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BEAU T IFUL
2016 ANNUAL REPORT
We Believe Community
In the TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT of
environmental
Beautification
LEADS TO HEALTHIER, SAFER and more ECONOMICALLY VIABLE
NEIGHBORHOODS
EDUCATION
that CONNECTS SUSTAINABILITY to COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP and ACTION
In the POWE R of BRI NGI NG TOGE TH E
Diverse Groups
R
of NEIGHBORS,
BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS & PUBLIC ENTITIES to spark COLLECTIVE ACTION and
create FLOURISHING NEIGHBORHOODS
MISSION
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful convenes, equips and empowers people to use community beautification to achieve vibrant neighborhoods. We collaborate, educate and provide resources to ignite collective action and neighborhood pride.
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K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
Dear Friends, At Keep Philadelphia Beautiful (KPB), we like to joke that we do exactly what it sounds like. We’re in classrooms and at community meetings talking about litter, recycling and waste reduction. We’re planning direct service opportunities designed to make our neighborhoods (you guessed it) more beautiful. And we’re acting as a resource and convener for community groups and citizens, as we go about the hard work of making the City we love cleaner and greener - together. The KPB team does this because we believe beautiful communities are stronger communities - healthier, safer, and more cohesive, engaged, and economically vibrant. Today, we are proud and excited to share our 2016 story with you, from the number of students we’ve educated, to the bags of debris we’ve removed from our public spaces. And we’re even more excited to continue to roll up our sleeves to ensure that 2017 is our most impactful year to date. As we reflect on what we’ve accomplished over the last twelve months and plan for the next twelve, we are continually grateful for our many friends and partners who work side by side with us every day to help fulfill our common mission. The KPB team does not, and could not, do this work alone.
Thanks for being a part of the KPB family. We look forward to continuing to work with you to Keep Philadelphia Beautiful. Sincerely,
Justin Land Board Chair
Michelle Feldman
Executive Director
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CONVENING
BRINGING PHILADELPHIANS TOGETHER
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful believes in the power of bringing educators, neighborhood activists, businesses, government agencies, and residents of all ages together to realize our vision of a cleaner and greener city.
Bringing Together Community Based Organizations
This year, we continued to organize quarterly convenings of neighborhood leaders in partnership with our friends at the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, the Philadelphia Chapter of the Local Initiatives Support Coalition, and the City of Philadelphia Commerce and Streets Departments. Over 50 different leaders from every section of the City have attended our meetings, where we’ve brainstormed best practices and solutions to shared challenges; met directly with City officials to better coordinate our efforts; and started work towards the creation of tangible resources to benefit community activists from the Northeast to the Southwest.
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K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
Bringing Together Educators
This fall, KPB kicked off a series of three professional development trainings for local teachers with the School District of Philadelphia. Our first convening of educators utilized the national Eco Schools model to outline and unpack the key building blocks for creating and maintaining a strong school green team - charged with crafting a shared sustainability vision to guide planning and action. Our subsequent gatherings will be dedicated to conducting a school environmental audit, and integrating the principles of sustainability into curriculum.
Teachers from across the City worked with each other to brainstorm, discuss challenges and opportunities, and commit to concrete action steps.
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EDUCATING
Empowering Through Knowledge
KPB is dedicated to environmental and civic education as a means of inspiring and facilitating action. We speak with Philadelphia youth about the impacts of neighborhood beautification and sustainable waste disposal; and we help residents and civic organizations identify and access community beautification programs and resources.
School Workshops
KPB provides interactive workshops on litter and recycling in schools throughout Philadelphia. Students learn about the detrimental effects of litter, why and how to recycle, and ways they can be leaders. In 2016, we conducted approximately 50 presentations and educated over 1,800 students.
GreenFutures: A School District of Philadelphia Initiative
This year, the School District of Philadelphia released GreenFutures, its first sustainability management plan. As part of implementing that blueprint, KPB continues to work with the District as it establishes a comprehensive recycling program in each public school. In 2016, we partnered with the District to develop resource materials and toolkits, speak directly to students, and train teachers.
Recycle Often, Recycle Right: Happy America Recycles Day
To celebrate America Recycles Day, we teamed up with the Mayor’s Office, the Streets Department, and Recyclebank on a PSA campaign to educate Philadelphians about the major items to keep in - and out - of your recycling bin. Watch our video, and learn more about proper recycling in Philly, at philadelphiastreets.com/recycling.
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K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
Community Workshops: Collaborating & Engaging
KPB helps residents and neighborhood organizations to navigate and access City and nonprofit community beautification initiatives. In 2016, we conducted or participated in approximately twenty workshops to demystify programs that keep our neighborhoods clean and green. This June, KPB partnered with Young Involved Philadelphia to host Cleaning & Greening 101 - a workshop focused on how neighbors can come together to keep their block clean. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and Greensgrow Farms helped lead the conversation.
In 2016, we reached thousands of Philadelphians with our message of environmental stewardship and civic engagement.
Inspiring Action, a Case Study: The North Broad Renaissance
After working with KPB to formulate a method for tracking litter sources and problem areas, the North Broad Renaissance’s cleaning staff is formulating a plan to not just abate, but prevent, litter in their community.
Resources & Tools: Community Cleanup Resource Guide In 2016, KPB published our third annual Community Cleanup Resource Guide, a compilation of existing programs and resources, as well as tips and planning documents for organizing effective service days. This guide, which has reached thousands, can be found at keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org/resources.
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SERVING
Giving Back to our communities
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful doesn’t just conduct hands-on civic and environmental education. We also roll up our sleeves and work with our many friends and partners to clean and green Philly’s public spaces.
