Skip to main content
Donate
  • COVID-19
  • What We Dotrigger
    DonateBack
    • Our Strategytrigger
      DonateBack
      • Relevance
      • Rate
      • Rigor
      • Resilience
  • What You Can Dotrigger
    DonateBack
    • Conserve Your Landtrigger
      DonateBack
      • Getting Started
      • Conservation Options
      • Benefits for Landowners
      • Questions?
  • Issues & Actiontrigger
    DonateBack
    • Take Actiontrigger
      DonateBack
      • Advocacy Webinars
      • Ambassadors
      • Tax Incentives
    • Issues
    • Tools & Tipstrigger
      DonateBack
      • Politics: What’s Allowed?
      • Connect with Congress
      • Social Media for Advocacy
      • 10 Ways to Say Thank You
      • Media Outreach for Advocacy
      • Advocacy Days
    • Success Stories
  • For Land Truststrigger
    DonateBack
    • Topicstrigger
      DonateBack
      • Accreditation
      • Attorneys
      • Boards
      • Climate Change
      • Collaboration
      • Communications
      • Community Conservation
      • Conservation Defense
      • Economic Benefits
      • Federal Programs
      • Fundraising
      • Insurance
      • Land Trust Standards and Practices
      • Stewardship
      • Strategic Conservation
      • Taxes
      • The Learning Center
      • Field Services
    • Resourcestrigger
      DonateBack
      • Articles
      • Conferences
      • Express Learning Kits
      • Publications
      • Success Stories
      • Webinars
      • The Learning Center
      • Field Services
    • Membershipstrigger
      DonateBack
      • The Learning Center
      • Field Services
  • Membershiptrigger
    DonateBack
    • Land Trust Members
    • Land Trust Memberstrigger
      DonateBack
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Affiliates
    • Affiliates
    • Our Top Ten
  • Givingtrigger
    DonateBack
    • Individual Supporterstrigger
      DonateBack
      • Guardians of the Land Society
      • President’s Circle
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
    • Corporate Circle
  • Blog
  • The Learning Center
  • Jobs
  • Experts
  • Abouttrigger
    DonateBack
    • Strategic Plan
    • Land Trust Alliance Jobs
    • Historytrigger
      DonateBack
      • Summary Timeline
    • Staff Directorytrigger
      DonateBack
      • Leadership
    • Board of Directors
    • Offices
    • Saving Land Magazine
    • Annual Report
    • Charity Ratings
    • Awards Program
    • Partnerships
    • Press Releases
    • National Land Trust Census
    • Leadership Program
  • Press
  • Contact
  • The Learning Center
Home
Home Search Menu
Home
  • Blog
  • Jobs
  • Experts
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact
  • The Learning Center
  • COVID-19
  • What We Do
  • What You Can Do
  • Issues & Action
  • For Land Trusts
    • Explore Topics

      AccreditationAttorneysBoardsClimate ChangeCollaborationCommunications
      Community ConservationConservation DefenseEconomic BenefitsFederal ProgramsFundraisingInsurance
      Land Trust Standards and PracticesStewardshipStrategic ConservationTaxes
      AccreditationAttorneysBoardsClimate ChangeCollaborationCommunicationsCommunity ConservationConservation Defense
      Economic BenefitsFederal ProgramsFundraisingInsuranceLand Trust Standards and PracticesStewardshipStrategic ConservationTaxes
    • Resources and Tools

      • Articles
      • Conferences
      • Express Learning Kits
      • Publications
      • Success Stories
      • Webinars
      • The Learning Center
      • Field Services
    • Membership

      • Member benefits
      • Affiliate benefits
      • Become a member
      • Become an Affiliate
  • Membership
  • Giving
  • Donate
For Land TrustsFor Land Trusts

Collaboration

More Topics

Explore Topics

AccreditationAttorneysBoardsClimate ChangeCollaborationCommunications
Community ConservationConservation DefenseEconomic BenefitsFederal ProgramsFundraisingInsurance
Land Trust Standards and PracticesStewardshipStrategic ConservationTaxes
AccreditationAttorneysBoardsClimate ChangeCollaborationCommunicationsCommunity ConservationConservation Defense
Economic BenefitsFederal ProgramsFundraisingInsuranceLand Trust Standards and PracticesStewardshipStrategic ConservationTaxes
Close

Why Collaborate?

Collaboration is simply working together to achieve shared goals — and when it goes well, we get a lot more done. As anyone with much experience protecting land knows, productive collaborations with the right partners can significantly expand the range of what’s possible. Collaboration allows each organization to play to its strengths, while gaining from the strengths of others.

Successful collaboration might help your land trust:

  • Increase capacity: You might gain access to professional skills you don’t have in-house.
  • Gain local credibility: Your partner may have strong connections in the community.
  • Take on more ambitious goals: When multiple groups join forces, you can think bigger.
  • Get grant funding: Many agencies and foundations prefer to fund joint efforts.

What Does Collaboration Look Like?

Like relationships, collaboration can take many forms. It can be simple or complex, informal or structured, short-term or long-term. You might think of collaborative ventures along a spectrum from the most casual to the most committing. Here are some of the options on that spectrum:

  • Networking: Have conversations and learn what other groups are working on. What drives them? Do you share values or goals? How can your work complement theirs?
  • Shared trainings: Build capacity while splitting the costs.
  • Shared programs: Team up to save a special place, launch a new initiative, or share the responsibilities of stewardship.
  • Land trust service centers or coalitions: In many parts of the country, land trusts have formed land trust service centers or coalitions, which offer professional services or other benefits. Find one in your area. Or, if you see a need, consider starting one.
  • Shared services or staff: Hire professionals to serve more than one organization, through subcontracting or staff sharing.
  • Merger: A merger can be a good option when multiple groups want to expand their capacity, reduce redundancy, or avoid competing for funds — but it’s a serious move that requires reflection and due diligence.

Finding the Right Partners

As you talk with people from other organizations, look for partners with strengths that complement yours, who are working toward shared goals, and who you enjoy working with. Clear communication and mutual respect are keys to successful partnerships!

One common scenario is that a large land trust and a small one join forces. Each may bring strengths that the other needs. Often, the larger group will have more funding and professional expertise available, while the smaller group can use its connections to open doors in the local community. Another common scenario is that multiple land trusts linked by geography will find ways to support each other’s work. In other cases, land trusts reach out beyond the world of conservation to find goals they share with other groups in their community. These connections can be great starting points for community conservation.

Keys to Successful Collaboration

Collaboration isn’t always fun! There can be downsides. Sometimes, land trusts are concerned that collaboration will result in a loss of identity, lack of credit for their work, or competition for funds. More formal or complex partnerships take considerable time to set up—with thorny questions to answer, like who will lead and how staff roles will change. Mergers, in particular, require caution, because they involve taking on each other’s liabilities as well as assets. Here are a few tips for making your collaboration a success. Dig into Alliance resources to explore the topic further:

  • Communicate! Avoiding misunderstanding can save major time and frustration. For more formal collaborations, written agreements are essential. Even in less formal scenarios, it can be helpful to send an email or memo that sums up your plans for working together.
  • Date before you get serious. If you’re considering a major shift like a merger, first work together on a smaller project. See how it goes.
  • Treat your partners with respect and expect no less.

Resources and Tools

View All

Articles

Putting Their Heads Together

Source: 
Saving Land magazine, Winter 2014
Author: 
Edith Pepper Goltra

What can small land trusts offer large, regional land trusts that have been around for years, have large staffs and are protecting thousands of acres? As it turns out, quite a lot.

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.

Publication

Land Trusts and Water: Strategies and Resources for Addressing Water in Western Land Conservation

Author: 
Sarah Bates
Year Published: 
2014

Land and water are inextricably connected, and protecting one often necessitates protecting the other. This book offers practical tools and resources to help land trusts address water-related conservation values in their private land conservation work.

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

Join Us

Together we will advance change and increase impact for land conservation.
Donate Renew Join

Count on Us

The Land Trust Alliance makes careful use of your support.

View our charity ratingsCharity Navigator: Four Star CharityBetter Business Bureau: Accredited Charity

Stay Informed

Get our e-newsletter filled with tips and info about the places you love.

Connect with Us

Land Trust Alliance
1250 H Street NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
info@lta.org
202-638-4725

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagramBlog RSS
© Copyright 2021 Land Trust Alliance
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • En Español