Happy New Year!

Keep Iowa Beautiful is kicking off 2026 with so many exciting things! At the top of that list, three of our programs supporting Iowans and Iowa communities have application deadlines coming up: Hometown Pride, our annual Scholarship program and Paint Iowa Beautiful.

Additionally, we are in the midst of judging our annual photo contest and creating our annual report. We can't wait to share the results of both with you.

Lastly, we are working internally to take our programs to the next level in 2026! Our staff and board of directors are activating our new 3-year strategic plan and we are joining forces with Em3rge Marketing of Manning to share the work we do in a bigger way.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of the work we do!

With gratitude,

The Keep Iowa Beautiful Team

Take the first step toward building a brighter future for your town!

Join the ranks of communities across Iowa who have seen economic and cultural improvement through the Hometown Pride program.

Participating groups are provided with five years of funding toward hiring a professional “community coach,” who will work with a committee of resident volunteers to run a successful community improvement program in each town.

Interested communities can submit a statement of interest by February 6, 2026. 

Before you begin, contact Lorin Ditzler at lditzler@keepiowabeautiful.com to see if Hometown Pride is a good fit and to learn more about the process.

Hometown Pride: 2025 Year in Review

Keep Iowa Beautiful's Hometown Pride committees were hard at work in 2025!

Across 66 reporting towns, we had 1,466 volunteers complete 200 projects and raise more than $3.8 million dollars. Volunteers dedicated an estimated 21,500 hours to Hometown Pride activities. The economic value of this volunteer impact is roughly $749,000!!! 

The 200 completed projects included new parks and trails, public art, community events, beautification efforts and much more!

Below are just a few examples of the wide variety of projects that Hometown Pride volunteers completed in 2025.

Keep Iowa Beautiful awards scholarships each year to Iowa high school seniors who plan to enroll in an Iowa college or university.

This year, we are awarding three $1,000 scholarships. Students with a strong record of volunteer service and community leadership are encouraged to apply.

You can visit the Keep Iowa Beautiful Scholarship page for more details. Applications are due January 31, 2026.

Know an Iowa High School senior who might be eligible? Please pass this newsletter on to them!