BRACE Grant Program 2025-26
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Introduction
At the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF), we believe everyone deserves to live in a clean, green, and beautiful environment. Litter affects our quality of life, destroying our state’s natural beauty, harming or killing wildlife, and diminishing water quality. It also hinders economic development—property values decrease in littered neighborhoods, whereas clean spaces attract families and businesses. That’s why we’re excited to provide a grant opportunity that will enable more communities to thrive.
Grant Description
The purpose of the BRACE Grant Program is to reduce litter, blight, and illegal dumping on public property and encourage code enforcement efforts. Funded through the Solid Waste Trust Fund (SWTF), the grant program is designed to provide assistance to Georgia communities to address these challenges.
Grants of $2,500 or $5,000 will be made by mid-November 2025. Local governments, public authorities, agencies, commissions, or institutions are all eligible to apply. Priority will be given to communities with a population of 2,500 or less according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates data.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants and recipients for the BRACE Grant include:
a. Counties, municipalities, or any combination of the same, hereafter referred to as local governments
b. Public authorities, agencies, commissions, or institutions
Local government applicants must have Qualified Local Government status as of the date of their application, as determined by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs maintains an active listing of local governments who are ineligible to receive state funding, including grants: https://apps.dca.ga.gov/LocalGovStatus/planning.asp
Nonprofit or private organizations are not eligible to apply for funding; however, they may partner with eligible applicants on projects.
If you were awarded a BRACE Grant during the 2024-25 cycle, then you must wait until the 2026-27 cycle to be eligible to apply again.
Eligible Activities
The BRACE Grant allows applicants to develop project proposals that best support their community needs. Projects must focus on eliminating litter and illegal dumping, as described by the authorized uses of the SWTF. Examples of BRACE Grant projects may include, but are not limited to, an amnesty day where residents can discard waste items in roll-off dumpsters, educating homeowners about local code compliance, Great American Cleanup activities such as a neighborhood cleanup or community-wide cleanup days, installation of additional security cameras, or conducting a litter law enforcement workshop.