Keep Iowa Beautiful

What Keep Iowa Beautiful does

Keep Iowa Beautiful is a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 2000 by former Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray and civic leader Donald F. Lamberti to improve the vitality of Iowa communities through volunteer-driven enhancement programs. Headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, the organization operates as an official affiliate of the nationally recognized Keep America Beautiful program and serves Iowa communities, local governments, civic leaders, and residents seeking to clean public spaces, enhance amenities, develop local leadership, and foster civic pride.

The organization's core offerings span three program layers: a signature Hometown Pride coaching program that builds long-term community cultural and economic vitality (with 17 new communities added in 2026); clean-up and greening initiatives including Pick-Up Iowa, the Plant Iowa Beautiful grant, and the Paint Iowa Beautiful grant delivered in partnership with paint manufacturer Diamond Vogel; and engagement programming such as the annual Photography Contest (16th edition in 2026 with over 600 entries), the Keep Iowa Beautiful Awards, scholarships, and the A Garden in Every School educational video series. Underlying delivery infrastructure consists of web-based programs, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, online grant and registration systems, and offline volunteer mobilization.

Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events including an annual golf tournament and the Capitol to Corndogs Clean 5K Run; programs, grants, and scholarships are provided to Iowa communities at no cost. The organization holds no venture capital or private equity investment, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and operates solely within the state of Iowa under Executive Director Andy Frantz. High-level governmental support is reflected in Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' annual April proclamation of Keep Iowa Beautiful Month.

Name

Keep Iowa Beautiful

Legal name

Keep Iowa Beautiful

Website

https://keepiowabeautiful.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keep Iowa Beautiful is a Johnston-based statewide nonprofit founded in 2000 that empowers Iowa communities, local governments, and residents to enhance public spaces, foster civic pride, and build local leadership through volunteer-driven programs including Hometown Pride coaching, Pick-Up Iowa cleanups, and beautification grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development & Beautification Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Community beautification programs
• Litter prevention services
• Civic engagement programs
• Community grant programs
• Volunteer mobilization services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Keep Iowa Beautiful empowers Iowa communities through volunteer-driven enhancement programs that combine coaching, cleanup initiatives, and grant-funded beautification projects. The core portfolio centers on the Hometown Pride coaching program (which strengthens long-term cultural and economic vitality), the Pick-Up Iowa community cleanup initiative, and the Plant Iowa Beautiful and Paint Iowa Beautiful grant programs for planting and painting public spaces. Programs are offered at no cost and are funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Keep Iowa Beautiful operates as a statewide nonprofit offering a portfolio of community enhancement programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include Hometown Pride (a coaching program), Pick-Up Iowa (cleanup initiative), and various grant programs (Plant Iowa Beautiful, Paint Iowa Beautiful, Scholarships). These are complemented by engagement programs like the annual Photography Contest, Keep Iowa Beautiful Awards, and the Golf Tournament fundraiser. The organization also provides educational content through publications and the A Garden in Every School video series. The portfolio works together to empower Iowans to create vibrant communities through volunteer-driven enhancement programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hometown Pride

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Rand FisherminorOthers · 17 April 2026Rand Fisher Rural Business Leadership Award presented to Keep Iowa Beautiful recognizing leadership excellence in rural business development.
• Diamond VogelflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Diamond Vogel, a major paint manufacturer, partners with Keep Iowa Beautiful for the Paint Iowa Beautiful grant program. The partnership provides paint grants to communities for downtown improvement projects, with recipients announced annually in April.
• Keep America BeautifulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeep Iowa Beautiful is an official affiliate of the nationally respected Keep America Beautiful program. This affiliation provides the organization with national resources, best practices, and recognition within the community beautification network.
• Governor Kim ReynoldsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa Governor Kim Reynolds annually proclaims April as Keep Iowa Beautiful Month and participates in the annual award ceremony at the Capitol, demonstrating high-level governmental support for the organization's mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Keep America Beautiful: The national parent affiliate of which Keep Iowa Beautiful is a state-level chapter. Both share the anti-litter, beautification, and community-engagement mission, with Keep America Beautiful operating as the umbrella brand and supporting member affiliates nationwide.

Direct peers

• Keep Minnesota Beautiful: A fellow Midwestern Keep America Beautiful state affiliate running analogous beautification, cleanup, and community-pride programs targeting Minnesota communities, mirroring Keep Iowa Beautiful's model.
• Keep Nebraska Beautiful: Another neighboring-state Keep America Beautiful affiliate offering community cleanup, beautification grants, and civic engagement programs in Nebraska—directly comparable in scale, scope, and operating model.
• Keep Missouri Beautiful: Statewide Keep America Beautiful affiliate with parallel programs (community cleanups, beautification grants, awards) operating in Missouri with the same nonprofit, volunteer-driven delivery model.
• Keep Wisconsin Beautiful: Midwestern state-level Keep America Beautiful affiliate providing environmental cleanup, beautification, and education programs in Wisconsin communities, comparable in mission and program mix.
• Keep Indiana Beautiful: Indiana-based affiliate of Keep America Beautiful delivering statewide beautification, greening, and community-engagement programs to cities and towns, structurally parallel to Keep Iowa Beautiful.
• Keep Texas Beautiful: A larger, well-established state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful running an analogous mix of cleanup events, beautification grants, and recognition programs across Texas, with a comparable nonprofit operating model.
• Keep Ohio Beautiful: State-level Keep America Beautiful affiliate running cleanup, beautification, and community engagement programs for Ohio communities using a comparable nonprofit operating model and program portfolio.

Others

• Points of Light: A national nonprofit focused on volunteer mobilization and civic engagement; comparable to Keep Iowa Beautiful at the meta level of volunteer-driven community impact, though operating at national rather than state scope.
• VolunteerMatch: National nonprofit connecting volunteers to opportunities including environmental and community-improvement causes, thematically overlapping with Keep Iowa Beautiful's Pick-Up Iowa and Hometown Pride volunteer programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KeepIowaBeautiful
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keep-iowa-beautiful
• Instagraminstagram.com/keepiowabeautiful
• Xx.com/KeepIABeautiful

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Keep Iowa Beautiful