Parks and Gardens, Oh My!
In 2016, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful hosted service opportunities in gardens and parks from South Philly to the Lower Northeast, to showcase and help maintain our city’s green spaces. We worked with the People’s Emergency Center and Malcolm X Park in West Philly; La Finquita Farm in South Kensington; and the Nationalities Service Center and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in a new community garden in Point Breeze, utilized by refugee families as well as long-term Philadelphia residents.
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K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
Every Day is Earth Day
KPB kicked off this year’s community cleanup season in April with a bang. We celebrated the 9th annual Philly Spring Cleanup, the largest one day urban community beautification effort in the country, with our friends at the North 5th Street Revitalization Project. Over 60 volunteers from all over the city made sure the heart of Olney’s commercial district was litter-free, painted wayfinding signs, and cleaned Big Belly solar trash receptacles. Later that month, we honored Earth Day and helped launch the Franklin Institute’s sixth annual Philadelphia Science Festival with Hunting Park United and The Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania. Seventy volunteers collected 1,600 pounds of trash in and around Hunting Park, painted benches at the entrance to the Hunting Park Recreation Center, and weeded in the park’s orchard.
Thanks to more than 200 volunteers, in 2016 we removed over 4,600 pounds of debris from our streets - and weeded, painted, and planted along the way.
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SEED FUNDING
Sparking Change
Keep Philadelphia Beautiful supports cleaner and greener communities through education, convening, direct service - and seed-funding. This year, we helped secure funds for new public space recycling bins at Recreation Centers in the Northwest section of the city, and worked with our friends and partners to provide seed funding for innovative teacher-led initiatives as well as anti-litter programs spearheaded by neighborhood based organizations.
Neighborhood Led Anti-Litter Programs
On Earth Day, KPB kicked off our second annual microgrant program designed to support neighborhood based organizations seeking to establish or expand an anti-litter initiative. This year, we funded four projects aimed at implementing hyper-local, long-term solutions to litter in communities stretching from Chinatown to Hunting Park. KPB funding helped New Kensington CDC provide their community with cleanup tools as part of a comprehensive mobile neighborhood services program. The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation started a youth-led community organizing effort focused on cleaning and greening. The Passyunk Square Civic Association spearheaded a business owner education and outreach campaign, complete with canvassing and physical resources such as new trash receptacles. And Hunting Park United expanded their successful community cleanup program, fueled by the commitment of local youth.
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K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
PhilaSoup
This fall, KPB partnered with the giving circle PhilaSoup on a green-themed community brunch where over $1,300 was awarded to four projects led by Philadelphia teachers. In addition, attendees learned about resources and programs available to make Philadelphia’s schools more sustainable, including the School District’s sustainability management plan GreenFutures.
30 New Public Space Recycling Bins
Thanks to a generous grant from Keep America Beautiful and Dr. Pepper Snapple, thirty new public space recycling bins are on their way to recreation centers in the Northwest section of Philadelphia. We are proud to team up with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Philadelphia Streets Department, and the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability on this effort to support increased recycling throughout our park system - and to launch recycling education programming in 2017 to accompany the new receptacles.
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2016 TOTALS COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION
230
4,640
7
volunteers engaged
pounds of trash and debris removed from public spaces
public spaces beautified
50
7
5
free trees distributed
benches painted
benches installed
EDUCATION
1801 youth reached through
49
presentations
SEED FUNDING
526
$23,817
adults reached through
21
Raised and Dispersed for Community Beautification AND Education
community workshops and events
2013-2015 TOTALS 1,066
6
volunteers engaged
pounds of trash collected
public spaces beautified
3,764
964
$53,000
youth educated
12
15,760
adults educated
raised and dispersed for community beautification
K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
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KEEP PHILADELPHIA BEAUTIFUL 2016 CO
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This map shows every spot in Philadelphia where KPB has given a school or community presentation, hosted a community beautification event, or had a speaking engagement in 2016.
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IN THE NEWS
In 2016, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful’s impact has been highlighted in numerous news reports, and our staff has authored op-eds for media outlets such as Philly.com and The Citizen. Visit keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org/media to read more.
“As the leadership and goals of the organization evolve, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful hopes to play a key role in the development of the city in years to come.” Philadelphia Neighborhoods May 23, 2016
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“Tackling litter needs a multipronged approach but community engagement begins with a few people.” Our Director quoted in The Spirit, June 15, 2016
K E E P P H IL ADE L P H I A B E AUTIF UL
“Anti-litter efforts are nothing new, but Keep Philadelphia Beautiful... is hoping to take them to the next level in 2016 by convening the city’s most comprehensive forum on littering to date.” Flying Kite Media January 19, 2016
A Few of Our Strategic Partners
Board of Directors Justin Land, Board Chair The Dow Chemical Company
Keep America Beautiful
Karen Lewis, Board Vice Chair Drexel University
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Barley van Clief, Secretary Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Philadelphia Streets Department Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Kimberly Edmunds Equal Measure
City of Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office
Nick Marzano Society of Hospital Medicine
City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability
Peter McDermott S.T. Hudson Engineers, Inc.
The Philadelphia Department of Commerce The School District of Philadelphia, Office of Environmental Management & Services
Charles Raudenbush Waste Management Lindsey Votto Aspira, Inc of Pennsylvania Joanna Winchester New Kensington Community Development Corporation
Recyclebank TreePhilly
Michelle Feldman Executive Director Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society The Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations The Dow Chemical Company Waste Management, Inc.
Thank you to all of our partners, who make it possible for us to do the work we do.
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230 S Broad St, 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 info@keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org 215-854-4000 KeepPhiladelphiaBeautiful @beautifulPHL
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