Lilly Endowment, Inc. funds KIB to tackle litter

By: KIB

Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) a $3.78 million grant to mobilize efforts to clean up litter along several busy streets and waterways in Indianapolis, furthering KIB’s mission to create and maintain vibrant public places where people and nature thrive.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) has been tackling litter in our city with impactful litter abatement programs in partnership with the City of Indianapolis, through the Great Indy Cleanup and Adopt-a-Block programs. Through these programs, millions upon millions of pounds of litter have been removed from public spaces in Indianapolis. However, litter is still present – and in fact pervasive – in some areas.

Removing litter in these locations – especially along thoroughfares with heavy vehicular traffic and along the White River and its tributaries – requires special equipment and a different approach. This grant will enable KIB to clean up these and other similar areas that have been previously inaccessible and develop a long-term strategy for their upkeep.

Among the thoroughfares that KIB will address are 38th Street, Raymond Street and Keystone Avenue. These new efforts will build upon KIB’s Adopt-A-Block and neighborhood clean-up events, which have been signature programs of KIB’s five decades of commitment to Indianapolis.

“The presence of litter along our busy roads actually encourages more people to litter, since people may not feel bad littering if they see others have littered already. Conversely, cleaner streets stay cleaner, and that’s our focus,” said Jeremy Kranowitz, President and CEO of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

This grant will support litter removal efforts through 2025, and involve a number of local partners, including the city, Keys2Work, the White River Alliance, and Friends of the White River.

“We are pleased to help expand and enhance KIB’s ongoing efforts to beautify Indianapolis, including the removal of unsightly litter,” said Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development. “KIB and its partners are well positioned to make progress on this important issue. We hope these efforts will encourage others to work to reduce litter to improve our community’s quality of life.”

“We can’t wait to work with KIB,” said Glenn Johnson, Executive Director of Keys2Work. “This is a partnership that will be important to the citizens re-entering the workforce, and to the quality of life for everyone in Indy.”

About Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB)

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization with a mission to engage diverse communities to create vibrant public places, helping people and nature thrive. To learn more, visit www.kibi.org or follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @kibiorg.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis. The Endowment was created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons – Eli and J.K. Jr. – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Categories: Clean Neighborhoods, News & Features, Partners