Policy Toolkit

Grassroots Toolkit: Spread the News of the Enhanced Easement Incentive

Congress recently renewed the enhanced tax deduction for conservation easement donations through December 31, 2013!  That gives us just 12 months to educate potential easement donors about this important conservation tool and persuade Congress to make it permanent!

The Alliance has created this Grassroots Outreach Toolkit to assist land trusts with educating potential easement donors, elected officials and the media about this powerful incentive.  By acting fast, farmers, ranchers and other landowners an receive full credit for conserving their land and will demonstrate the value of this incentive to policy makers.  The toolkit provides the information needed to reach out to key audiences in a timely, cost-effective way.

Media Outreach | Inform Landowners | Host an Event | Thank Congress

NEW: Alert your 2012 easement donors that the law has changed!

Publicize the Incentive via the Media and Your Newsletter

• Talking Points on the enhanced easement incentive
• Sample press release announcing easement incentive renewal
• Sample newsletter article
• Sample letter to the editor
• Sample op-ed for your local newspaper

Share the News with Potential Easement Donors

• Our "Using the Conservation Tax Incentive" brochure has been updated for 2013. Please share this brochure with your donors. Additionally, you'll find much of the brochure's content has been updated on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
• A sample two-page fact sheet that you can customize for potential easement donors
• A Wall Street Journal story you can share about the incentive: Tax Breaks for Land Preservation. But Hurry.
  

Host an Event to Inform Potential Easement Donors & Elected Officials

• Tips for hosting a local public education event
• A sample event flyer
• A sample event media advisory
• A sample invitation letter for elected officials
• Prefer to simply invite your Rep. to visit a conserved property? View our guide to hosting that kind of visit.

Thank Your Members of Congress for Renewing the Incentive

• A sample thank you from your organization to Members of Congress
• A sample thank you letter for your easement donors to send to their Representatives
• Sample email for forwarding press clips to Congress
• A dozen more ideas for saying thank you

Please feel free to adjust any of these pieces to your particular communications needs.  Should you require further assistance or to suggest we add another resource, please don’t hesitate to e-mail Policy@lta.org.  For complete coverage and technical details regarding the enhanced incentive and it's renewal, visit www.lta.org/easementincentive.

Thank you for helping to spread the word on this great opportunity to support conservation!