Local Organization Recognized for Exemplary Performance, Standard of Excellence
March 2, 2015
Keep the Midlands Beautiful Earns Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle Award Recognition
COLUMBIA, SC – Keep the Midlands Beautiful received a Keep America Beautiful’s President Circle Award at the annual Keep America Beautiful (KAB) National Awards Dinner, held during the recent 2015 KAB National Conference in Washington, D.C. The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance made by certified affiliates of the national nonprofit in building and sustaining vibrant communities.
In qualifying for a President’s Circle Award, Keep the Midlands Beautiful has met KAB’s standards of merit by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index, calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio, and administering activities in the areas of litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification and community greening. Established in 1953, KAB consists of a national network of more than 600 community-based affiliates whose programs, initiatives and efforts aim to transform public spaces into beautiful places.
“One of Keep America Beautiful’s most effective tools is the work of our grassroots network of affiliate organizations, which has an impact on millions of Americans each year,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Jehn. “Our affiliates are providing real solutions that help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.”
Community Appearance Index-Litter Index: The KAB Community Appearance Index-Litter Index is a tool used by KAB affiliates to visually assess overall appearance of communities through indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti, abandoned/junk vehicles and outside storage. A team of community, business and government representatives conducted the visual analysis using a scoring system ranging from 1-4, with “1” rated as “no litter” to “4” being “extremely littered.” Each year, affiliates grade their communities during a drive-by examination of the same areas at the same time of the year. This provides an indication of the success of each community’s anti-littering education and other anti-littering programs.
Cost/Benefit Analysis: This measurement tool enables KAB affiliates to demonstrate their ability to leverage community resources by determining the dollar value returned to the community for every dollar invested by government.
“Keep the Midlands Beautiful is honored to once again be recognized nationally for our efforts. We strive to make a difference in our community and know that our volunteers are the reason we continue to achieve our goals and make the Midlands a cleaner, greener community. We will continue to educate our community to stop littering, start recycling and caring for their surroundings” said Jacqueline Buck, Executive Director of Keep the Midlands Beautiful.
Keep America Beautiful’s National Conference, KAB’s premier educational and networking event, brings together KAB’s national network of state and local affiliate directors, business leaders, policymakers and other national experts who focus on framing new ideas and strategies to build and sustain vibrant communities.
