National Nonprofit and Partners Provide Grant Funding and Resources to Beautify and Unify Communities
STAMFORD, Conn. (Feb. 11, 2021) – Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, has announced the launch of a new national grant program to support communities and its nearly 700-member affiliate network in preventing littering, promoting recycling, and building clean, green, and beautiful neighborhoods.
Through the support of a coalition of corporate sponsors including, Altria, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Diageo North America, Reynolds America Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, and The UPS Foundation, Keep America Beautiful seeks innovative grant applications for programs that will unify communities as they address their community improvement needs. Applicants are encouraged to use this grant opportunity to leverage local resources and encourage volunteers to sign up and take action in their community.
“Getting through to consumers these days is increasingly difficult and changing their behavior to promote more sustainable communities is the goal of this grant,” said Randy Hartmann, Keep America Beautiful Senior Director. “We are encouraging applicants to develop comprehensive community improvement programs that will bring together and unite a diverse group of community members to address issues of climate change by promoting recycling, planting trees, and inspiring individuals to take daily action.”
Grants will be awarded to establish or enhance public space recycling for the collection of beverage containers, cigarette butts, and other recyclable items consumed on-the-go in public spaces. The Public Space Recycling Bin Grant, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation, supports local community recycling initiatives by providing selected grant recipients with receptacles for the collection of beverage containers. The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) Grant encourages applicants to promote cigarette butt management and recycling; grants to implement the CLPP will range from $2,500 to $20,000.
While leveraging these activities, applicants are encouraged to propose programs that will build and unite neighborhoods within and along MLK Jr. boulevards, supporting community and volunteer litter prevention, recycling, and placemaking. Grants supporting MLK Jr. neighborhood building efforts will range from $2,500 to $10,000.
The UPS Community & Recovery Tree Planting Grant invites applicants to develop programs to address both climate resiliency and mitigation through tree plantings and more. Tree planting grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 can be leveraged with the other project activities to improve communities.
As Keep America Beautiful develops future programs, the organization is accepting prequalification applications to place litter collection devices in marine environments to collect litter, microplastics, and filter hydrocarbons. Prequalified applicants will be considered for the award of SeaBins, an advanced aquatic “trash skimmer” designed for installation in nearly any body of water, including marinas, harbors, lakes, and rivers.
The deadline for all applications is Friday, March 19, at 5 p.m. ET. All interested organizations need to complete the online application here. Grant winners will be announced by May 1. Applicants can email info@kab.org with any questions or concerns.
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.
The Keep America Beautiful Model for Change – steeped in education, research, and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice, and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of nearly 700 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
###