Establish a KAB Affiliate in Your Community
The Keep America Beautiful System is a tested, practical way to educate citizens in a community. Offered to certified local communities, Keep America Beautiful provides training for community leaders to properly define problems through analysis, develop benchmarks for determining future successes, and set priorities for organizational development and community involvement.
Recent studies show that, on average, a Keep America Beautiful System community reduces litter by 48% three years after it is organized and realizes an average of $10.00 in benefits for every public dollar invested in the program.
Here's how you can establish a KAB affiliate in your Georgia community:
Step 1: Gain Community-wide Support
Complete an Application for Certification
Your sponsoring organization or local government submits an application to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. on behalf of your community. Included with the application is a letter from your highest ranking public official(s) endorsing the formation of a local KAB affiliate.Payment of a one-time Certification Fee
A certification fee accompanies the application and is paid to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. based on your community's population. This one-time fee supports the development of your KAB affiliate, including the training of your community representatives at a one-day pre-certification workshop, and a field visit by a KAB National Trainer to assist your local leaders and officially certify your program.Community-wide Support
A team leader, the primary contact during the establishment of your KAB affiliate, is identified, and representatives from government, businesses, and the community are invited to form the pre-certification team.Step 2: Pre-certification
Pre-certification Workshop
Your selected community representatives (pre-certification team) attend a one-day training workshop to learn how to adapt KAB's methods to your community. The team is given step-by-step instruction from a KAB professional trainer and receives materials to complete the certification process.Complete Keep America Beautiful Certification Requirements
After the workshop, the pre-certification team is charged with completing the following certification requirements: creating the KAB affiliate organizational structure and inviting community leaders to serve as the affiliate board of directors/committee/commission; securing an executive director; meeting administrative needs; and completing KAB's fact gathering studies, the Litter Index, and Litter/Solid Waste Survey.Step 3: Certification
Certification Training
Upon completion of the certification requirements, a KAB trainer and your KAB state affiliate leader (if applicable), travel to your community to: conduct the certification meeting and training for your executive director and the newly formed board of directors/committee/commission members; provide guidance in setting the affiliate's first-year program goals, and officially certify your community's KAB affiliate in a public ceremony.Maintaining Certification
Once certified, affiliates are held accountable for program quality by reporting twice yearly to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. The executive director of your affiliate will be responsible for record keeping and providing KAB with statistics regarding program efforts and community involvement in affiliate activities. Affiliates are responsible for calculating an annual cost/benefit analysis using KAB's basic formula, and conducting follow-up Litter Index measurements each year as part of annual reporting to KAB. Payment of an annual network service fee based on population is also required (for information about KAB fees and services please visit the KAB website at http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/KAB_Affiliate_Certification_Fee.pdf?docID=621.To Start the Application Process Contact Us
We would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about the KAB system and provide you with information about the application process. We are also available to make an informative presentation for your local officials and community leaders. Just call Keep Georgia Beautiful at (404) 679-4910 or send us an email lcobb@dca.state.ga.us