Engaging Volunteers To Continually Improve Our Nation’s Communities

Front cover and page 7 photos: © Tod Martens PhotographyBack cover photo: © Jim David Photography

Keep America Beauti ful has a rich legacy of leadership in creati ng sustainable impact in communiti es across the country.

Together with our nati onal network of community-based affi liates, we work with millions of volunteers who take acti on in their communiti es to transform public spaces into beauti ful places.

Educati on and behavior change are the cornerstones of our organizati on. Our work educates and empowers generati ons of environmental stewards.

We provide the right tools and resources to guide people’s understanding and acti ons to reduce waste, increase recycling, protect the natural areas of our communiti es and ensure beauty is the lasti ng signature.

Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment. Our service projects are based on the knowledge and needs of the communiti es where we operate. We work closely with governors, mayors and other local government, civic and community leaders -- including state recycling organizati ons, to ensure that our work is leaving a positi ve impact.

Our fl agship program, the Great American Cleanup, off ers structured service projects including experienti al environmental educati on, organized volunteer events and employee engagement opportuniti es. This program engages volunteers to take greater responsibility for their community’s environment.

Today, Keep America Beauti ful is the nati on’s leading nonprofi t that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communiti es. Through our acti ons and impacts, we help create communiti es that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.

We are committ ed to keeping this magnifi cent country beauti ful. We hope you’ll join us in our mission.

Jennifer JehnPresident & CEOJennifer Jehn

Positive change and lasting impact happen when people work together

Thriving communities are rooted in individual responsibility and action

People and places are profoundly interconnected

Each and every day, Keep America Beautiful is singularly focused on continually improving public places while caring for neglected ones so that positive social, environmental and economic change can occur.

Here’s what we know to be true:

40 millionpounds of litter and debris collected

81,000miles of roads, streets, highways cleaned

8,400miles of rivers, lakes and shorelines cleaned

We plant trees, shrubs and gardens to strengthen a community’s green infrastructure.

We recycle electronics, paper products, plastic bottles, cans, tires, clothing, and even junk cars to give garbage another life.

2,100edible community gardens planted

2.2 millionpounds household hazardous waste recycled

1,200community greening projects

8.8 millionpounds electronics recycled

87,000trees planted

93 millionPET bottles recycled

We remove litter and debris from roadsides, highways, shorelines and waterways for safer, cleaner communities.

OUR ACTIONS IMPACTS&At Keep America Beauti ful, it’s our mission to engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment. And we don’t work alone. We have an expansive network of experienced, forward-thinking leaders who carry out our shared mission at the state, county and local levels. Together with this powerful nati onal network of community-based affi liates, we work with corporate sponsors, partner organizati ons and millions of volunteers who take acti on in their communiti es. By harnessing the collecti ve power of our network, we extend the reach of our initi ati ves and multi ply the impact of our acti ons. Here’s what we do:

We restore urban, suburban and rural business districts and thoroughfares to spur economic impact.

We rebuild public spaces in communities struck by natural disasters to renew social connections.

13,800graffi ti removal/sites abated

850residential and commercial building painted/renovated/constructed

2011tornado in Guntersville, AL - restored acommunity park with native plants, park benches and recycling containers

2011tsunami that hit Kahului, HI - planted 150 massive native trees

2012tornado in Harveyville, KS - planted trees, painted homes and buildings recycling containers

OUR ACTIONS IMPACTS

Each spring, Keep America Beauti ful kicks off the Great American Cleanup, which is the country’s largest community improvement program that takes place in 20,000 communiti es.

This nati onal program engages on average 2 million volunteers who take acti on in their communiti es to create positi ve change and lasti ng impact.

Keep America Beauti ful and its nati onal network of community-based affi liates execute this fl agship program each year by launching service projects grounded in the knowledge and needs of local communiti es.

We work closely with governors, mayors and other government and civic offi cials to ensure that we’re meeti ng those needs in a sustainable way.

.

We engage volunteersto take action in our nation’s communitiesThe Great American Cleanup off ers:• experienti al environmental educati on• organized volunteer events • employee engagement opportuniti es

We have a strong lineup of corporate sponsors and partner organizati ons that support our nati onal network, which is singularly focused on conti nually improving public places while caring for neglected ones.

During the Great American Cleanup, our volunteers’ work returns on average $175 million in measurable benefi ts across the parti cipati ng communiti es.

The Great American Cleanup provides communiti es with grassroots service projects that engage volunteers to take greater responsibility for their community’s environment.

