Grant Details

The Maryland Environmental Trust in partnership with Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Forever Maryland Foundation presents four Keep Maryland Beautiful grants. Grants through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program help volunteer-based, nonprofit groups, communities and land trusts in Maryland to support environmental education projects, litter removal, citizen stewardship and to protect natural resources in urban and rural areas.

1. Aileen Hughes Grant of up to $5,000 is awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership and innovation in a conservation project. The grant is awarded to the Maryland land trust in recognition of the individual’s efforts and good work. The grant is given annually to honor the late Aileen Hughes, a true leader in the conservation movement.

2. Citizen Stewardship Grant of up to $5,000 is awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members (especially children and young adults) in environmental education and stewardship. These grants also support organizations that demonstrate active engagement as defenders of the environment by developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems. The grants honor the legacy of William S. James, who drafted legislation to create MET, incorporating the activities of the Governor’s Committee to Keep Maryland Beautiful and Margaret Jones, the first executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program.

3. Clean Up & Green Up Maryland Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to local groups and nonprofit organizations to develop community-based leadership and volunteer-based activities to eliminate litter and implement beautification and greening initiatives. This grant was established to encourage community groups and nonprofit organizations statewide to promote neighborhood cleanliness and beautification by increasing litter removal, greening activities, community education, and citizen stewardship.

4. Janice Hollmann Grant of up to $10,000 is awarded to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support community programing and innovation and foster stronger, better connected land trusts. All grants require a 100% match from the land trust of in-kind services and privately raised funds. The grant is given in memory of Janice Hollmann, who exemplified citizen leadership of local land trusts in Maryland.

The objective of the Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant Program is to: encourage a sense of stewardship and personal responsibility for the environment; stimulate a better understanding of environmental issues; help reduce or eliminate a local environmental problem; litter removal; watershed protection; and encourage education about growth management and protection of rural and urban areas and sensitive resources while discouraging sprawl development.