Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful
About Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful turns everyday local care into visible work, like cleanups, recycling, and education across Reno, Sparks, and the Truckee River watershed. It is the kind of organization that gives residents, businesses, schools, and volunteers a straightforward way to show up for the place they live. If you want your support to help with trash, trees, weeds, and the basics of keeping shared spaces cared for, KTMB keeps that work close to home.
KTMB does more than organize a cleanup day. It also offers recycling, sustainability education, and a green business program, all through one local organization. Its work shows up in parks, river corridors, neighborhoods, schools, and businesses across the Truckee Meadows.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Adopt-A-Spot
Businesses and community groups can adopt a park, an open space, or a spot along the Truckee River for ongoing cleanups, with KTMB coordinating tools and trash pickup.
Community Clean-Up Program
Businesses or groups can organize a one-time cleanup in a public park, open space, or along a river site, and KTMB provides tools and supplies.
Great Community Cleanup
An annual spring cleanup focused on illegal dump sites, trash, noxious weeds, and beautification projects across the Truckee Meadows.
Truckee River Cleanup
An annual cleanup along the Truckee River Corridor and tributaries that includes litter pickup, graffiti removal, storm-drain stenciling, weed pulling, park beautification, and in-river trash removal.
Christmas Tree Recycling Program
An annual program that gives residents an alternative to sending trees to the landfill or dumping them in the desert, and turns collected trees into mulch for weed abatement and park beautification.
Community Education
Adult sustainability presentations and awareness talks on reducing waste, conserving water, preventing the spread of weeds, and becoming a certified green business in Nevada.
Warriors Youth Education
Standards-aligned learning modules for children and youth that grew out of KTMB’s Waste Warriors education program.
Nevada Green Business Program
A free program for office and retail businesses in Reno and Sparks that supports certification as a green business with a checklist, guidance, and resources.
Illegal Dumping Prevention
Educational resources that explain illegal dumping, offer alternatives and recycling guidance, and provide reporting information for active dumping and cleanup needs.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to creating a more sustainable and beautiful region through waste reduction, education, and active community involvement.
Who they serve
Residents, businesses, community groups, schools, and volunteers in the Truckee Meadows, including Reno and Sparks.
Their impact
- 5,306 volunteers participated in KTMB’s 2024-25 cleanup work.
- 81 tons of waste were removed in 2024-25.
- 75.3 tons of green waste were removed in 2024-25.
- 7,653 Christmas trees were recycled in 2024-25.
- 5,409 community members were educated through adult sustainability presentations, outreach events, and workshops.
- 1,059 K-12 students were educated through youth education programs.
- In the IRS filing, 4,811 volunteers removed 180.15 tons of trash and green waste, planted 3,161 trees and plants, removed 373 tires, and stenciled 125 storm drains.
How your donation helps
- community cleanups
- environmental education programs
- waste reduction efforts
- Christmas Tree Recycling
- Adopt-A-Spot supplies and coordination
- workshops and outreach events
Our story
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful began in 1989 as Western Nevada Clean Communities, started by the Biggest Little City Committee. It got its first momentum through Adopt-A-Park, which brought citizens into hands-on volunteer work to spruce up parks and the Truckee River. From there, it grew into a separate affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and added early efforts like Phone Book Recycling in 1991, the Nevada Keep it Clean Campaign in 1992, Christmas Tree Recycling in 1993, Adopt-A-Spot roadside litter cleanup in 1994, and graffiti hotline work that later evolved into Reno Direct and 329-DUMP in 1997.
Events
Great Community Cleanup
annualAnnual spring cleanup and beautification effort across the Truckee Meadows.
Truckee River Cleanup
annualAnnual cleanup along the Truckee River Corridor and its tributaries.
Christmas Tree Recycling
annualAnnual holiday recycling program for residential Christmas trees.
Raise the River Fundraiser
annualAnnual fundraising event held on the patios of the National Automobile Museum.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful has shared.
Current needs
- raffle prizes
- snacks for volunteers
- equipment and items for cleanups and events
Volunteer opportunities
- Organize a one-time cleanup with a business or group
- Adopt a park, open space, or Truckee River spot for year-round cleanups
- Volunteer for the Great Community Cleanup
- Volunteer for the Truckee River Cleanup
- Volunteer for Christmas Tree Recycling
- Help with Raise the River set-up, guest check-in, dinner service, and post-event cleanup
Recognition & press
Awards & recognition
- Best Green Nonprofit by Reno News & Review, 2010, 2011, and 2012
- Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Silver Star Award, 1997 and 2007
- Golden Pinecone Award, 1993 and 2006
- Nevada Recreation & Park Society Program Excellence Award
- 2018 Governor’s Points of Light Awards
- 2019 Golden Pinecone Sustainability Award for Nonprofit
- Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency
- Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle Award
- Community Foundation of Western Nevada 100% Giving Board Award, 12 years in a row
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How does Adopt-A-Spot work?
Businesses and community groups can adopt a park, an open space, or a spot along the Truckee River. KTMB provides the tools and helps coordinate trash pickup, and adopters complete at least two cleanups a year for a minimum two-year period.
What happens during a community clean-up?
A business or group can set up a one-time cleanup in a public park, open space, or river site. KTMB provides the tools and supplies, and the group brings the volunteers.
What topics are covered in KTMB’s community education presentations?
The presentations cover reducing waste, conserving water, preventing the spread of weeds, and becoming a certified green business in Nevada.
How does Christmas Tree Recycling help the community?
It gives residents a place to take trees instead of sending them to the landfill or dumping them in the desert. The collected trees are chipped into mulch that gets used for weed abatement and park beautification projects.
How do businesses join the Nevada Green Business Program?
Businesses in Reno and Sparks can register for free, get a checklist, and work with KTMB’s Green Business Advisor for free help, resources, and review.