Healthy Communities Grant

Since 2004, Keep Louisiana Beautiful has awarded over $4.7 million in grants to local communities in the areas of litter abatement, waste reduction, recycling, and environmental education. A  formal Letter of Intent is now required as the first step. Please read below for further instructions. 

Grant Purpose

The purpose of the Healthy Communities Grant (HCG) is to provide funding to support local projects and programs that will bring about behavioral changes needed to improve, preserve, and protect the natural beauty of Louisiana.

KLB seeks to fund projects and programs that have a measurable, sustainable impact on one or more of the identified focus areas.  Focus areas include litter and waste reduction, recycling, reusing, litter enforcement, and environmental education as it relates to KLB’s mission.  Interested applicants must submit a Letter of Intent and be invited to formally apply for the Healthy Communities Grant.  The Letter of Intent will be evaluated based on the strength of the answers outlined in the HCG Overview and Letter of Intent Guidelines.

This is a reimbursement grant that funds projects/programs ranging from $2,500 up to $8,000. Reimbursements will be dispersed, upon receiving proper receipts and reports on December 1 and May 1.  At least a 10% cash match or in-kind donation is required.

 

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Eligibility

Louisiana non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, schools and universities, KAB Affiliates, and pre-certified Affiliates located in Louisiana are eligible to apply. Individuals, KLB board members, and staff are not eligible.

 

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Funding Restrictions

HCG funds must be used to reduce litter and waste, increase recycling and reusing, support litter law enforcement, and educate students and the general public on environmental issues related to KLB’s mission. Gardening projects, tree planting, computers, electronics, printers, travel expenses, food and beverage, registration fees, cash awards, insurance, salaries, expenses associated with fundraising activities, and projects conducted on private property will not be funded. Administrative expenses must not exceed 10% of the grant budget and must be based on $26.33 per hour (Independent Sector, Louisiana state rate, 2021). Keep America Beautiful affiliates requesting trash receptacles, cleanup supplies, or environmental education workshops must apply using Trash Receptacle Affiliate Grant, Cleanup Supplies Grant, or Environmental Education Affiliate Grant.

 

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Timelines

• The HCG Letter of Intent will be accepted by mail or email from January 15 to March 8, 2023. Letters will not be accepted after midnight Central Time on March 8, 2028.
• KLB will issue invitations to apply for the HCG by email on or before March 17, 2023.
• Those who receive an invitation to apply may submit an online grant application for funding consideration on or before April 15, 2023. Grant requests must be for the same project/program outlined in the approved Letter of Intent.
• The Healthy Community Grant period runs from August 1, 2023, to May 1, 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES GRANT LETTER OF INTENT OVERVIEW AND GUIDELINES

 

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2023-24 Healthy Communities Grant Recipients 

 

Allen 

Organization: Town of Oberlin 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Litter education program 

Officials in the Town of Oberlin are launching an educational program designed to educate the public about their environmental responsibilities and how carelessness can have a direct impact on community development.

Ascension

Organization: City of Donaldsonville 
Grant Amount: $5,500  
Project: Litter prevention education program 

The City of Donaldsonville will implement a litter prevention program for school-aged children. Youth will create “citations” or “citation books” to use when their family or friend is littering. This will promote environmental stewardship by empowering children to act as “litter law enforcement professionals.”

Assumption

Organization: Assumption ARC  
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Recycling campaign  

Assumption ARC will implement larger, wind-safe recycling bins throughout the parish to allow for more items to be recycled and to minimize the amount of litter that ends up around citizens’ receptacles.

Caddo 

Organization: Shreveport Community Church  
Grant Amount: $2,505 
Project: Litter and Waste Removal  

The Shreveport Community Church intends to improve and increase community involvement in its program called “I Love West Shreveport,” which is focused on trash and waste removal throughout the community. Funds will go to waste removal and litter cleanup supplies.

