Assessing Your Organization

While there are many different types of organizational assessments, Assessing Your Organization (AYO) is designed for land trusts and other groups that wish to evaluate their progress toward implementing Land Trust Standards and Practices. The completed AYO provides the land trust with a snapshot in time.  It includes a numerical ranking for each of the 88 practices followed by a series of questions to help land trust personnel determine where the organization currently falls on a scale of 1 to 4.

Improve Practices

Once areas for improvement have been identified through the AYO, a land trust can take advantage of the Standards and Practice Curriculum, the most current, authoritative and comprehensive information on private land conservation, to improve its practices.  Authored by some of the best conservation experts in the community, each course in the Standards and Practices Curriculum was put through a rigorous review and pilot process to ensure that land trusts have not only the best information, but that the information represents the diversity of good land trust practices throughout the country.  Each course identifies which practices are covered so land trusts can quickly and easily determine on which courses to focus.

What is the Process?

For all-volunteer and small staffed land trusts, the AYO is best completed by the full board (and staff) with the aid of a trained assessor (an experienced land trust professional or Alliance or local service center staff). Find a list of Alliance-trained assessors by region and guidance on how to select the right consultant for your land trust.  Completing the assessment can take four to six hours, depending on the amount of advance preparation and the detail and depth of dialogue and discussion during the assessment meeting(s).

Land trusts with larger staff use several approaches to completing the assessment.  Some choose to have staff complete the assessment first and then share the results with the board in a facilitated discussion.  In other organizations, the board may review or complete the assessment along with staff.  If the board has active committees, each committee may review and report on those standards most applicable to their committee.  Those organizations with a very large staff and multiple departments may choose to have a staff leader who delegates completion of specific sections to an appropriate staff person.  Because the board has oversight responsibility for the land trust’s operations, its review and consideration of the final assessment report is strongly recommended.  The time needed to complete the assessment and permit board review will vary tremendously.

Action Steps

We recommend incorporating action steps into organizational strategic and annual plans and conducting a reassessment approximately every three years.  The completed assessment forms will provide an invaluable record of the organization’s growth and development.

AYOs for Accreditation

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, requires an applicant seeking accreditation to show at registration that it has completed an assessment against the full set of Land Trust Standards and Practices. The assessment must not be older than three years from the date of pre-application.  The AYO is one tool available for this purpose. Accreditation is a process of continuous improvement and periodic assessments support this process.

For more information and/or assistance in using Assessing Your Organization, please contact the Land Trust Alliance program in your region or send an e-mail to sbates@lta.org.

To order a printed copy of Assessing Your Organization, visit our publications catalog.

Land trust members can download a free PDF copy of Assessing Your Organization from The Learning Center library.  They can also access an interactive version of Assessing Your Organization at The Learning Center through Pathways to Accreditation, a private online meeting space that helps land trusts prepare for accreditation.

Read One Organization’s Experience with "Assessing Your Organization.

Excerpted from the Blue Mountain Land Trust's 2009 Annual Summary

Land Trust Alliance Partners Who Have Taken Alliance AYO Training

The Land Trust Alliance provides these referrals as an informational service only and does not endorse individual consultants or trainers. Those individuals who are listed below have completed the Alliance’s Assessing Your Organization training session and have committed to building strong land trusts by joining the Alliance as a Professional Partner. We encourage you to engage consultants and trainers only after following routine best practices, including soliciting a proposal, interviewing more than one candidate and checking references. More guidance on hiring a consultant that is right for your organization.

Midwest

AYO-Trained Consultants

David Allen
P.O. Box 6751, Monona, WI 53716   
Phone: 608-239-5006
Email: fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.thebamteam.com

Valerie Hogan
Growth Strategies, Inc.
1500 County Road C
Star Prairie, WI  54026-5301
Phone:715-248-4849
Email: valerie@growthstrategies.org
Website: www.growthstrategies.org

Kevin Joyce
P.O. Box 332
Perrysburg, OH 43552
Phone: 419-340-8115
Email: k.joyce@vzw.blackberry.net
Website: www.e-quantumgroup.com

Peter McKeever
The BAM Team, LLC
One Odana Court
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: 608-256-1003
Email: mckeever@gmmattorneys.com

Sara Wilson
3323 North Summit Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211   
Phone: 414-332-718   
Email: sara@mayeswilsonassociates.com
Website: www.mayeswilsonassociates.com

Kate Zurlo-Cuva
Gathering Waters Conservancy    
Phone: 608-251-9131    
Email: kate@gatheringwaters.org

