WHO WE ARE
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) is an environmental and community nonprofit with a mission to help people and nature thrive. We're an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., a national organization dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and environment in American communities.
We believe in shared responsibility, and we know that sustainability starts with love. So we engage and empower citizens of all ages and backgrounds to take action. From tree planting to block-by-block cleanups, we roll up our sleeves to keep Indianapolis beautiful and make our city proud-both today and for generations.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to engage diverse communities to create vibrant public places, helping people and nature thrive.
WHAT WE DO
We work with neighbors and volunteers to plant trees and native landscapes, create community spaces, pick up litter, and engage students of all ages in nature. Each year, KIB supports over 800 community projects with nearly 20,000 volunteers. For over 40 years, we've partnered with neighbors, the public sector, and Indianapolis community groups and businesses to achieve our vision of a beautiful city.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to engage diverse communities to create vibrant public places, helping people and nature thriveTM.
OUR VISION
We see a beautiful Indianapolis that is loved, cared for, and ecologically rich. A city defined by strong neighborhoods, inspired places, and a clean, flourishing environment. We will engage and empower people to improve environmental equity throughout the city.
STRATEGIC PLAN SUMMARY
In February 2021, the Board of Directors of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) approved the organization’s next Strategic Plan, covering the next four years (2021 – 2024). The guiding principle of this plan is a focus on improving environmental equity in Indianapolis.
A data-driven analysis has shown that some neighborhoods in Indianapolis have access to fewer environmental benefits like trees, green space, and clean streets than others. KIB will work alongside residents to thoughtfully deploy resources that aim to improve equitable access to these benefits.
The Plan includes three key goals:
- To improve access to environmental benefits, so people can thrive in nature. This includes not only improving access to existing and new green spaces and waterways, but also improving biodiversity. KIB will focus not only on reducing the amount of litter, but also to reduce the act of littering in the first place.
- To broaden neighborhood representation and community input into our organization’s decision making. KIB will create new community stakeholder groups to give voice and agency to different neighborhoods, to increase education, and create awareness. Community members will have influence on KIB’s decisions about where and how to bring our resources to a neighborhood.
- To ensure long-term sustainability of the organization. KIB will work toward diversifying its income sources, build cash reserves, and increase endowment dollars to support the first two goals.
Every year thousands of volunteers join KIB's core staff in programs and projects that make a big difference, from cleaner streets to tree-filled parks.
We can't wait for you to get involved!
Community Forestry: Plant a tree with us.
Youth Tree Team: Youth learn tree maintenance and job skills.
AES Indiana Project GreenSpace: Create community-driven pocket parks.
Urban Naturalists: Young adults restore habitats & gain green-collar job skills.
Adopt-A-Block: Get supplies, resources, and support to clean up your block.
Great Indy Cleanup: Organize litter cleanups, murals, plants, and more.
Native Landscapes: Remove invasive plants and plant Indiana-native flowers and shrubs.
Volunteer: Join us at a public project, become a Tree Tender or Ambassador, organize a custom day or service.
OUR ROOTS
In 1976, Mayor Bill Hudnut created the Indianapolis Clean City Committee to reduce litter and clean city streets. That little government office became an independent nonprofit in 1981 and changed its name to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful in 1997 to better reflect its efforts in the community.
KIB is woven into the fabric of this city, and truly thousands of volunteers could tell our story in a myriad of ways. While much of the work we do today differs compared to our first days in 1976, we've preserved our essence while regularly stimulating progress toward the thriving of Indy's people, its neighborhoods, and its environment.
GREEN HEADQUARTERS
Our office is a testament to our mission. We turned an old warehouse, which was once slated for demolition, into an eco-friendly home away from home. In 2009, we became the first civic nonprofit in Indiana to have our building LEED Gold Certified by the US Green Building Council! We have wind turbines, a cistern to collect stormwater, rain gardens, a pervious pavement parking lot (which lets water filter through), and a sunny atrium filled with native plants. We topped it all off with a green roof. We're even dog friendly!
KIB staff estimated we spent 350 hours each year driving between various office sites before moving into our new home on Fletcher Avenue. Because of the building's green strategies, KIB saves at least $7,500 annually on utility bills. KIB's landscaping and hardscaping keep 247,000 gallons of stormwater from entering and polluting the city's combined sewer system. Waterless urinals help reduce our water usage by 7,000 gallons per year. Formerly a brownfield and abandoned warehouse, KIB's building is an investment in a culture-rich neighborhood.
KIB worked with Rooftop Greenworks to install an Omni Ecosystems Comprehensive Green Roof in June of 2014. With its completion, KIB now has the third largest green roof in Indianapolis at roughly 14,400 sq. ft.
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws, not excluding or treating differently based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, gender, citizenship, or disability. Read the full notice below.