East Baton Rouge  

Organization: CACRC 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Technological Recycling  

In efforts to raise awareness for the importance of proper technology and computer disposal, the Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council is working to implement a public awareness campaign regarding E-waste via digital interstate billboards and digital surface billboards throughout the East Baton Rouge area.

Organization: City of Baker  
Grant Amount: $4,000 
Project: Traffic Cams for illegal dumping and Trash Receptacles  

To reduce the occurrence of illegal dumping, the City of Baker will implement trap cams around areas that experience high levels of illegal dumping. The City of Baker has also recognized a need for larger trash receptacles and will implement these receptacles in various retail areas throughout the city.

Organization: City of Central  
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Education and law enforcement litter program  

The City of Central plans to purchase 60 signs to discourage illegal dumping and five solar-powered cameras for litter enforcement.  The City of Baker also plans to launch a media campaign to stress the importance of proper trash disposal and to report on the progress of the program.

Organization: Clean Pelican  
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Environmental Education Expansion  

Clean Pelican plans to expand their current “Map It Clean” educational program to three additional schools in the East Baton Rouge area including Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School, Franciscan High, and the Brighton School.

Organization: Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance   
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: FixUp! Program  

The Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance will launch its FixUp Program to prevent surface trash and encourage residents to create and implement cleanups within their community by eliminating the financial barriers hindering people to do so.

Organization: The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Cleanup supplies distribution 

The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership is purchasing litter grabbers, gloves, vests, and contractor-sized garbage bags which will be given to businesses, schools, churches, and any individual willing to commit their time every day to pick up litter wherever they are.

Organization: The Walls Project 
Grant Amount: $7,150 
Project: Green Art Community Workshops 

The Walls Project will be hosting a free accessible “green art” community workshop to teach participants how to reduce the environmental impact of their art practice. The Baton Roots farm staff will also be working to assist in the growth and harvesting of indigenous plants which will be processed and used as natural paint pigment.

Evangeline 

Organization: Town of Mamou 
Grant Amount: $2,600 
Project: Custom Anti-litter signs and public relations campaign 

Officials within the Town of Mamou are working to promote their anti-litter campaign with the instillation of custom anti-litter signs throughout the community. Officials are also working to launch their public relations campaign which will be focused on promoting litter abatement and beautification projects.

Jefferson

Organization: Academy of Our Lady 
Grant Amount: $2,500 
Project: The Penelope Composting Project  

Academy of Our Lady will reduce food waste by implementing a sustainable composting program on campus led by the Environmental Science class. The Composting Network will come to the school three times a week and return composted soil back to the school garden.

Lafayette  

Organization: City of Scott 
Grant Amount: $8,000  
Project: Trash trailer  

The City of Scott will purchase a new trailer dedicated to litter collection for use by city personnel and volunteers for the upcoming campaign event, the “Sweep Scott Litter Campaign.”

Organization: Lafayette Consolidated Government  
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Mardi Gras recycling & litter prevention campaign 

Lafayette consolidated government plans to launch a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the importance of proper trash disposal and recycling during the Mardi Gras season with the goal of positively impacting the mindset of krewe members and patrons when it comes to littering.

Organization: Parish Proud  
Grant Amount: $7,980 
Project:  Cleanup supplies

Parish Proud will purchase additional supplies for their Parish Proud Troops Litter Mitigation Program to meet the growing volunteer need for supplies. The troop bags will consist of 20 grabbers, vests, trash bags, and a retractable flag to increase volunteers’ visibility and safety.

Livingston 

Organization: City of Denham Springs 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Purchase of litter collection trailer 

In order to maintain clean roadways and keep up with the increasing number of people on the road resulting in increased litter, the City of Denham Springs will purchase a covered trailer to be able to collect and carry larger amounts of litter.

Organization: Keep Livingston Beautiful 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Additional litter trailer  

In order to keep up with the mass influx of people on major interstates within the past years, Keep Livingston Beautiful will purchase an additional litter trailer to reduce litter and promote waste reduction within the community.

