 30 locations around the world, 650 jammers gathered in a volunteer-led innovation session that mixed residents, public servants, and innovation specialists together and generated more than 120 projects that “rocked the world of public service - for the good of everyone!” LA’s GovJam was held at the HubLA in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. The mantra was “doing is believing”

This past weekend, as part of the National Day of Civic Hacking, Mayor-Elect Eric Garcetti joined the AT&T Developer Program and the i.am.angel Foundation in challenging residents, developers and students to use open government data to create new solutions to challenges facing Boyle Heights. More than 400 people attended, 40 apps were created, a Makersfaire entertained families on Saturday, and

Well connected people have a simple secret, they tell great stories that resonate and their audience spreads the word, connecting with new people and creating new networks. Our workshop at the Neighborhoods, USA Conference focused on the elements of a great story including plot, theme, characters, dialogue, spectacle, and audience, placing them in the context of today’s digital arena. From websites

The three keynote speakers for the 2013 Neighborhoods, USA conference had a tough challenge, delivering a message that would resonate for the crowd of 600+ attendees, each one representing a community that has its own unique personality, character, and challenges. John McKnight rose to the occasion by pointing at the gap between the services that municipal authorities provide and the services that

A Neighborhood Council boardmember asked “Where does a Neighborhood Council start when it comes to Outreach?” As in all things, start at the beginning by asking two questions; Where are you? Where do you want to go? The 2013/2014 Neighborhood Council Budget Package Budget (due from NCs by July 12, 2013) includes an Outreach Activity and Strategy Survey, a simple evaluation tool, that will help

Stakeholders in search of their Neighborhood Council agendas need look no further than their email inbox, thanks to the City of LA’s Early Notification System (ENS) which allows the community to select from a long list of councils, commissions, and committees. To subscribe to the ENS for a specific agenda, visit the City of LA’s website (LACity.org) and select City Government where you will have

“Sorry you’ll have to call the Los Angeles Police Department about that.” “New people move in, and think they’re living in Torrance” said Miguel Cordova, President of the Harbor Gateway South Neighborhood Council “and so they’ll call in an emergency to the wrong city”. Conversely, people will make calls into LA and get referred to Torrance. The zip code 90501 is more closely related

Health Fairs are proving to be great Neighborhood Council outreach tools, delivering much more than a simple “day in the park” to the community and the Neighborhood Council. Health Fairs offer the Neighborhood Council an opportunity to partner with other organizations in the community, establishing powerful networks of volunteerism that resonate long after the EZ-Ups come down. Creating the space