HomeMy WebLinkAboutLTC 112-2026 Miami Beach Rising Above Grants 2026MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC #112-2026
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
LETTER TO COMMISSION
Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of
Eric Carpenter, City Manager Sue,
March 17, 2026
SUBJECT: Miami Beach Rising Above Grants 2026
I am pleased to announce the selected recipients for the 2026 Miami Beach Rising Above grants.
The grants, totaling $90,000, will be distributed to philanthropic organizations for environmental projects and programs that help promote sustainability, marine resource protection and
stewardship.
The competitive grant process is held every two-years and is made possible through the Boucher Brothers Miami Beach, LLC Public Beachfront Concession Agreement and the Waste Contract
Agreement. These agreements include value-added enhancements to support environmental
organizations and their work in Miami Beach. A summary of the 2024 grants was prepared by a student intern and is included as Attachment A.
A selection committee comprised of City staff evaluated applications utilizing scoring guidelines
that address the following criteria: applicant experience, project benefit, metrics and data, community impact, project budget and priority alignment.
•Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center -Students Explore Green
Infrastructure ($17,400)o The Biscayne Nature Center has been offering quality, memorable, and exciting
environmental education programming for over 40 years. Through this grant, the
Biscayne Nature Center will host 450 Miami Beach students through their Nature BuildsResilience program, exploring local resilient natural systems -mangrove forests,
seagrass meadows, and coastal dunes. These immersive trips will includetransportation, meals and equipment for participating children.
•Clean Miami Beach -Educational Programs Inspiring Environmental Stewardship($15,256)
o Clean Miami Beach is dedicated to keeping our community and natural habitats free of
garbage and harmful pollutants, with a focus on single-use plastics. Their goal is toteach residents and educate the youth on how everyone can reuse, re-purpose, and
reduce the consumption of plastic. Through this grant, Clean Miami Beach will host ten
(10)Classroom on the Sand (COTS) events, four (4) Microplastic Art Workshops(MAWS), and two (2) presentations designed to reinforce sustainable behaviors and
environmental literacy.
•Debris Free Oceans -Transforming Events into Platforms for Sustainable Practices and
Community Education ($13,600)
o Debris Free Oceans inspires local communities to responsibly manage the life cycle ofplastics and waste as part of a global initiative to eradicate marine debris from ourbeaches, reefs, and oceans. In collaboration with Ascendance Sustainable Events,