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Resources for Land Trust Board Members

As a board member, your number one job is to direct your land trust. You are part of the land trust's visionary team that establishes its mission, decides its strategic direction and sets policies to help it thrive. And, as a board member, you also serve as an ambassador for the land trust in your community. You help the land trust build relationships with donors, landowners, elected officials and community leaders. Board members play a crucial role in the success of a land trust and we want to support you. The Land Trust Alliance offers an array of resources for land trust board members:

A Message from Our President

At your next board meeting, share this letter and video from Andrew Bowman, president of the Land Trust Alliance. This short video provides basic information about what we do for land trusts, and this letter provides an update on issues currently being addressed by the Alliance on behalf of our land trust members. If you feel these items will help your board understand the value of Alliance membership and gain perspective on land conservation at the national level, please make the letter a part of your next board packet and share the video during your next board meeting.

Field Guide

This quarterly newsletter is just for board members. Each issue features practical insights from experts on board-related topics — like strategic planning, community engagement, major donors and more.

Field Guide is a complimentary resource for all board members. Each quarter, we send an email to board members with the link to the latest edition and include it in the Learning Center Field Guide archive. To receive an electronic copy of Field Guide or if you’d like other members of your board to receive it directly, please email us at boardservices@lta.org and include the names, titles and email addresses of all recipients.

All-Volunteer Land Trusts

It’s a tall order to run a land trust without staff! The Alliance is ramping up support for all-volunteer land trusts, with resources including conference workshops, webinars, an online forum and our free Essentials for Success course .

The Learning Center

The Learning Center is an online clearinghouse featuring courses, training opportunities, sample documents, groups to post questions and facilitate discussion, and more. If you have questions on using this resource, please email tlc@lta.org.

Webinars

Training doesn’t have to mean traveling! We offer a wide range of interactive webinars year-round, led by experts in the field. You can learn from the best, right at your own computer. Or go further and turn a webinar into a board-training session. There’s just one low fee for each connection, no matter how many people take part, and you can use the recording for 30 days. 

Express Learning Kits

Express Learning Kits give you and your board everything you need to hold top-quality interactive trainings on essential land trust topics — right in your own conference room. Each comes with a webinar recording, facilitator’s guide, discussion topics or exercises and resources for learning more. There are several board-focused topics available. 

Courses

Grow your knowledge. Choose from 18 Standards and Practices courses, including Land Trust Boards: Preparing for Perpetuity.

Conferences

Conferences offer rich opportunities for learning, networking, and inspiration. Join us at Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference or a regional or state conference.

Advocacy Ambassadors

You’re already an ambassador in your community. Why not become an Ambassador to Congress? We’ll give you all the training and support you need to build strong, one-to-one relationships with your representatives and advance pro-conservation policies.

Ways to Learn

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Articles

Key Elements of Effective Board Committees

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Winter 2010
Author: 
Carol Harris Mayes and Sara Wilson

Board committees are responsible for accomplishing the detailed work of the board, shaping policies, drafting organizational plans and working to accomplish annual goals. Committees make the performance of the board more effective and efficient, especially if each board director invests time and energy, and staff liaisons provide adequate guidance and administrative support.

Articles

Keeping Talented People on Staff

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Summer 2008
Author: 
Christina Soto

I have worked my whole professional life, 25 years, in the nonprofit world and the last 17 with two land trusts.

Articles

Intentional Supervision

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Summer 2012
Author: 
Lyn Freundlich and Heather Harker

All land trusts value land, but our most precious resource is always going to be our people. Who ensures that our land is preserved? Who clears and maintains our trails? Who organizes our fundraisers? Land trust people — board members, volunteers and staff — are the foundation of our work.

Articles

How to Have a Productive Meeting

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Summer 2010
Author: 
Elaine H. Ernest

Effective land trust boards of directors are essential for the success of conservation, and that effectiveness is directly related to holding productive and compelling meetings. But meetings can be painful, frustrating and occasionally pointless.

Articles

Collaborating for Conservation

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Fall 2008
Author: 
Jessica Burton

In 2006, three neighboring, all-volunteer, 25-year-old land trusts in Maine decided to try something new to facilitate their systems and strengthen their ability to protect lands in their towns and service areas.

Articles

By the Numbers: Building a Better Board

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Spring 2008
Author: 
Marc Smiley

Strong land trust boards of directors are vital to the success of conservation. But a strong board never happens by accident. An effective board of directors is the product of intentional effort that represents a significant investment of time and energy. While it is rarely easy, when done right, board development has a huge payoff.

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