The UPS Foundation grants, totaling $220,000, are supporting KAB’s environmental education initiatives, including the creation of KAB affiliate organizations on college campuses, support for a community volunteer initiative, and a partnership for the UPS Global Volunteer Month to encourage employee volunteerism. The grants, which include funds for planting trees, conservation, youth education and volunteerism, reflect the establishment of environmental stewardship as a new focus area by The UPS Foundation. Seven KAB affiliates received awards for their fall 2008 UPS Global Volunteer Month initiatives, with programs ranging from shoe and electronics recycling to community cleanup efforts to tree and flowerbed planting projects. In 2009, eight Community Volunteer Grants were awarded through a competitive application process. Graffiti Hurts® National Grants
The Sherwin-Williams Company proudly sponsored the Keep America Beautiful Graffiti Hurts® National Grant Program again in 2008. This grant program has helped raise awareness of the blight of graffiti, and engaged and educated communities about the social costs of graffiti vandalism. (See story on page 28.) Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grants
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The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grants are awarded to affiliates in good standing who commit to implement the program by reviewing and supporting litter laws, placing PSA’s to educate the public, installing ash receptacles, and distributing pocket ashtrays to adult smokers, as well as reporting data per KAB’s requirements. Program grants range from $500 to $1500 and include 400 pocket ashtrays per grant program.
The grants awarded in 2008 and 2009 offer significant opportunities to change the way communities respond to the growing need for Americans to find ways to prevent litter and improve their public spaces. U.S. Conference of Mayors, Novelis: Cans for Cash: City Recycling Challenge
The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Novelis Inc. and KAB teamed up for the fifth year to encourage aluminum can recycling. Cities competed in aluminum can collection with additional awards going to KAB affiliates.
Partnerships Keep America Beautiful expanded its range of partnerships in 2008 with other organizations whose visions complement our own. By forging strong relationships, KAB will expand its offerings and leverage assets into more meaningful programs with greater impact. Pennsylvania Horticulture Society
Keep America Beautiful and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) established a partnership in late 2008 that is providing new “greening” resources and information to KAB’s affiliates. The partnership will help add more sophistication and impact to KAB’s current greening initiatives, enhancing its commitment to beautification. Pennsylvania Horticulture Society will support KAB affiliates by offering conference workshops and training, as well as webinars over the Internet. It will also share its research and technical expertise through the PHS McLean Library, publications and Web site, as well as utilizing many other areas of expertise developed through Philadelphia Green, the PHS urban revitalization program that has served as a model for other cities around the country.