In 2026, Keep America Beautiful will provide grants to support the implementation of our Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program, Greatest American Cleanup™, Greatest Green, Blue/Gold Star Memorial Beautification, and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Corridor Community grant programs.
As you plan your program activities and prepare your application, please keep the following in mind:
- While some grant opportunities are open to organizations outside the KAB affiliate network, KAB affiliates receive priority review and consideration.
- Each grant opportunity has its own implementation timeline and interim and final reporting requirements.
- Grant recipients will receive 70% of funding upon execution of a grant agreement and receipt of an invoice, and the final 30% upon receipt of a final invoice and the submission and approval of a final report.
Keep America Beautiful affiliates must apply through the KAB Affiliate Hub. The affiliate links below will take you to the Hub log-in page.
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Corridor Community Grants
In collaboration with Keep America Beautiful, Target and Scotts Miracle-Gro are delighted to announce the MLK Corridor Community Grants. These grants empower communities to revitalize, beautify, and transform areas within and surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. corridors and neighborhoods. With over 950 MLK corridors spanning diverse neighborhood types and commercial uses across the United States, these grants provide essential funding to businesses, residents, and community groups to address local challenges and fulfill their needs to create vibrant and welcoming spaces.
Previous MLK projects have encompassed murals and public art installations, the establishment of community gardens and green spaces, tree planting, and cleanup initiatives.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on March 16, 2026.
Greatest American Cleanup Grant
The countdown to July 4, 2026, is on—and in partnership with its sponsors including Altria, The Coca-Cola Company, and the Euguene McDermott Foundation, Keep America Beautiful is proud to support affiliate-led efforts that bring people together to do beautiful things to help make their communities shine for America’s 250th birthday.
We encourage affiliates to use this funding to advance projects that clean and green their communities, so they can look their best for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration on July 4, 2026. Greatest American Cleanup grant funding may be used to remove litter and debris from roadsides, highways, shorelines, and waterways; plant trees, flowers, and gardens; enhance community spaces through public art; lead recycling and waste-reduction initiatives; and restore nature trails, recreation areas, and playgrounds. We urge all eligible affiliates to apply.
This opportunity is ONLY available to Keep America Beautiful affiliates.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026.
Greatest Green Grants
Scotts Miracle-Gro is teaming up with Keep America Beautiful to bring even more resources to the network to help make America the greenest it can be for its 250th birthday! Greatest Green Grants provide funding for community-based projects that enhance environmental sustainability and neighborhood resilience. Supported projects include neighborhood and community tree plantings, community and pollinator gardens, native landscaping, and green infrastructure initiatives designed to reduce heat island effects. These grants help neighborhoods become cooler, healthier, and more resilient by increasing green spaces, improving environmental quality, and fostering community pride through sustainable, nature-based solutions for a greener and more beautiful America.
This opportunity is ONLY available to Keep America Beautiful affiliates.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026.
Blue/Gold Star Memorial Beautification Grant
The Blue & Gold Star Memorial Beautification Program is a joint initiative of the National Garden Clubs’s Plant America program (NGC) and Keep America Beautiful (KAB). The program supports projects that remove litter, plant flowers and greenery, and beautify Blue Star and Gold Star Memorials nationwide, with a special emphasis on planting red, white, and blue flowers in celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary on July 4, 2026.
We’re excited to partner with Scotts Miracle-Gro to enhance the Blue/Gold Star Memorial Beautification Grant with the NGC by providing KAB affiliates an additional $500 award to support these projects. This partnership strengthens our shared commitment to honoring service members while helping local affiliates create meaningful, lasting beautification improvements in their communities. By investing directly in these projects, we’re helping affiliates expand their impact and further celebrate the Greatest American Cleanup.
We encourage affiliates to use this funding to expand the impact of their Blue/Gold Star Memorial Beautification projects in partnership with their local National Garden Club for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration on July 4, 2026.
This opportunity is ONLY available to Keep America Beautiful affiliates.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 23, 2026.
Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling Program Grants (CLPR)
The Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling Program helps reduce litter in American communities by collecting cigarette waste from public spaces and waterways and recycling it. Since its inception in 2003, the program has been implemented in more than 1,800 communities across the nation, achieving an average of 50% reduction in cigarette waste.
This program supports the Greatest American Cleanup by tackling one of the most common forms of litter—cigarette butts. The grants fund local efforts to prevent, recycle, and educate people about cigarette waste, which complements broader cleanup activities. Together, these efforts help create cleaner, more sustainable communities across the country.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on March 30, 2026.