Northeast

AYO-Trained Consultants

Jim Abernathy
Abernathy Consulting
Phone: 202-257-8816
Email: jabernathy@verizon.net

JoAnn Albert
E-Concepts, LLC
286 Stoneylonesome Rd
Stahlstown, PA 15687
Phone: (412) 486-5525
Email: jjalbert@verizon.net

Ole Amundsen III
The Conservation Fund    
Phone: 607-277-0999
Email: oamundsen@conservationfund.org

Judy Anderson
Community Consultants
PO Box 617
Kinderhook, NY 12106
Phone:(518) 758-7226
Email: andersonj@nycap.rr.com

Kersten Appler
French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust
511 Kimberton Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Phone: (610) 952-0465
Email: kappler@frenchandpickering.org

Michael Catania
PO Box 594
Chester, NJ 07930-0594
Phone: 973-543-6004
Email: michael@conservationresources.org

Sharon Danosky
Danosky & Associates
Mailing address: P.O. Box 396, Sherman, CT 06784
Physical address: 143 West Street 123A Building C, New Milford, CT  06776
Phone: (860) 799-6330 and (860) 799-6331
Email: danosky@att.net

Audrey Grifel
Capacity Building Advisor
The New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc.
Mid-Hudson Valley Regional Office
205 South Avenue, Suite 101
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: (845) 454-5062 or (800) 515-5012, x-153
Fax: (845) 454-6032
Email: agrifel@nycon.org
Website: www.nycon.org

Anne Heasly
Conservation Resources, Inc.
PO Box 594
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: 908-655-6594
Email: anne@conservationresourcesinc.org

Beth Hershenhart
11 Round Table Road, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866    
Phone (office): 800-710-7760
Phone (cell): (518) 225-4057
Email: beth@innovativeresourcesgroup.com
Website: www.innovativeresourcesgroup.com

Henri Jordan
PO Box 94
Keene Valley, NY 12943
Phone: (518) 576-2079
Email: hbjordan@trailmarker.org

Maryanne McGovern Kenyon, Esq.
Schwartzberg & Kenyon, PLLC
108 Main Street
New Paltz, NY  12561
Phone: (845) 323-3787
Email: maryanne@schwartzbergkenyon.com

Dawn Kidd
Kidd Associates
92 Isle of Springs Rd
Boothbay, ME 04537
Phone: (207) 633-5660
Email: dkidd@gwi.net

Linda London
London & Associates
198 Euclid Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
Phone: (518) 458-8562
Email: linda.london@earthlink.net

Annette Lorraine
Law Office of Annette Lorraine, PLC/Land As Legacy Consulting
PO Box 1466
Montpelier, VT 05601
Phone:(802) 262-6400
Email: rainlaw@sover.net

Andy Loza
Pennsylvania Land Trust Association    
Phone: 717-230-8560    
Email: aloza@conserveland.org

Andrew Pitz
French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust
511 Kimberton Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Phone: (610) 933-7577
Email: apitz@frenchandpickering.org

Eric Rowley
Rowley & Associates, P.C.
6A Hills Avenue
Concord, NH 03301
Phone:(603) 228-5400
Email: eric@rowleyandassociates.com

Lisa Smith
E-Concepts, LLC
4366 Kenson Dr
Allison Park, PA 15101
Phone: (724) 593-5220
Email: wildflower@ligonierweb.com

Sam Stokes
8000 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910    
Phone: 301-585-227    
Email: samstokes@aya.yale.edu

Jonathan Wagar
Conservation Resources, Inc.
PO Box 594
Chester, NJ 07930
Phone: 908-879-7942
Email: jon@conservationresourcesinc.org

John Weedon
Hetuck Conservation Partners
142 Lamplighter Dr
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: (860) 432-9396
Email: johnsweedon@gmail.com

Susan Weinrich
VP, Organizational and Community Development
New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON)
272 Broadway
Albany, NY 12204
Phone: 518-434-9194 ext.115
Fax: 518-434-0392
Email: sweinrich@nycon.org
Website: www.nycon.org

Nick Williams
Nick Williams Consulting
4104 32nd St
Mount Rainier, MD 20712
Phone: (443) 722-0528
Email: nwilliams550@gmail.com

Elizabeth Wroblicka, Esq.
Land Conservation Associates
51 Olive Street
Northampton, MA  01060
Phone: (916) 712-4879
Email: elizabeth@landconservationassociates.com
Website: http://www.landconservationassociates.com/

