Home » Take Action » Become an Affiliate » State Affiliate
How do we do that? By becoming a part of the Keep Louisiana Beautiful family of Affiliates.
Below you will find information to give you a greater understanding of the local Affiliate program, structure, benefits, and requirements. It will also help you determine if you are ready to take the leap and join us in the movement to end littering in Louisiana and create clean and beautiful communities for all its citizens.
Being a Keep Louisiana Beautiful state Affiliate is a special mark of distinction, and represents a commitment to improving community appearance, promoting citizen engagement and environmental stewardship, and implementing outcomes-based programs. It offers state recognition and sends a strong message to your members, stakeholders and citizens, as well as city, and state leaders. It signifies that you are part of a greater movement of partners and affiliates that have a proven track record of behavioral change, and preserving the beauty of Louisiana.
State Affiliates are self-organized groups that have completed the formation process by KLB. An Affiliate should involve a cross section of your community and have representation from citizens, community and business leaders, educators, elected officials, or any combination of interested parties. Affiliates initiate local efforts to improve the appearance of their community through programs and campaigns to prevent litter, reduce waste, and beautify public areas. Affiliates have the flexibility and autonomy to make decisions based on the needs of their community, while receiving support and guidance from KLB and affiliates throughout the state. A state Affiliate is established within an existing “host” entity such as an established non-profit organization, civic or community organization, association, city or parish. Examples include a Chamber of Commerce, Main Street, or a city or parish government. The Affiliate is led by either a newly formed board/committee/commission, or an existing one with a similar purpose such as a beautification committee, or parks and parkways commission.
Keep America Beautiful (KAB), our parent organization, was established in 1953 and began certifying communities in 1976. KLB was founded and certified as the state Affiliate by KAB in 2000. Currently there are 40 certified KAB affiliates in Louisiana. We believe the most successful, sustainable pathway to facilitate community appearance improvements is through state affiliation. After three years of successful state affiliation, an Affiliate may elect to begin the KAB certification process if they desire to become a national affiliate which offers additional benefits.
Local Affiliates who fulfill the annual requirements are eligible for the following benefits.
Organizational Support
Networking, Education, and Training
Tools and Resources
Grants and In-Kind Donations
Recognition
* New state affiliates must successfully operate for six-months before being eligible to apply for grants.
** Restrictions apply.
Affiliates must meet the minimum requirements to maintain affiliate status and to be eligible for grants.
Requirements
The readiness assessment tool will help you self- determine if your group is a viable candidate for state affiliation. It is recommended that you and your group complete the assessment together. Depending on the results, you may decide to move to Step Two and submit an Affiliate Inquiry or consider waiting until your group is more prepared.
After completing the readiness assessment, if your group is confident that it can manage a successful affiliate effort and would like to proceed, please submit the online inquiry form. A KLB representative will contact you and schedule an interview with your group.
Once KLB determines your group is ready to apply, it will extend an invitation to you by sending you an application. The application and a $200 one-time, non-refundable formation fee must be submitted to KLB within 90 days from when the invitation is extended. The number of applicants accepted each year is limited; therefore, you may be put on a waiting list depending on the number of previously accepted applicants.
Once the application has been approved and formation fee received, the formation process begins. The steps to formation must be completed and submitted to KLB within six (6) months from when KLB extends the invitation to apply. KLB may approve an extension for extenuating circumstances. Failure to complete the requirements during this extension will result in the cancellation of the application and forfeit of the formation fee. You will receive a KLB Affiliate Handbook to help you every step of the way. The handbook contains organizational information, templates, and resources for a successful affiliate’s formation and operation.
Steps to form an affiliate:
