Green Grants

Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nf

$500 – $1,000 Grant Apply Through April 30

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Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nfWe know that YOU can do great things in your communities, and WE want to help!

We’re awarding $500, $750, and $1,000 Green Grants to groups to improve the natural and scenic environment of Virginia.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $307,000 for 415 programs and projects throughout the state.  The program has been so successful because of the nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, civic leagues, “Friends of” groups, Scouts, and others who see a need where they live, and apply for a grant to get it accomplished.

You can apply for a Green Grant in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Cigarette Litter Prevention, Community Beautification, and Recycling.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and in June, one Green Grant award is announced one each day, until all thirty awards have been revealed.

The general Grant Application Guidelines should be read before an application is submitted. Click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

Applications are due before midnight on Tuesday, April 30, 2024!

Here are some past awards for inspiration:

  • Friends of a city park installed cigarette butt receptacles in the parking lot and at entrances to the park, to eliminate cigarette butt litter that can clog storm drains and harm wildlife.
  • A church parish started a composting collection program, yielding an average of 50 pounds of food waste that would have been sent to the landfill, but is processed to create rich compost.
  • Classrooms at an elementary school are collecting markers and pens to be recycled through TerraCycle.
  • A neighborhood civic league used grant funds to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, and florescent hats for the safety of volunteers during their roadside cleanups.
  • Invasive species were removed and native plants installed along a hiking trail.

Please see our Green Grants webpage for descriptions of the categories, read the general Grant Application Guidelines, and click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2024 Green Grants Program:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!

Altria Logo        WestRock Logo             Logo for Village Bank

Heart-shaped paper Earth surrounded by paper hands made with many different skin tone colors.

Three Green Things for April

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Heart-shaped paper Earth surrounded by paper hands made with many different skin tone colors.There are three green things to remember for April:

#1 Apply for a Green Grant

Attention Scouts, Friends-of groups, civic organizations, nonprofits, faith-based groups, and others!  Now is the time to apply for a Green Grant to accomplish that sustainable project or start a new program!  Get support for recycling bins in your classroom, cigarette butt receptacles in a problem area, native plants in a vacant area, or supplies for volunteers to pick up litter.

See our webpage for more details and apply by April 30, 2024 to be included in the judging process. Thirty grants will be awarded, with one being announced each day in June.

#2 Participate in The Great Virginia Greenup

It’s that time of year for the Great Virginia Greenup!  The Great Virginia Greenup is a statewide effort to beautify the Commonwealth from the first day of spring to the first day of summer each year. You can organize a neighborhood cleanup; comb the beach for plastic that’s washed ashore; pick up litter at the playground; plant trees and flowers, especially native plants; or join other groups hosting events in many parts of the state.  Just browse through our Events Calendar to see if there’s a group hosting an event near you.

If you participate in a cleanup or any green activity, we want to know about it!  Report your results and we’ll enter your name to win a Sustainability Sampler kit!

#3 Every Day is Earth Day!

Earth Day was the brainchild of Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, a staunch environmentalist who hoped to provide unity to the grassroots environmental movement and increase ecological awareness. He hired Denis Hayes, a Harvard grad student, and together they organized the first Earth Day, held on April 22, 1970.  EARTHDAY.ORG continues to mobilize over 1 billion people annually to protect the planet.

Do you think you’re doing a good job with sustainability?  Here’s a Trash Tracker to test how well you’re recycling in your home, a Word Search for recyclable items, and a National Geographic list of quizzes to test your Earth Day knowledge!

There are so many reasons to celebrate and love the Earth every day!

Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of it

Need a Little Seed Money?

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Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of itOur 2024 Green Grant applications are now available on our Green Grant Program webpage!  Each year we award thirty grants for environmental projects and programs to groups and organizations in Virginia.  The Green Grants program empowers groups all across Virginia to make an environmental impact in their own communities.  This is one of the ways we can engage the people who live in Virginia to improve our natural and scenic environment.

Applications can be submitted between now and April 30, 2024.  Thirty awards will be announced, one each day, in June.  Grant awards are available for $500, $750, or $1,000 proposals. You can read the general Grant Application Guidelines for more information, and can apply in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Recycling/Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

There is so much we can do within our own communities, and we hope a little seed money can help you start or enhance a program or try a new method of living in a more sustainable way.

Here are some ideas for projects and programs that you may need to solve a need for

  • Install cigarette butt receptacles in a no-smoking area or parking lot in your;Green Grants Logo
  • Host a Fix-it Fair to keep items out of the landfill that will have life left in them after small repairs;
  • Purchase grabbers, safety vests, and gloves for volunteers to clean up roads and the landscape;
  • Start a composting program with produce that would be thrown away at a restaurant or at a farmers market, to reduce food waste;
  • Supply your classroom with re-usable lunch boxes, water bottles, storage bags, cloth napkins, and utensils to see how much less trash you create each day.

Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment in your community, I hope that you’ll apply for a Green Grant this year.  Please reach out to Beckey Watson at [email protected] if you have any questions about the program.

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Five Fall Green Grants Awarded

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Green Grants LogoAs we continue to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Keep Virginia Beautiful, we’re happy to announce five Fall Green Grants were awarded to our local affiliates and allied partners!  These organizations work hard year-round to keep their communities clean and green.  Here are the awards for this special Fall Green Grants Program:

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, $1,000 for Recycling
UTRR plans to conduct its second Fix-it-Fair for the citizens of Russell County. The first fair, held in the fall of 2022, was a rousing success. The event will have six “fixers” available:  mending/sewing, furniture repair, small appliance repair, evaluation of electronics, and jewelry repair. The fixers will offer to repair the items free of charge to the citizens.

The purpose of the Fair is to encourage people to repair items they already have, instead of throwing them away and buying a new product.  That’s a great way to recycle and reuse!

Keep Suffolk Beautiful, $500 for Litter Prevention
KSB launched a successful litter kit lending program with Suffolk Public Libraries several years ago.  It allows residents with library cards to “check out” litter kits (for 4 people) from each of their public library locations.  The Library Lending Litter Kit program is widely used, and is in need of repair or replacement of supplies, as well as a fresh logo and marketing to reach additional library patrons.

Having supplies for a litter cleanup is a great way for families or neighbors to safely remove litter from the landscape.  If you’re a resident of Suffolk, we encourage you to go to your local library and “Check it out!”

Keep James City County Beautiful, $1,000 for Community Beautification
KJCCB currently works with Master Gardeners on two gardens on County property:  the Pollinator Garden at Veterans Park, and the Water-Wise Demonstration Garden at the Human Services Building. KJCCB will use grant funds to purchase plant markers for both gardens and an educational sign about the Water Wise garden, to replace an outdated sign with no information.

Helping the public to identify and learn more about native plants is a great way to increase the number of backyards that include native plants for enjoyment by pollinators and neighbors!

askHRgreen, $1,000 for Litter Prevention
askHRgreen.org is a public awareness program of the 17 cities and counties of Hampton Roads that encourages environmental stewardship among all residents in southeastern Virginia.  They host hundreds of small local cleanups throughout the year.  A lack of litter grabbers and other cleanup supplies has been a barrier in the past to recruiting volunteers. Funds from this grant will be used to purchase 150 litter grabbers and 40 five-gallon buckets to create 40 additional litter kits for public use.

In a coastal region like Hampton Roads, litter on the ground almost always travels into a waterway becoming marine debris and harming natural systems.  The litter kits will enable volunteers to clean up land areas and water ways!

Clean Valley Council, $1,000, for Recycling
CVC will host their first “Reuse it and Repair it Fair,” where residents with lightly damaged or broken items will connect with local skilled volunteers to fix them. Items such as electronics, bicycles, clothing, shoes, small appliances, musical instruments, athletic equipment, and jewelry will be accepted.  Grant funds will be used to purchase basic tools and supplies, and will include activities for children, enabling them to learn how to accomplish simple repairs.

Entrance to the Fair will be free. Local nonprofit partners will be on site as well, offering their services to the community.

Congratulations to our Fall Green Grant Awardees!  This brings our total to 35 awards for Green Grants projects and programs during 2023 – which means we’re halfway to our goal of supporting 70 community projects to celebrate our 70th Anniversary.

We’ll be announcing more information soon about the remaining 35 Green Gifts that we’re giving away this fall!

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Congratulations to all of the 2023 Green Grant Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe continue to be impressed by the plans and ideas that organizations want to put into action with a Green Grant award.  The judging panel has such a challenging task to evaluate and score all the grant applications.  We sincerely appreciate the work they do, both in their professional fields, and as a volunteer for our organization.  Thank you Green Grant judges!

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. We wish we could fund them all!  We’re encouraged by the work of volunteers at civic groups, nonprofits, faith-based communities, and others that are striving to improve the natural and scenic environment of the Commonwealth.

And of course the program wouldn’t be possible without the funding and support of our sponsors:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!  We are very grateful for their generous and continued support!

Altria Logo         WestRock Logo      Logo for Village Bank

Below we’ve listed the organizations that were awarded a 2023 Green Grant, along with the category of their project or program, the award amount, and the region of the state where their work will be done.  You can click on the organization’s name to link to our website’s blog announcement.  We hope you’ll visit the announcements of this year’s awards, you’re sure to be inspired!

6/1/2023 Social Music LLC Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/2/2023 Art Guild of Greene Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/3/2023 Pulaski County Litter $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/4/2023 Verdant Richmond for Maymont Community Garden Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/5/2023 Work of Life at Handley High School Recycling $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/6/2023 Eastern Shore of Virginia Waste Watchers Litter $500 Eastern Shore
6/7/2023 Hanover Master Gardeners Association Community Beautification $750 Central Virginia
6/8/2023 Wakefield Country Day School’s Leo Club Litter $500 Central Virginia
6/9/2023 Clean Essex Committee Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Central Virginia
6/10/2023 Fairview Farm and Homestead Foundation Community Beautification $500 Southwest Virginia
6/11/2023 Church of the Holy Family Recycling $750 Hampton Roads
6/12/2023 Bay School Community Arts Center Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/13/2023 Town of St. Paul Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Southwest Virginia
6/14/2023 Lake Anna Business Partnership Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/15/2023 Department of Military Affairs / Fort Barfoot Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/16/2023 The Greater Scotts Addition Association Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/17/2023 City of Salem Community Beautification $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/18/2023 Lynnhaven River NOW Litter $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/19/2023 The City of Newport News Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/20/2023 Carroll County Recycling $500 Southwest Virginia
6/21/2023 Friends of the Middle River Litter $500 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/22/2023 Piedmont Arts Community Beautification $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/23/2023 City of Manassas Park Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Northern Virginia
6/24/2023 Kiptopeke State Park Litter $1,000 Eastern Shore
6/25/2023 Keep Middlesex Beautiful Recycling $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/26/2023 The Mariners’ Museum and Park Community Beautification $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/27/2023 Friends of Leesylvania State Park Litter $1,000 Northern Virginia
6/28/2023 Page County Solid Waste & Recycling Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/29/2023 RVA Rapid Transit Litter $750 Central Virginia
6/30/2023 Town of Independence Community Beautification $750 Southwest Virginia

The Mariners’ Museum and Park Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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The Mariners' Museum and Park LogoThe Mariners’ Museum and Park is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Community Beautification Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Founded in 1930, the mission of The Mariners’ Museum & Park in Newport News is to connect people to the world’s waters, helping visitors engage with nature, learn about the ecosystem, and how to protect it. Their 550-acre park, 167-acre lake, and award winning, 5-mile Noland Trail are free and open to the public; while admission to the museum only costs $1, and includes access to programs such as SOL-based presentations that serve over 15,000 students annually; Maritime Cultural Heritage Programming; and Life-long Learning lectures and workshops.

Recognizing the important role the Park plays in creating a vibrant community, they have made significant investments in the health of the forest, lake and wildlife.  One key challenge identified in a Dept. of Forestry’s care plan is the concentration of invasive species, such as English Ivy, which kills native trees along the Noland Trail causing them to fall, creating increased access and safety concerns for Park visitors.

Trees at Mariners' Museum Park covered in ivyThe Green Grant award will be used to complete Phase II of the Mariners’ Park Community Planting Project, which involves eradicating the invasive ivy on the trees and the grounds, and replacing it with a native Mayapple ground cover in an 8,000 sq. ft. area along the Noland Trail.  Mayapple will play a crucial role to help maintain ecological balance in the forest, provide a food source for native wildlife, and reduce runoff into Mariners’ Lake.

Funds will be used to purchase the tools and supplies needed for the project, such as a Gorilla Heavy-Duty Yard Dump Cart for work at the site, which is inaccessible by motor vehicle; rubber work gloves for staff and volunteers; and mature Mayapple Plants that will provide sufficient ground cover.

Keep Middlesex Beautiful Logo

Keep Middlesex Beautiful Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Keep Middlesex Beautiful LogoKeep Middlesex Beautiful is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant to improve Recycling at community gatherings, as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Keep Middlesex Beautiful (KMB) is a volunteer committee chartered and sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of Supervisor, established to serve, support, and inspire a litter-free and beautiful Middlesex County. Their initiatives for this year are to reset waste management culture within the County by implementing county-wide clean ups and reinstating recycling programs at events in the County. KMB serves a rich diversity of people in small villages, towns, and rural farmlands throughout Middlesex County.

