Money’s available to help groups make Iowa Beautiful

If you or your group are interested in helping keep Iowa clean, the Iowa Department of Transportation now has money available for you projects. the D-O-T’s Mary Christy says the money is from the first year of the “Keep Iowa Beautiful” tax checkoff. She says organizations are groups interested in getting some of the money must file an application that’s available at the D-O-t’s website. She says the exact criteria for the program won’t be completed until March, but there are some general guidelines set down in the law that created the checkoff.She says it has to be a project that will somehow beautify an area of the state, from cleaning up litter to painting. Christy says there’s not limit to the amount of money a group can be awarded. She says the only limit is the amount of money raised in the checkoff. Christy says around 55-thousand dollars was raised in the first year of the checkoff. Christy says anyone in the state can help when they fill out their Iowa taxes. She says you can help others by donating some money in the checkoff when you do your taxes. Christy says March 31st is the deadline for groups to apply for the funds.