Orleans  

Organization: Glassroots 
Grant Amount: $6,639 
Project: Glass recycling expansion and accessibility  

Grassroots is opening a new glass drop-off location in the Treme/Seventh Ward area to make glass recycling more accessible to lower-income areas that do not currently have sustainable recycling options.

Organization: Grounds Krewe NOLA 
Grant Amount: $6,665 
Project: Litter trailer  

The Grounds Krewe will purchase an enclosed cargo trailer to increase the operational efficiency of transporting its sustainable throws and recycling equipment/waste. The trailer will also serve as a “rolling advertisement” for the non-profit’s mission to provide waste prevention, recycling, and sustainable products for New Orleans events.

Organization: St. Michael Special School 
Grant Amount: $3,150 
Project: Bead Recycling Program 

The St. Michael Special School is continuing its bead recycling program and plans to purchase two heavy-duty tilt trucks for transport. The recycled beads will be sorted, packaged, and given out to krewe members for the upcoming Mardi Gras season.

Organization: The Academy of the Sacred Heart  
Grant Amount: $4,268 
Project: Waste diversion and Recycling  

The Academy of Sacred Heart will continue its food waste, recycling, and diversion programs, which are provided to all campus community members. Additionally, they plan on adding onsite glass recycling bins at both campuses to increase glass recycling throughout the community.

Organization: Thrive New Orleans 
Grant Amount: $3,850 
Project: Litter cleanups and stormwater waste reduction campaign  

Thrive New Orleans will organize community cleanups to support litter/waste reduction following the Mardi Gras season with goals to reduce the amount of litter that ends up in our waterways and promote the sustainment of clean catch basins. They will also launch a media campaign to educate community members on the importance of waste reduction to stormwater management.

Ouachita 

Organization: Town of Sterlington 
Grant Amount: $7,500 
Project: Dump trailer  

The Town of Sterlington will purchase a large dump trailer for hauling litter and large debris following cleanups.

Organization: University of Louisiana at Monroe 
Grant Amount: $3,167 
Project: Recycling bins surrounding the campus bayou 

ULM will be purchasing five recycling bins to place around the popular bayou running through the center of the university grounds. The bins will help promote recycling and keep litter out of the bayou.

Rapides 

Organization: Glass Act Recycling  
Grant Amount: $7,000 
Project: “Bottles Up” Glass Recycling Campaign  

The grant will support Glass Act Recycling in offering its commercial glass pickup program. The program will engage local businesses and restaurants in glass recycling, diverting tons of glass from landfills.

St. Landry 

Organization: Schools of the Sacred Heart – Grand Coteau 
Grant Amount: $2,592 
Project: Recycling and landfill campaign  

To improve recycling on campus and reduce landfill waste, Schools of the Sacred Heart – Grand Coteau will purchase 20 recycling receptacles and strategically place them throughout the campus. The school community will be educated on proper waste disposal and recycling practices to ensure students, faculty, and staff understand what goes in the provided bins.

St. Mary 

Organization: City of Patterson 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Patterson Beautiful Inside and Out Campaign  

The City of Patterson will launch “Patterson Beautiful Inside and Out,” a program dedicated to maintaining a healthy community through litter prevention education and proactive activities including a multimedia education campaign and purchase of a litter collection trailer.

St. Tammany 

Organization: Recreational Fisheries Research Institute 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: Glass Recycling Project  

The Recreational Fisheries Research Institute will promote its glass recycling program through community engagement and volunteer opportunities. The collected and recycled glass will be used to restore St. Tammany and Louisiana coastlines.

Organization: St. Tammany Parish Government 
Grant Amount: $4,000 
Project: Adopt-A-Road 

St. Tammany Parish Government will be launching a new Adopt-A-Road program that will utilize community volunteers to pick up litter on local roadways throughout the parish.

Webster  

Organization: Village of Dixie Inn 
Grant Amount: $8,000 
Project: New litter trailer  

The Village of Dixie Inn will purchase a new litter trailer better equipped for taking care of their litter problem. The Village will also purchase anti-litter signage.