Plastic plate of oyster with drink in aluminum canFunds provided by the Green Grant award will be used to purchase recycling receptacles to be used at major events in Middlesex County, including the Urbanna Oyster Festival, Wings and Wheels, Arts in the Middle, and Deltaville’s Groovin’ Concert Series. They will also install visual aids at each recycling bin to identify which items are recyclable, as well as entryway signs at the event venues to help patrons understand the importance of recycling. These efforts will make a significant impact on the overall reduction of recyclable items being sent to county landfills.

Keep Middlesex County Beautiful plans to implement and record the amount of items recycled at each event.  A secondary goal will be to, where possible, eliminate single-use plastic items, and where not possible, ensure proper selection of plastics to improve overall recycling rates.

City of Manassas Park, Virginia Logo

City of Manassas Park Awarded Green Grant

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City of Manassas Park, Virginia LogoThe City of Manassas Park is awarded a $500 Green Grant for their Cigarette Litter Prevention efforts, as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

The City of Manassas Park, located just southwest of Washington, DC, has a newly built complex that includes City Hall, a public library, three restaurant spaces, and a plaza. Many residents and guests visit the plaza, and improperly discarded cigarette butts can be a problem if littered on the ground.

With funds provided by this grant award, they will purchase and install cigarette butt receptacles in the needed locations. After receptacles are installed, the City’s Public Works staff will remove the waste, weigh it and send it to Terracycle for recycling.

According to Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 nationwide Litter Study, cigarette butts account for 88% of litter 4″ or smaller.  Cigarette filters don’t break down naturally and will persist in our environment when littered. Removing this litter from our communities through organized cleanups is just the beginning of keeping cigarette butts out of our retail areas and waterways. After hosting a cleanup, collecting them at home, or with a cigarette receptacle, cigarettes butts can be sent to TerraCycle to be recycled using a free shipping label.   Want to learn more about recycling cigarette butts and other items?  Visit TerraCycle for more information.

Thank you Manassas Park, for tackling the cigarette butt litter problem!  We look forward to your results.

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Piedmont Arts Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Drawing of a garden path with beehives Piedmont Arts is all abuzz with a $1,000 Green Grant for their Community Beautification plans, as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Located in the heart of Martinsville’s Arts and Cultural District in Southwest Virginia, Piedmont Arts is an award-winning art museum that curates thought-provoking exhibitions by international, national and regional artists. The museum also offers performing arts, from concerts to plays to children’s performances, and art classes for all ages. Educational programming is offered for students of all ages, including in gallery classes as well as organizing events for in-school outreach. Piedmont Arts is the hub for arts of all varieties and arts education in Martinsville and Henry County.

Funds provided by the Green Grants award will be used to purchase bee hives, beekeeping supplies, and bees for the Art Garden and attached pollinator garden trail.

The beekeeping program will take place along the pollinator path, which is located on an area of unused land that runs from the museum’s parking lot to the Gravely-Lester Art Garden. The pathway is made of ADA-compliant crush-and-run gravel to create an accessible and beautiful space that will function as a trail and community garden. Martinsville is a Bee City, meaning the city is dedicated to the protection and stewardship of native pollinators.  The pathway will be lined with garden plots and raised beds that can be adopted by the community that will be filled with native and noninvasive pollinator plants.

The garden will have a compost station and educational signage posted throughout so that even people who do not want to plant and maintain a garden can still learn from the pollinator.  Piedmont Arts is working to create opportunities for local artists to paint signage, birdhouses, and other structures so the garden path will be filled with compelling and beautiful artwork.

The bees and butterflies will thank you by pollinating the flowers and gardens that you’re planting!

Logo for Carroll County, Virginia

Carroll County Awarded a $500 Recycling Green Grant

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Logo for Carroll County, VirginiaCarroll County is awarded a $500 Green Grant in the Recycling Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.0

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Carroll County is a local government organization located in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains in far Southwest Virginia.  The County offers an array of activities, scenery, and has deeply rooted Appalachian culture. Their recreation department offers programs and facilities to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Carroll County along with our visitors.

Brick wall construction of restroom facilities at Carroll County Splash Pad Recreational ParkThe focus of their Green Grant application was to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles of water used at the new Carroll County Splash Pad / Recreational Park. With many citizens visiting the park daily, they will install a water refilling station and encourage guests to bring reusable water bottles. Funds from the Green Grant award will be used toward the purchase and installation of a water refill station near the restrooms.

Congratulations Carroll County!  Thank you for tackling the statewide concern of over-use and improperly disposal of single-use plastics.  Offering a bottle refill stations gives residents and guests at the Splash Pad an opportunity to get needed summer hydration in a responsible way!

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