The Maryland Environmental Trust in partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust are proud to present this year’s Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2025. About $357,000 is available for this year’s grant round.
The Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program awards annual grants to help volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, communities, and land trusts in Maryland support environmental education projects, community stewardship, and the protection of natural resources in urban and rural areas.
This year’s grants include:
- Community stewardship grants for volunteer groups, nonprofits, local governments, and schools;
- Assistance, leadership, and capacity building grants for Maryland’s land trusts; and
- Grants for nonprofits to implement forestry projects on agricultural land.
Funding for the Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants is provided by the Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Department of Natural Resources; the Maryland Department of Transportation; and the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Awards will be announced in March 2026.
“I never cease to be amazed by the high quality of the projects and their meaningful impacts in Maryland’s communities,” said Maryland Environmental Trust Director John Turgeon. “While a modest grants program, it’s a great example of how well-placed resources can build capacity, unlock innovation, and create new opportunities that inspire and engage our communities to protect and care for Maryland’s natural resources.”
Keep Maryland Beautiful was assigned to Maryland Environmental Trust at the Trust’s creation by the state legislature in 1967. The nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Trust administers the program’s grant application and award process.
“From civic organizations to schools to land trusts, this grant program empowers people of all ages from varied spaces to lead environmental projects for their communities,” shared Dr. Jana Davis, president of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “We are excited to support more community groups this year to implement local restoration and stewardship activities that promote the long-term protection of Maryland’s natural resources.”
The following grants are available:
- Community Stewardship Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to schools, nonprofits, and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members (especially children and young adults) in environmental education and stewardship. These grants also support organizations that demonstrate active engagement as defenders of the environment by developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems. $47,000 is available for Community Stewardship Grants.
- Land Trust Assistance Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support programming and innovation, and foster stronger, better-connected land trusts that will protect natural resources and enhance the lives of residents and generations to come. $55,000 is available for Land Trust Assistance Grants.
- Aileen Hughes Grant of up to $5,000 is awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership, and innovation in a conservation project or organization development. $5,000 is available for the Aileen Hughes Grant.
- Tree Planting on Agricultural Land Grants of up to $50,000 are awarded to nonprofits to implement reforestation or afforestation projects on qualifying agricultural land to support Maryland’s efforts in planting and maintaining 5 million trees by 2031. $250,000 is available for Tree Planting on Agricultural Land Grants.
Last year’s awards included 20 grants totaling $238,751 for projects in nine Maryland counties and Baltimore City. The list of the 2025 award recipients is available online.