Jane Zirlis
The Mentor Company
131 Boardman Rd
East Haddam, CT 06423
Phone: 860-873-3025
Email: jane.mentorco@gmail.com

Southeast

AYO-Trained Consultants

Laurel Florio
PO Box 2116
Roswell, GA 30077
Phone: (770) 559-4025
Email: lflorio1@comcast.net

Megan Gallagher
Megan Inc.
5618 Rock Hill Mill Rd
The Plains, VA 20198
Phone: (540) 253-5162
Email: meganinc@earthlink.net
Website: http://meganincva.com/

Hans Neuhauser
Georgia Land Trust Service Center    
Phone: (706) 546-7507    
Email: hansneuhauser@bellsouth.net
Website: www.galandcc.com

Donald J. Owen
Land Trust of Virginia
PO Box 14
Middleburg, VA 20118
Phone: (540) 687-8441
Email: don@landtrustva.org

West

AYO-Trained Consultants

Cheryl Belcher
California Council of Land Trusts
PO Box 813
Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone: 530-265-5965
Email: cherylmbelcher@gmail.com

Steve Bonner
26 Cascade Caverns Road, Boerne, TX 78015    
Phone: 210-387-8628
Email: steve.bonner@sonricorp.com
Website: www.sonricorp.com

Diane Brown
California Council of Land Trusts
6401 Lone Pine Rd.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone:(707) 823-2929
Email: DianeB100@aol.com

Jim Elias
Western Conservation Associates, LLC
4 Dorset Lane
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Phone: (415) 888-2282
Email: jelias@westernconservation.net
Website: www.westernconservation.net

Donna Erickson
325 Keith Ave
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: (406) 370-0454
Fax: (406) 721-8278
Email: dle@bresnan.net
Website: www.westernopenlands.com

Jane Ellen Hamilton
Hamilton Consulting
715 Creston Hatchery Road
Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 257-8535
Email: jehamiltonmt@gmail.com

Allison Handler
1001 SE Water Avenue, #360, Portland, OR 97214    
Phone: 503-249-0000    
Email: allison@decision2.com
Website: www.solidgroundconsulting.com

Sally Johnson
P.O. Box 8327, Missoula, MT 59807    
Phone: 406-721-227    
Email: sally.johnsonlawfirm@msn.com

Glenn Lamb
Columbia Land Trust    
Phone: 360-696-0131    
Email: glamb@columbialandtrust.org

Karlene McCabe
5821 North Campbell Avenue
Portland, OR 97217
Phone: (541) 231-8818
Email: karlenemccabe@gmail.com

Jim Morris
1001 SE Water Avenue, #360, Portland, OR 97214  
Phone: 503-249-0000
Email: jimm@solidgroundconsulting.com
Website: www.solidgroundconsulting.com

Will Murray
Will Murray Company
1701 15th St, #201
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (303) 550-4974
Email: will@willmurraycompany.com

Illene Roggensack
Third Sector Innovations
730 Bunting Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Phone: 970-241-1139
Email: thirdsec@earthlink.net

Tom Scharffenberger
Scharffenberger Land Planning
523 17th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94121
Phone: (415) 387-3077
Email: tscharf@pacbell.net

Marc Smiley
Solid Ground Consulting Group
1001 SE Water Ave, Ste. 360
Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 249-0000
Email: marc@marcsmiley.com
Website: www.decision2.com

Resources for Hiring Consultants

• Exempt Organizations: Independent Contractors vs. Employees.  IRS information regarding how to determine whether an individual who provides services is an employee or independent contractor.
• Getting and Working with Consultants.  This website by Free Management Library has a wealth of information about consultants and consulting for nonprofit organizations, including understanding consultants and consulting, doing consulting, hiring consultants and requests for proposals.
• How Do I Find a Consultant for My Nonprofit? The Foundation Center’s FAQ factsheet on this topic includes both Web and print resources.
• Practice 7H of Land Trust Standards and Practices: Working with Consultants. Consultant and contractor relationships are clearly defined, are consistent with federal and state law, and, if appropriate, are documented in a written contract.  Consultants and contractors are familiar with sections of Land Trust Standards and Practices that are relevant to their work.
• Tips for Hiring a Consultant. An excellent document prepared by the Maine Association of Nonprofits that includes information on why and how to hire a consultant and how to manage one.  This document is excerpted from Succeeding with Consultants.
• Top 10 Mistakes Made When Hiring Consultants.  Although this list was created for businesses, it is equally relevant for nonprofit organizations.