Apply for Grants to Support Innovative Community Litter Solutions

By:

NLC Partnerships

October 29, 2026 - (3 min read)

Authored by Jennifer Silberman, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Dollar Tree

Across the country, local leaders are finding creative ways to reduce litter, improve public spaces and build stronger communities. Now, Keep America Beautiful and Dollar Tree want to recognize and support those efforts.

The Keep America Beautiful Love Our Community Recognition Award, funded by Dollar Tree, will provide $50,000 in grants to three communities that demonstrate innovative, effective approaches to reducing litter and creating cleaner, more beautiful places to live and work.

The award recognizes the important role mayors, county commissioners and other elected local leaders play in addressing community challenges and turning promising ideas into action.

Applications are open through Nov. 6 for communities of all sizes to receive funding and national recognition for innovative approaches to litter prevention.

Three Awards. Communities of All Sizes.

The program will recognize three communities based on population:

$25,000 – Large Community: Population over 250,000
$15,000 – Medium Community: Population 100,001–250,000
$10,000 – Small Community: Population 100,000 or less

In addition to funding, award recipients will receive national recognition at the 2027 Keep America Beautiful Summit in Savannah, Ga., in February.

The award is open to local elected officials and communities nationwide, including those without an existing affiliation with Keep America Beautiful.

Turning Local Ideas into Lasting Impact

The award builds on findings from Keep America Beautiful’s 2026 National Litter Study and recognizes the importance of locally driven, data-informed approaches to addressing litter.

By highlighting innovative solutions already underway, the program aims to help communities expand what’s working, share lessons learned and inspire similar efforts across the country.

“Cities and communities across the country are developing creative solutions to address litter, and we want to help bring those ideas to life. We encourage mayors and local leaders to apply for the Love Our Community Recognition Award, share what’s working in their communities, and help inspire approaches that can make a lasting difference nationwide.”

– Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO, Keep America Beautiful

The award is part of a broader national partnership between Keep America Beautiful and Dollar Tree focused on reducing litter, improving public spaces and bringing people together to care for their communities. The partnership also supports the Greatest American Cleanup, volunteer engagement events in 25 Dollar Tree markets and the Litter Solution Grant Program.

Is Your Community Leading the Way?

Whether your community is testing a new approach to litter prevention or expanding a successful local initiative, this is an opportunity to share your work, gain national recognition and secure funding to advance your efforts.

Visit the NLC Strategic Partnerships page to learn more about organizations like Dollar Tree dedicated to making NLC the premier resource for local governments.

Apply for the Love Our Community Recognition Award

Mayors, county commissioners and other local elected leaders are encouraged to explore the award and help demonstrate how local action can inspire lasting change nationwide. Applications close Nov. 6, 2026.

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