Due Date: February 15, 2024
This application is due by 5:00pm ET on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Extensions will not be accepted and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Program Description
The Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study estimated that nine out of ten littered items were 4" and less, with cigarette butts being the number one littered item in this category; accounting for 9.7 billion butts counted on any given day in the U.S..
The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP), now in its 21st year, is the nation's largest program aimed at reducing cigarette litter and recycling cigarette butts. Communities implementing a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program consistently reduce cigarette litter by half or more based on local measurements taken in the first four to six months after a program is implemented. Since its inception, the program has been implemented in more than 1,800 U.S. communities.
An effective local Cigarette Litter Prevention Program includes four proven, field-tested solutions or strategies for reducing cigarette butt litter:
- Reviewing local litter laws to include cigarette butt litter and support enforcement
- Raising awareness about the issue of proper cigarette butt disposal using messaging and marketing campaigns
- Placing ash receptacles at transition points to non-smoking areas like beaches, hospitals, or public parks; and
- Distributing pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers
In 2024, applicants will have the opportunity to focus on cigarette litter reduction through messaging, infrastructure placement, or a combination of both. They also will have the opportunity to recycle collected cigarette butts.
Please answer all questions to the best of your ability. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. If you need to exit before completing the grant application, you will be able to save your progress and resume completing the application later by clicking on "Save my progress and resume later" at the top or bottom of each page. You will be able to print a copy of your completed grant application at the end of the application. You must click "Confirm" on the final page for the application to be submitted formally.
As you plan your grant program activities, please keep in mind that Keep America Beautiful requires every grant recipient to complete a final report on or before the specific grant deadlines. For cash grants, grantees will receive 70% of their grant funding upon executing a grant agreement and the remaining 30% of their award after submitting and having their final report approved by Keep America Beautiful.
Grants Available
Cash grants are available from $5,000 - $20,000 for this grant cycle.
Eligibility and Proposal Requirements
- This grant is open to KAB affiliates, nonprofits, local governments and other community organizations. Non-KAB affiliates are highly encouraged to partner with a KAB affiliate in their community.
- KAB affiliates in President's Circle will receive priority review and consideration.
- Proposals must clearly describe the need for the project
- Applicant must commit to implementing the field-tested 4-step Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
- Applicant must demonstrate the ability to conclude the project and required reporting within the grant period
- Keep America Beautiful state affiliates applying for pass-through grant funding to support their local affiliates must require their local KAB affiliate to be in KAB's President's Circle.
Grant Review Process and Considerations
- Applications will be reviewed & decided by a grant review and selection committee.
- Applications will be evaluated for:
- Responsiveness and alignment with the Keep America Beautiful mission and its goal to eliminate littering and promote recycling.
- Clear articulation for program need.
- Innovation and commitment to reducing litter in public spaces..
- Expected impact and outcomes in terms of cigarette litter reduced, materials recycled, and population served.
- Intentionality in including or engaging historically and economically underserved neighborhoods and communities.
- Leveraging of matching funds, a tri-sector collaboration, and overall reduction in community litter.
- Completeness, clarity, and respect for word limits
- Evaluation criteria above are not all required but highly encouraged to ensure strong and successful applications.
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 5pm ET, February 15, 2024,
- Award Distribution: Funding awards and grant agreements executed in March 2024
- Project Implementation: April - December, 2024
- Reporting Deadlines: Keep America Beautiful will require every 2024 grant recipient to complete interim and final reports by the following deadlines.
- Interim Report Due: 5pm ET, 9/30/2024
- Final Report Due: 5pm ET, 12/15/2024
Reporting Requirements
Grantees will be expected to report the following items in their final report:
- Date receptacles were received and placed into service
- Photos and stories showcasing project impact
- Verification and/or updates of materials in grant application
- Documented reduction in cigarette litter
- Weight of cigarette butts collected and recycled
- Media outreach and/or coverage
- GPS coordinates of each receptacle placed
- Copies of educational and/or marketing materials
Other Grant Considerations
- Grants awarded will range from $5,000 to $20,000.
- While KAB is prioritizing projects that expand the program’s footprint by reaching new communities, we will continue to support successful existing efforts.
- Proposals specifically interested in using CLPP as a clean water strategy will also be prioritized.
- Expenses eligible for grant support include purchasing public receptacles for cigarette litter collection, marketing costs, and costs associated with administering the program, including salaries.
- Applicants will be required to provide a budget and an accompanying rationale in their applications.
- To facilitate and increase cigarette butt recycling and ensure consistency in CLPP infrastructure deployed, grantees will be required to purchase KAB approved receptacles and urns.
- Keep America Beautiful recommends that at least 25% of grant funds be allocated toward infrastructure.
- KAB will facilitate the procurement of receptacles through its partner TerraCycle, and will deduct receptacle costs from the cash grant provided. Each mounted receptacle has a cost of $96. These costs should be factored into your grant budget.
- Grantees who recycle their butts via TerraCycle will also benefit from TerraCyle’s commitment to donating $1 per pound of cigarette waste collected from CLPP grantees. Registration is required for this benefit. Click here for more information and to register.
Grant Terms Acknowledgement