Greener Grounds Grant
Reducing Litter & Waste at Large Outdoor Events
THIS GRANT IS OPEN. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JUNE 21.
Grant Purpose
Louisiana is home to more than 400 fairs and festivals and countless outdoor events. Locals and tourists come together to celebrate the state’s vibrant offerings of food, music, history, and culture. With these events often comes a completely avoidable and solvable issue — litter. The KLB Greener Grounds Grant was created to support Louisiana’s large outdoor events in preventing litter and reducing waste. This grant supports the implementation of best practices outlined in the Greener Grounds Guidebook and Workbook, educational resources developed by Keep Louisiana Beautiful and French Quarter Festivals, Inc.
This grant is made possible with funding from the State of Louisiana and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
Grant Description
KLB’s Greener Grounds Grant provides funding for resources, and to provide education via the Greener Grounds guidebook and workbook, to aid event organizers in incorporating practical ways to plan and manage operations resulting in better waste reduction, increased recycling and litter prevention at large Louisiana outdoor events. This grant funds efforts to ensure the waste created by outdoor events does not threaten the environment. Keeping event sites clean not only enhances the attendee experience but also stops the detrimental cycle of mismanaged waste becoming litter that will clog Louisiana’s storm drains or enter the waterways – an issue that will ultimately harm the state’s coastline, wildlife and water quality.
Grant Type
- Reimbursement grant up to $10,000 for 3,000+ attendee-per-day events; or up to $5,000 for 1,000+ attendee-per-day events
- Minimum 15% cash match, in-kind donation or volunteer hours value required
- Completion of the Greener Grounds Workbook is a condition of grant reimbursement. The workbook can be downloaded below on this page.
Funding
ELIGIBLE for Funding:
- Trash receptacles – permanent or disposable
- Recycling receptacles – permanent or disposable
- Trash/Recycling bins and bags
- Waste Station directional and instructional signage and banners
- Litter prevention and recycling signage and banners
- Litter prevention and recycling education to attendees
- Promotions strictly limited to litter prevention, recycling, and waste reduction efforts at event
- T-shirts strictly limited to volunteers working waste stations and grant-related activities – not to exceed 10% of total grant budget
- Water and food strictly limited to volunteers working waste stations and grant-related activities – not to exceed 10% of total grant budget
- Litter removal supplies such as litter grabbers, shovels, and rakes
- Expenses related to labor provided by not-for-profit organizations for servicing of collection containers – not to exceed 15% of total grant budget
NOT Eligible for Funding:
- Rental of dumpsters, roll-offs, or other large solid waste and recycling containers
- Expenses related to labor provided by for-profit organizations for servicing of collection containers
- Transportation, handling, and/or tipping fees associated with waste, recycling and composting
Timeline
- June 21, 2026: Deadline to submit application.
- May 14, 2027: Projects must be completed by this date. Final report and reimbursement requests and documentation due.
Eligibility
Eligible to Apply
- Municipalities and Parishes that organize large-scale community special events
- Not-for-profit large outdoor events – festivals, fairs, concerts, and parades – Non-profit applicants must submit their IRS Determination Letter
Eligibility Requirements
- The event must be held outdoors in Louisiana and have a minimum of 1,000 attendees per day
- Event attendance must be open to all Louisiana citizens
- The event must be held after execution of the Grant Agreement and before the Final Report is due with enough time to complete the Greener Grounds Workbook and all Final Report requirements
- All applicants must submit Form W-9
- All applicants must be in good standing with the Louisiana Secretary of State
- All applicants must be a State Certified Vendor. Register: doa.la.gov/doa/osp/vendor-resources/
- Application must be submitted by the deadline and be completed in its entirety
Requirements
Failure to abide by all the requirements and/or submit the completed final report by May 14, 2027, may result in non-reimbursement for this grant and ineligibility during the next grant cycle. To be awarded a grant, applicants agree to the following:
- A Grant Agreement must be signed between the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism’s (DCRT) Appointing Authority and the grant recipient (Grantee) before reimbursable work can begin on the grant project. Grantees must abide by the approved grant budget as documented in the Agreement.
- All Grantees must attend a mandatory informational webinar before KLB will issue an Agreement.
- A minimum 15% cash, in-kind donation or volunteer hours value match is required.
- Community engagement and volunteer support are required.
- Grantees must review the Greener Grounds Litter Prevention and Waste Reduction Manual.
- Grantees must adopt litter prevention and waste reduction practices for the event. Examples include glass (back of house), plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling; composting; and creation of Waste Stations with proper signage and maintenance schedule.
- Grantees must Complete the Greener Grounds Workbook and upload it with the Final Report and reimbursement request. The entire event planning committee should participate in completing the workbook.
- A grant award acknowledgement letter must be sent to Grantee’s state representatives and senator. A copy must be submitted with the Final Report.
- A press release announcing the award of the KLB grant must be sent to local media. A copy must be submitted with the Final Report.
- Two social media posts must be made:
- 1) Within 30 days of the Agreement being executed, Grantees must announce on Grantee social media channels the award of a KLB Greener Grounds Grant and how the grant will help the community. Tag Keep Louisiana Beautiful – on Facebook and Instagram tag @keeplouisianabeautiful and – on Twitter tag @keeplabeautiful. Also tag @LouisianaLtGov
- 2) When the grant project is completed, Grantees must make a second social media post with photographs highlighting the grant project’s impact on the event. Tag the post as instructed above. Photos of both media posts must be uploaded in the Final Report.
- Changes in the grant scope and/or budget as outlined in the Agreement must be pre-approved by KLB.
- Grantees must include the KLB logo on all grant-related print materials, banners, t-shirts, signs and other marketing and promotional materials.
- A completed Final Report that includes the completed Greener Grounds Workbook, photographs, copy of press release, copy of acknowledgement letters, photos of social media posts and reimbursement request with proper receipts and documentation must be submitted to KLB by May 14, 2027. The Final Report may be submitted before the deadline upon project completion but will not be accepted after May 14, 2027.
- Grantees must register for, conduct, and submit a report for a KLB Love the Boot Week event tentatively scheduled for April 17-25, 2027.
- The grant cycle begins once the Grant Agreement is signed by DCRT’s Appointing Authority and the Grantee. The grant cycle ends for all Grantees on May 14, 2027.
Directions
Before beginning an application, download the sample application, gather information, and prepare responses. After starting the online application, a link will be provided to return to and complete the application, if necessary. Save the provided link, as KLB cannot provide this. Follow these suggested steps to completing the application successfully:
Download the sample application by clicking the button below.
Guidebook & Workbook
The Greener Grounds Guidebook and corresponding Workbook will be a springboard in determining which tactics suit your outdoor event’s approach to minimizing litter and waste. We understand events vary in size, audience, and location, so utilize the information most relevant to your organization’s unique needs. We highly recommend using this guide as a complementary tool to your municipality’s waste management requirements and resources as they vary from parish to parish.