At Keep America Beauti ful, we have a nati onal network of community-based affi liates that carries out our shared mission at the state, county and municipal levels.

These dedicated men and women run small to large nonprofi ts directly associated with our nati onal offi ce – the network comprises about 600 community-based affi liates spread across the country in urban, suburban and rural communiti es. And while our affi liates may vary by community, there is a common thread running through our network: ingenuity matched by expert skills to keep this country beauti ful, one community at a ti me.

Our state leaders and executi ve directors along with their staff are trusted leaders in their communiti es -- and the majority has experti se in areas from master gardening, city planning and landscape architecture to disaster preparedness, recycling and waste reducti on. These trusted and experienced professionals execute service projects that are based on the knowledge and needs of the communiti es where we operate.

More than 50 percent of our network are housed in either state, county or city government, which demonstrates that our affi liates are at the table with the key decision makers who lead communiti es across this country.

We’re extremely proud of the men and women who make up our community-based affi liate network. Their relentless focus, ti reless eff orts and dedicated commitment help us keep America beauti ful.

Our national networkleads hands-on work to improve our communities

Phoenix, AZ San Diego, CA Cincinnati, OH

I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) spearheads the county’s largest volunteer event dedicated to protecti ng the area’s coastline and waterways. More than 5,000 volunteers removed more than 150,000 pounds of litt er and debris from a record 96 coastal and inland cleanup sites during the annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. Volunteers also landscaped and removed graffi ti . When complemented by its polluti on preventi on educati on in local schools, ILACSD is able to ensure a clean and healthy future for the region.

Hundreds of students from the 2014 Clinton Global Initi ati ve University meeti ng gathered in Phoenix for the Clinton Foundati on’s Day of Acti on in collaborati on with PHX Renews. PHX Renews is a partnership between Keep Phoenix Beauti ful and the City of Phoenix that is transforming previously vacant lots into sustainable public spaces. Student volunteers created art murals, harvested produce, built community gardens, planted trees, and built benches and picnic tables, among other projects.

Each year, Keep Cincinnati Beauti ful (KCB) rallies thousands of volunteers to improve the quality of life in its community. KCB builds bett er communiti es by identi fying areas of need and partnering with community councils, schools, neighborhood agencies, faith volunteer groups and businesses from the City of Cincinnati , Hamilton County, and surrounding communiti es to address those needs. KCB works with community groups to organize strategic and sustainable projects that address the blight of litt er, illegal dumping, graffi ti and other community improvement issues.

leads hands-on work to improve our communities

Educati on and behavior change are the cornerstones of our organizati on.

Our formal and informal educati on programs empower generati ons of environmental stewards, teaching individual responsibility towards one’s environment.

We promote environmental literacy that creates a culture of understanding to improve our communiti es’ environments. We believe that individuals need to fi rst be informed about environmental issues and this in turn leads them to adopt appropriate atti tudes and develop the necessary skills to take acti on in their communiti es. Collecti ve acti on is criti cal to achieving behavior change and improving environmental literacy across communiti es.

From building butt erfl y gardens to protecti ng watersheds, we provide the right tools and resources to guide people’s understanding and acti ons to reduce waste, increase recycling, protect the natural areas of our communiti es and ensure beauty is the lasti ng signature.

Our education programs empower generations of environmental stewards

Miami, FLTampa Bay, FL Houma, LA

Keep South Miami-Dade Beauti ful hosted an event for Troy-Bilt® and the Saturday6 garden bloggers, where they used their experti se to help start an edible community garden in the Perrine neighborhood of Miami. They worked alongside community members to build raised bed gardens. Troy-Bilt® donated the necessary garden equipment, including a culti vator, which was used to help mix the layers of topsoil and organic material together, and will be used to sustain the garden. The produce will be donated to people in need.

The Florida Learning Garden, a project of Keep Tampa Bay Beauti ful (KTBB) in partner-ship with the Florida State Fair Authority, is an interacti ve educati onal experience. The display garden features traditi onal and raised garden beds, aquaponics, hydroponics, over 75 types of trees, an interacti ve greenhouse and an energy-producing windmill. From ‘right-plant-right-place’ to best practi ces for water conservati on, the newly constructed Humana Educati on Pavilion allows KTBB to educate residents about multi ple grow-ing techniques and sustainable practi ces. Harvested produce is donated to Tampa’s communiti es.

