Introduction
At the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF), we believe everyone deserves to live in a clean, green, and beautiful environment. By conserving our resources and keeping our landscapes free of blight, we not only provide green spaces that people and wildlife alike can enjoy, but also keep neighborhoods safe and encourage economic development. That’s why we’re excited to provide resource support opportunities that will enable more communities to thrive.
With this program, we aim to foster year-round environmental stewardship in under-resourced areas in southwest Georgia by providing support related to community greening.
Southwest Georgia Environmental Stewardship Program Description
The purpose of this program is to foster year-round environmental stewardship in under-resourced areas in southwest Georgia by providing support related to community greening. Up to $5,000 per community is available to participants to fund start-up costs for Keep America Beautiful affiliation or to support initial environmental improvement projects related to tree care, plantings, education, litter abatement, and waste reduction.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants and recipients for support include:
a. Counties, municipalities, or any combination of the same, hereafter referred to as local governments
b. Public authorities, agencies, commissions, or institutions
c. Nonprofit and community organizations
The focus of this project is to work with south and southwest Georgia communities identified as overburdened and underserved per the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Eligible Activities
This program allows applicants to develop project proposals that best support their community needs. Projects must demonstrate an environmental need that supports south or southwest Georgia communities in relation to tree canopy development, litter abatement, general community beautification, or blight reduction.
Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, tree planting, tree giveaways, amnesty days where residents can discard waste items in roll-off dumpsters, as well as Great American Cleanup activities such as a neighborhood or community-wide cleanup days. Projects that are not eligible include community orchards and beautification projects (including flowers and landscaping).
Alternatively, support can underwrite application costs for becoming a new Keep America Beautiful affiliate.
Preference will be given to applicants that demonstrate an immediate need and can implement their project or program within a three to six month period from application date.
Two entities in the same community who plan to partner may not apply for separate funding.
Application Period
This application is open on a rolling basis.
Evaluation Criteria
Financial resource support is limited and contingent upon available funding. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant and proposed plan are eligible (see ‘Eligibility Requirements’).
In determining whether an applicant will receive financial support, the following criteria will be considered:
a. Does the proposal include a single point of contact, identify the neighborhood(s) or specific location(s), and provide details about plans to involve the homeowners, community groups, partners, or nonprofits in the challenge area?
b. Is the community located in south and southwest Georgia, and identified as overburdened and underserved per the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool?
c. Does the proposal detail the community’s need in relation to environmental sustainability, how the requested financial support will be used, and include a detailed budget, any in-kind donations (i.e., donated roll off dumpsters, donated equipment use, staff time, volunteer time, supplies, etc.) and/or additional funding sources? The proposal should also explain how the project will make a positive impact in the community over time, or how the project will prevent reoccurrence of current conditions.
d. Is the applicant able to implement the project within a three to six month period from the application date?
Awarding of Funds
Support will not exceed $5,000 per community per fiscal year.
Once an application is approved, KGBF will notify the applicant and provide a resource support statement for signature. Upon receiving the signed agreement, KGBF will send funds through Truist Bank to the recipient within 14 business days.
Funding should be spent within six months of receipt, and reporting should be completed within nine months of receipt. As part of financial support conditions, recipients are required to submit a final report at the end of the project that includes details of its impact and performance, along with a detailed budget of expenditures. Final report forms will be provided.
If the plan to utilize funds is not as described in the application, recipients must send an email to info@kgbf.org outlining the changes.
If recipients fail to utilize funds within six months of receipt, they must be returned to the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation at 60 Executive Park S, Atlanta, GA 30329.
If recipients fail to submit a final report by the nine month deadline, without prior approval of an extension by KGBF, the recipient will not be eligible for any KGBF financial support again until the 2026-2027 grant cycle.
Grant Description
The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation is pleased to announce the Litter Law Enforcement Workshop 2025-26 Grant, intended to provide assistance to your community or partnering communities to host a litter law enforcement workshop with 423 Law Enforcement.
You may apply for a single-affiliate community grant for $1,250 or partner with one or more neighboring affiliates for a combined-affiliate community grant of $1,500. Awarded funding is intended to assist with the major expenses of hosting these workshops, including the $1,200 training fee for the facilitator, Scott Carroll.
Qualification Criteria
Affiliates must be in good standing with KGBF and complete an application providing details on your workshop plans.
The deadline to apply for grant funding is Friday, August 29, 2025. Grants will be awarded to selected affiliate communities by September 11, 2025. Grant funding must be utilized and reported back to KGBF by Friday, June 26, 2026.