environmental finance center university of maryland sustainable financing for land trusts presented...

Environmental Finance CenterUniversity of Maryland

Sustainable Financing for Land Trusts

Presented by Jennifer CottingEnvironmental Finance Center

National Center for Smart Growth University of Maryland

May 19, 2009


What is finance?

Funding vs. Financing

• Funding: acquiring financial resources• Financing: an allocation process that

includes acquiring, investing, and managing fiscal resources

Goal: increase return on investment


Sustainable Financing

Effective financing strategies:

•Community-based

•Integrated

•Mirror the resourceCourtesy of www.baltimorecountymd.gov


Sustainable Financing

Significance for Land Trusts

• Unique responsibility

• Organizational capacity

• Implementation capacity


Components of a Financing Strategy

Revenue Generators• Grants, loans, technical assistance

programs• Sustainable, dedicated revenue streams

Cost Reducers• Effective, enforced regulations• Market-based programs• Coordination with other community

programs and priorities



Organizational Capacity• Cost Reducerso Strategic planningo Board developmento Volunteer efforts

• Revenue Generatorso Fundraisingo Endowment



Implementation Capacity• Cost Reducerso Regulationso Regulatory and voluntary marketso Coordination with community

priorities

• Revenue Generatorso State, federal, private fundso Taxes, fees, surcharges


Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust

•Easement Language

•USDA and EPA grants

•Highway mitigation dollars

•Donor campaigns

•Voluntary programs

•Partnership


Courtesy of Nancy Ailes


Portland Trails

Financing Strategy Examples


Tecumseh Land Trust

•Fee-for-service consulting program in development

•Voluntary donation program in place with local businesses


•Easement language

•Landowner donations support monitoring and stewardship funds

•Clean Ohio Ag Easement Purchase Program

From Clean Ohio


Greenbelt Land Trust


•Donations and memberships

•Stewardship endowment

•Partnerships

•Traditional Easements and land donations

•Bargain Sale of Land

•Tradeland Program


Franklin Land Trust


•Traditional sources of operational income

•Consulting fees

•Partnerships

•Creative financing for land acquisition

Loomis Farm example From FLT Vision 20/20


Land Trust Resources•Land TrustAlliance

www.landtrustalliance.org/resources •Trust for Public Land’s LandVote

www.landvote.org •River Network

www.rivernetwork.org/rn/fundraisingguide •Burlington Associates

www.burlingtonassociates.org/resources •Conservation Fund

www.greeninfrastructure.net •Environmental Finance Center

www.efc.umd.edu/links.html & /publications.html


Successful Financing Strategies

Summary• Community based – incorporating all

stakeholders• Diverse – integrating multiple sources,

mechanisms and institutions• Mirror the resources – considering

multiple landowners, land uses, and land types


Jennifer CottingEnvironmental Finance Center

University of Maryland

National Center for Smart Growth1104 Preinkert Field House

College Park, MD

[email protected]

For Further Information

environmental finance center university of maryland sustainable financing for land trusts presented...

Documents

financing funding

priorities slide

htmlpublications slide

investment slide

land types

land uses

financial resources

clean ohio slide