In an eff ort to help rebuild Louisiana’s hurricane-depleted coast and protect com-muniti es from future storm surges, Lowe’s Heroes partnered with Keep Terrebonne Beauti ful and the Louisiana Coastal Conser-vati on Associati on to complete the “Floati ng Islands” restorati on project in Terrebonne Parish. The project uses a “fl oati ng island” system developed to increase the amount of marsh and stabilize the natural shoreline. Mats made from 100% recycled plasti c bott les are the foundati on of the islands; plants will grow a root system and ti e into existi ng marsh. The new marsh habitat will sustain marine life for years to come.

Our education programs

Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment.

We have strong relati onships with the Environmental Protecti on Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as with numerous state Departments of Transportati on.

We work closely with governors, mayors and other government, civic and community leaders -- including state recycling organizati ons, to ensure that we’re meeti ng the needs of local communiti es.

More than 50 percent of our community-based affi liates including state leaders are housed in either state, county or city government. This demonstrates that our state leaders and executi ve directors are seated at the table with the key decision makers who lead communiti es across this country.

Each and every day, our organizati on is focused on conti nually improving public places while caring for neglected ones so that positi ve social, environmental and economic change occurs.

Our impact is multiplied through stakeholder partnerships

Baton Rouge, LA Louisville, KYPhiladelphia, PA

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne kicked off Louisiana’s Great American Cleanup with “Leaders Against Litt er,” a statewide event hosted by Keep Louisiana Beauti ful (KLB) in partnership with Volunteer Louisiana. Sixteen KLB affi liate communiti es hosted events for this one-day “litt er-thon.” They were joined by more than 600 community and business leaders from across the state who parti cipat-ed in cleanups and invited to pledge support of a litt er-free Louisiana.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer engaged Keep America Beauti ful affi liate Brightside in his “One Bright City” initi ati ve that focuses on reducing litt er, planti ng trees and encourag-ing sustainable living. Brightside works in partnership with the Tree Advisory Com-mission to plant thousands of trees. More than 10,000 volunteers helped clean up neighborhoods, schools and parks, removing 16 tons of garbage during Louisville’s Great American Cleanup.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutt er kicked off the 2014 Philly Spring Cleanup at Gideon School. Keep America Beauti ful joined Mayor Nutt er, Keep Philadelphia Beauti ful, the Philadelphia Eagles Youth Partnership and volunteers from Dow to paint, remove graffi ti and clean up vacant lots around the school. Dow and McCormick Paints generously donated 1,000 gallons of paint to the Philly Spring Cleanup eff ort.

Our impact is multiplied through stakeholder partnerships

Throughout the year, we work with corporati ons to structure service projects for employee groups that want to off er their ti me and skills to serve the communiti es where they live and work.

These team-building service projects are as easy or challenging as the employee group wants. Each project is structured to reduce waste, increase recycling, protect the natural areas of communiti es and ensure beauty is the lasti ng signature. Projects can include restoring parks, trails and recreati on areas, cleaning shorelines and waterways, removing litt er and debris, planti ng trees and building community gardens, among other acti viti es.

We structure the service projects to meet the needs of the community as well as our corporate sponsor. We work with our nati onal network of community-based affi liates including our state leaders and executi ve directors to identi fy a tailored service project grounded in the knowledge and needs of a local community.

At the same ti me, we work with the company’s leadership to explore and identi fy relevant opportuniti es and acti viti es to leverage their organizati on’s core competencies to create positi ve social change in a specifi c community.

Through this partnership, we deliver community service projects that are rewarding to all involved.

We lead structured projects for employee events

DOW LOWE’S ALTRIA

Nearly 200 volunteers from Dow’s Propel to Excel executi ve program transformed a playground at Houston’s Gabriela Mistral school into a nature-based outdoor learning center. Working in partnership with Keep Houston Beauti ful, Dow volunteers painted a multi -colored mural, planted more than 70 trees and shrubs, built two butt erfl y gardens, created a pond, and built benches plus pup-pet theater – in less than 4 hours. During the Great American Cleanup, more than 1,000 Dow employees and their families and friends are expected to volunteer at 60 events across the county.

Keep Indianapolis Beauti ful, with the assistance of a $20,000 Lowe’s Community Improvement Grant, converted a vacant lot into a pocket park in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. This neighborhood was transformed into a green space with low maintenance landscape beds, a designated open space for the neighborhood, and trees adding shade. More than 30 Lowe’s Heroes volunteered at the Building Blocks Pocket Park, where they constructed and painted a mural wall, and completed a variety of “spring cleaning” tasks.

