"Keep Irving Beautiful? Oh yeah, you do cleanups." We hear that a lot at Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB), the local affiliate of both Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, but we are so much more than that. KIB serves a diverse population of approximately 240,000 residents and a dynamic, engaged corporate community of more than 9,000 busines...

​Gracias! Merci! Danke! No matter how you say it, "thank you" is the easiest and most powerful statement you can say to your volunteers. A simple thank you can solidify the positive experience they had with you and not only keep them coming back, but they will bring their friends, too. Thank you can make the difference between feeling appreciated a...

Now that you have recruited a database full of fabulous volunteers, how do you keep them coming back for more? Recruitment can be time consuming and you definitely don't want to start over every time you need volunteers. Make sure you keep notes on who you contacted and collect contact information from all of your participating volunteers.This will...

September 22 is the official start of Fall. Cooler weather is in the forecast and it's a great time to get outside and improve your community! We've got you covered with our Second Annual Fall Sweep supply package. Schedule an event in your area and get FREE bags and gloves from Keep Texas Beautiful! ​There are many ways to get involved in Fall Swe...

Many of you have asked KTB staff how to get more youth involved in your organization. Some of you have adult volunteers that may not be as familiar with technology and social media. Others are concerned about sustainability and passing your hard work and passion on to future generations. Let's face it, none of us are getting any younger and if...

A lot of my presentations focus on recruiting large numbers of volunteers for a big event. This is popular and important information, but I want to stop and recognize that many of you also utilize individual volunteers.These individuals often form strong relationships with your staff and the community. This includes your board members and...

A Texas-sized thank you for your interest in the Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) volunteer program! We are always in need of volunteers willing to go the extra two miles to keep our roadways litter free. For over 30 years, the Texas -born program has encouraged citizens to showcase their pride by removing unsightly litter from state-maintained roadways. In f...

​UPDATE: Event rescheduled due to rain.  Summer is almost over, so what better way to close it out than to help clean the beaches that bore the brunt of our summer vacations? Mark your calendar for the 32nd annual coast wide Fall Beach Cleanup on Saturday, October 6 at 30 sites along the coast. This year our fall cleanup coincides with th...

Even with an MBA, I found myself stumped when asked as a volunteer to explain the value of a playground in economic terms. It's difficult to reconcile the beauty of a park placed within an ancient pecan grove, a dirt trail that follows a natural creek bed, with a new slide on aging playground equipment. But I know that kids love playgrounds, I know...

 On National Planting Day, September 9, 2017, Keep Texas Beautiful in partnership with AEP Texas awarded six affiliate communities the Native Garden Grant to create and maintain a native plant demonstration garden. They were: Keep Alpine Beautiful, Keep Cleburne Beautiful, Keep Gatesville Beautiful, Keep Grapevine Beautiful, Keep Hut...