New Mexico Clean and Beautiful Grant

The New Mexico Clean and Beautiful Grant Program, administered by the New Mexico Tourism Department, operates under the authority of the state's Litter Control and Beautification Act. This legislation empowers the department to mitigate litter issues and beautify the state through strategic funding. The Clean and Beautiful Grant aligns with the broader Keep America Beautiful initiative, which emphasizes public education, beautification, and environmental stewardship. Its overarching goal is to enhance community aesthetics, promote sustainability, and support civic engagement across the state. The grant supports a wide range of projects that fall under five major goals: ending littering, reducing waste, beautifying communities, empowering youth, and increasing program capacity. These goals are further broken down into actionable objectives, such as providing access to proper waste disposal, increasing recycling capabilities, creating sustainable landscapes, engaging youth in service and leadership, and supporting volunteer recruitment. Eligible projects may include green space improvements, graffiti eradication, sustainable park design, and composting efforts. Activities must directly align with at least one of these stated goals and objectives. Eligibility is limited to governmental entities within New Mexico, including municipalities, counties, tribal governments, and other units of government in good standing with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. Keep America Beautiful affiliation is not required. While funding may support youth employment or internships, certain rules apply: interns must be aged 14 to 25, paid at least minimum wage, and supported by notarized verification forms. Collaboration with nonprofits or school districts is permitted if substantiated with signed agreements or attestations outlining responsibilities. Labor, in general, is not reimbursable unless tied to youth subcontractors. Awarded funds are disbursed in two phases. An initial 50% payment is made upon execution of the grant agreement and submission of the Initial Disbursement Invoice. The final 50% is reimbursed at the end of the project following submission of a Final Reimbursement Request Packet, which must include financial documentation, youth employment verification (if applicable), and supporting materials such as invoices and proof of payment. Final metrics and volunteer documentation are also due by July 1, 2027. Only expenses aligned with approved goals and explicitly allowed by the program will be reimbursed. Items such as non-recycled benches, lighting, food, ongoing maintenance, and labor (except youth labor) are explicitly ineligible. The program mandates a 25% match from awardees, which may be fulfilled through in-kind contributions or monetary donations. Donated services or goods, government staff time, and volunteer hours may all be used to calculate this match, with proper documentation required. The value of volunteer time should be calculated using the Independent Sector’s applicable state rate unless specific professional service values apply. Applications and all required reporting are submitted via the Survey Monkey Apply portal. Forms and guidelines are accessible through the program’s online resource page. Ongoing support and technical assistance are available by contacting the Tourism Department at [email protected]. Partners are required to submit quarterly reports, participate in a mid-point meeting by December 30, 2026, and adhere to all stipulated compliance requirements throughout the performance period, which concludes in mid-2027.