Altria employee volunteers worked to cleanup and improve a large stretch of urban waterway near downtown Richmond, Va. Volunteers worked to collect 800 lbs. of trash during their June day of service for the Great American Cleanup. Volunteers assembled 26 picnic tables, constructed eight recycling bins, and sorted 5,800 seedlings. Other contributi ons included painti ng fi ve park benches, a quarter of a mile of park fencing, and four mural panels. The area is centrally located in downtown Richmond and is home to many festi vals, concerts and art displays.

We lead

We partnerwith big brandsAt the South by Southwest Festi val in Austi n, TX, we partnered with GLAD Products to serve as the waste diversion partner of SouthBites, a gourmet food truck desti nati on curated by Austi n Chef and Top Chef winner, Paul Qui. SouthBites att endees received informati on about waste diversion and composti ng at the GLAD Shack, where trash arti st Jason Mecier created a mural of America from materials to be recycled or discarded at the SouthBites venue.

We worked with Keep Austi n Beauti ful to lead SXSW att endees and Austi n residents to kick off the Great American Cleanup during the conference. We built a community garden that was donated to an Austi n school and removed litt er, debris and material to be recycled from a heavily traffi cked area on the SXSW main thoroughfare.

The results of the four-day waste diversion program at SXSW included the collecti on of more than 4,000 pounds of waste, 1,600 pounds of materials for recycling and 1,400 pounds of compost with 1.5 tons of materials diverted from the landfi ll.

At each Great American Cleanup event, our sponsors and volunteers have fun, develop new friendships and help create communiti es that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.

Whether planti ng an edible community garden at an elementary school, hosti ng a tailgate recycling event or restoring a community park following a disaster, our sponsors and volunteers help create lasti ng change by transforming tens of thousands of public spaces into beauti ful places.

We celebrate these generous acts of community service in our social and new media platf orms including our blog that features great storytelling from our affi liates, our volunteer spotlight that recognizes standout service and through Facebook, Twitt er, YouTube and Instagram. Join the fun and like us on Facebook!

We recognize our sponsors & volunteers

At Keep America Beauti ful, we’ve been bringing people together to build and sustain vibrant communiti es for more than six decades.

And during this ti me, we’ve learned that people and places are profoundly interconnected. Whether the place is a community garden, a city park or a vacant lot, public places provide a neutral space in which people can come together with a shared purpose of community building.

Together with our network of community-based affi liates and volunteers, we conti nually improve public spaces while caring for neglected ones – and these acti ons result in positi ve social, environmental and economic impact in communiti es across the country.

This Earth Day, join us at a Great American Cleanup event to make your community a more beauti ful place.

On Earth Daymake America a more beautiful place

Bakersfi eld, CA Topeka/Shawnee County, KS Memphis, TN

Nearly 5,000 volunteers removed garbage and graffi ti ; planted fl owers at City Hall and the Fox Theater; worked on the “Seeds of Inspirati on” and the Greenfi eld Walking Group community gardens, among many other acti viti es. Once Keep Bakersfi eld Beauti ful’s initi ati ves were completed, the volunteers gathered with Mayor Harvey Hall at the annual Green Expo. The Expo includes exhibits from the green energy industry and conservati on groups, and features a student recycled material art contest as well as a rec-ogniti on ceremony and picnic at Bakerfi eld’s Yokuts Park.

Keep America Beauti ful - Topeka/Shawnee County (KABTSC) celebrated its annual “Get Down and Get Dirty” event during Earth Month with more than 1,600 volunteers. Volunteers removed shopping carts, a couch, a lawn mower and a sink, among other items, from an esti mated six miles of the Shunganunga Creek. Waste Management of Kansas partnered with KABTSC, providing roll-off s, waiving landfi ll fees, and providing lunch. Waste Management hosted a tour of its materials recovery facility to promote the area’s curbside recycling program.

Memphis City Beauti ful’s Faith in Acti on Cleanup was the largest faith-based cleanup in Tennessee, if not the nati on, with more than 12,200 volunteers parti cipati ng. The three-day “Earth Week” initi ati ve, presented by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., involved teams of volunteers from faith-based organizati ons, businesses and schools who hit the streets of Memphis to fi ght blight and beauti fy neighborhoods throughout the city. The City of Memphis recognized organizati ons with the largest volunteer teams in various categories, with Christ Missionary Bapti st Church parti cipati ng in the most cleanup projects during the weekend of acti viti es.

What is the action you take to keep America beautiful1 ?“One of the many things I love about Dow people is their passion for volunteering. I share their enthusiasm and encourage, as well as parti cipate in, acti viti es to help clean-up / green-up and beauti fy our communiti es. Many businesses at Dow make products that are energy effi cient and help to remind us all to ti e good environmental practi ces into every aspect of life – not just our work.”

