Keep California Beautiful Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Clean California KCB manages the community and youth programs statewide for Clean California, an initiative of the Governors Office managed by Caltrans. We are a subcontractor with Sagent Marketing and a group of media partners developing awareness of litter prevention and community beautification. As part of a multi-pronged marketing campaign, KCB has recruited over communities to take the pledge to become designated communities and to guide them in completing at least 10 of 15 criteria to achieve the designation. The goal is to have up to 200 communities pledge by June 2026 and 100 complete the process. KCB created extensive outreach lists of potential partners, including cities, towns, counties, municipal districts, military bases, neighborhood groups, school districts, houses of worship areas, community group service areas, business improvement districts, watershed groups, and other unincorporated entities. KCB developed training materials, workshops, networking opportunities, online tools, and reporting to assist communities. The team provides ongoing opportunities for engagement and recognition. KCB developed K-12 educational materials and managed a $125,000 microgrant program, distributing funds to 750 educators and schools. Additionally, KCB created and managed a 2-year K-12 multimedia contest to encourage youth to design posters or videos to boost the Clean California message that Zero Litter is the Goal and Just One Piece Can Ruin the Picture. KCB also designed and implemented a research project to determine the effectiveness of litter infrastructure interventions, such as trash cans, recycling bins, ash receptacles, landscaping, and community gardens, in changing littering behavior. KCB distributed funding to the sites to purchase the intervention and conducted year-long monitoring, recording an overall reduction in litter across all sites. Project Highlights202 Pledged Communities and 83 Completed as of 4.1.26Distributed 750 microgrants to educators to educate over 50,000 youth in litter prevention and 12 infrastructure grants to communities. (April 2024 - April 2025)1000+ community-based organizations engaged.With funding received from KAB for reimbursement from Caltrans and Iheart.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 76.8%; rating input score 77
• Program expense ratio: 91%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 75.5%; rating input score 76; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 15.6%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.51; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 20.4%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 134.6% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 19.4% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 21.8% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings