Land Trust Standards and Practices Curriculum

The 17 courses in the Standards curriculum are a great way to train new board members, volunteers, or staff — or grow the skills of your experienced personnel. The more you know, the more efficiently your team will get things done! The courses are:

• Authoritative: Developed by experts, then rigorously reviewed to make sure that they’re accurate and up-to-date.
• Accessible: Written in clear English, with key points highlighted and examples to show how principles work in practice.
• Practical: Designed for people who want to know how to do high-quality land conservation.
• User-friendly: Available at your own pace, in the format that works best for you — online or in-person.
• Free: If you’re with an Alliance member land trust or a supporter at the $500 level or higher, you can take the online courses or download PDFs of the coursebooks for free! Alliance members also get discounts if you want to order publications or join an Alliance conference.

How do you like to learn?

It’s up to you. Here are your options:

Online: The advantages of the online approach are: 1) It’s free! 2) It comes with online discussion groups so you can talk through the issues with colleagues and experts. You can access the self-guided online courses or download coursebooks in the Learning Center.

In-person: Workshops and seminars based on the Standards Curriculum are regular features at land conservation conferences. Check out upcoming opportunities. Or sponsor your own training event. For more options, contact the Alliance at 202-638-4725.

What’s your favorite subject?

It’s like being back in school, picking your major and your courses. Here are the four main categories and 18 courses for you to choose from:

Governance

• Avoiding Conflicts of Interest and Running an Ethical Land Trust
• Land Trust Boards: Preparing for Perpetuity
• Mission, Planning and Capacity
• Nonprofit Law and Recordkeeping for Land Trusts, Vol. I
• Nonprofit Law and Recordkeeping for Land Trusts, Vol. II
• Strategic Conservation Planning

Strong Organizations

• A Guide to Risk Management for Land Trusts
• Building the Foundation for Fundraising Success
• Determining Stewardship Costs and Raising and Maintaining Dedicated Funds
• Financial Management of Land Trusts

Land Protection

• Acquiring Land and Conservation Easements
• Conservation Easement Drafting and Documentation
• Evaluating and Selecting Conservation Projects
• Selling and Transferring Land and Conservation Easements
• Tax Benefits and Appraisals of Conservation Projects

Stewardship

• Caring for Land Trust Properties
• Conservation Easement Stewardship
• Managing Conservation Easements in Perpetuity