Howard UngerleiderExecuti ve Vice PresidentDow Advanced Materials

“The fabric of Iowa is its pastoral beauty and its communiti es ti ed together by rivers, trails and roadways. The beauty of this state is important to our citi zens and visitors. A clean and att racti ve state is criti cal for both the cultural and economic vitality and sustainability of Iowa. I’m proud of our state, the work of Keep Iowa Beauti ful and of all its citi zens that care through their fi nancial and volunteer support. They will make Iowa even bett er with a goal of being the cleanest and most att racti ve state in the nati on”.

Governor Terry E. Branstad, Iowa

“Personally, I recycle whatever and whenever I can. Professionally, I work for a company whose mission includes helping communiti es across the country be clean and safe. Together, that’s the one acti on I take daily to keep America beauti ful.”

Barry CaldwellSenior Vice President, Public Aff airs & Communicati ons Waste Management

“Practi ce good recycling habits at home and in the offi ce. I’m also for-tunate to work on projects with Troy-Bilt related to community gardens and have seen fi rst-hand how neighborhoods can improve and thrive through the eff orts of a small group of people.”

Barbara RouecheSenior Manager Marketi ng Communicati onsTroy-Bilt

“Lowe’s enjoys serving our communiti es with convenient recycling locati ons for plasti c bags, rechargeable batt eries, compact fl uorescent bulbs and plasti c pots from plants we sell. See our progress at Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.”

Michael ChenardDirector of Corporate Sustainability Lowe’s

What is the action you take to keep America beautiful

“I use the many opportuniti es I have as Lieutenant Governor to speak to groups across Louisiana about the importance of making the “Sportsman’s Paradise” look like it sounds. I stress the importance of litt er free highways, byways and waterways in promoti ng our state to tourists and potenti al investors. I also personally parti cipate in cleanup sessions and recruit elected offi cials for the Leaders Against Litt er program.”

Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne Louisiana

“In Phoenix, there’s not just one acti on we’re taking to keep our community beauti ful – there are many. Since taking offi ce, I’ve set a goal to divert 40 percent of waste from city landfi lls by 2020; we’ve invested in 500 miles of bike lanes and paths; and PHX Renews brought together a coaliti on of 16 local businesses and non-profi ts to transform the city’s vacant lots into more sustainable projects – a ground-breaking eff ort praised by President Bill Clinton. Phoenix is bringing residents together to improve our community and make it a more beauti ful place for everyone.”

Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix, AZ

“Every day, I try to fi nd a way to clean up our community, whether it’s picking up trash as I walk Downtown or fi nding new ways Macon-Bibb can support groups working to clean up neighborhoods. In 2013, we began a new program through our Public Works Department that removed more than 150,000 pounds of trash and debris from our major roads and intersecti ons. Now, we are developing a program to keep our interstate interchanges – the gateways into our city – clean and landscaped. “

Mayor Robert Reichert Macon-Bibb County, GA

? “The one thing I do to Keep America Beauti ful is build relati onships to inspire, moti vate and partner with others to work toward the common goal of creati ng vibrant communiti es. I have learned that no matt er how passionate I am nor how hard I work, I cannot Keep America Beauti ful alone. It’s essenti al to create relati onships and inspire others of all ages to preserve the beauty of our community.”

Laura Howard, Executi ve Director, Keep Sevier Beauti ful, Sevier, TN

Visit kab.org or facebook.com/KeepAmericaBeautiful

“For over a decade, I have used my car as a means of conveying the importance of not litt ering, whether at home or away. From my personalized license plate of “LITERNOT” to the magneti c sign on the back of my car stati ng that “Cigarett e Butt s are Litt er”, I am able to spread the message daily. Behaviors can be changed and I’m proud of the opportunity to remind the public that they can and do make a diff erence.”

Brenda EwadingerExecuti ve Director, Keep NC Beauti fulKAB State Leader Council member

Visit kab.org or facebook.com/KeepAmericaBeautifulVisit kab.org or facebook.com/KeepAmericaBeautiful

“In Phoenix, there’s not just one acti on we’re taking to keep our community beauti ful – there are many. Since taking offi ce, I’ve set a goal to divert 40 percent of waste from city landfi lls by 2020; we’ve invested in 500 miles of bike lanes and paths; and PHX

Your community matters. Take action. kab.org

Keep America Beautiful transforms public spaces in to beautiful places.