Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $55,007,963 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: 2-4 months (varies by program)
Grant Range: $5,000 - $400,000 (depending on program)
Geographic Focus: Eastern United States (16 states) and three Canadian provinces, with particular focus on New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama

Contact Details

Address: 1370 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018

Phone: (212) 290-8200

Email: Contact through website or regional field staff

Pre-Application Support: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact OSI field staff for their region before submitting proposals to discuss projects.

Overview

The Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc. (OSILT), operating under EIN 13-3028060, is a supporting organization of Open Space Institute, Inc., founded in 1974. With assets of $421.5 million and annual giving of $55 million in 2023, OSILT is a national conservation leader that has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million acres across the Eastern U.S. and Canada. The organization operates through a unique model that combines direct land acquisition, conservation easements, grants, and low-cost bridge loans to accelerate land protection. OSILT's mission focuses on protecting land for clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, improved access to parks and nature for all, healthy communities, and fighting climate change. The organization has earned a 4/4 star rating (92%) from Charity Navigator. Since 2001, OSI's Conservation Capital Program has made $136 million in grants and loans across 13 states and three Canadian provinces. In 2023 alone, OSILT made 22 capital grants totaling $2.7 million, protecting 14,300 acres in five states with a fair market value of $20 million. The organization recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 and underwent a leadership transition with Erik Kulleseid becoming President & CEO after Kim Elliman retired following more than 30 years of leadership.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund

Grant Range: $50,000 - $400,000 (typical)
Type: Capital Grants and Catalyst Grants
Geography: Cradle of Southern Appalachia (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama), Kittatinny (New Jersey, Pennsylvania), Western/Central Pennsylvania, Northern Appalachians (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont)
Application Method: Annual competitive rounds (Fall deadline, typically December)
Match Requirement: 4:1 or greater preferred (exceptions for outstanding carbon/resilience projects)
Capital Grants support direct acquisition of land or conservation easements to protect biodiversity, enhance climate resilience and landscape connectivity, retain forest carbon, and foster strong community benefits
Catalyst Grants support broad-scale, climate-informed planning to accelerate land protection and stewardship

Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund

Type: Low-cost bridge loans (not grants)
Geography: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware
Application Method: Rolling basis
Focus: Forest protection (75% forested projects), agricultural restoration, stormwater management, recreation, and environmental education
Capitalized with $2.6 million from William Penn Foundation

Land and Climate Catalyst Planning Grant Program

Grant Range: $5,000 - $15,000
Partners: Administered jointly with Land Trust Alliance
Geography: Nationwide
Match Requirement: None
Application Method: Annual competitive rounds
Supports development of strategic conservation plans or land management plans
Preference given to accredited land trusts or organizations pursuing accreditation
Covers staff time, travel, design, printing, consultants, indirect costs (up to 15%)

Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards

Annual Giving: $65,000 total
Grant Range: $5,000 - $10,000 per recipient
Geography: Hudson River Valley, New York
Recipients: Nine environmental education organizations annually
Focus: Projects engaging local communities, inspiring environmental stewards, and making nature more accessible
Since 1994, OSI has committed nearly $1.16 million to 56 grantees

Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards

Grant Amount: Up to $5,000 per student
Recipients: Undergraduate or graduate students
Focus: Projects strengthening Hudson Valley communities in environmental conservation, environmental justice, and historic preservation
Funded by endowment established in 2007

Community Forest Fund (Completed)

During a decade of active grantmaking, supported creation and expansion of 25 community forests
Conserved over 40,000 acres in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
Leveraged $6 for every $1 invested
No longer accepting new applications

Priority Areas

Climate Resilience: Projects that maintain or increase ecosystem resilience to severe weather and climate change threats
Forest Conservation: Protecting forestland for carbon storage, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes
Water Protection: Clean drinking water resources and watershed protection
Wildlife Habitat: Maintaining native biodiversity and ecosystem processes that enable wildlife adaptation to climate change
Community Access: Improved access to parks and nature for all, recreational opportunities
Land Connectivity: Creating landscape corridors and connections between protected areas
Community Forests: Locally-based conservation that preserves culture, provides recreation, and supports economic stability

What They Don't Fund

Stewardship endowments
Staff time (except for Land and Climate Catalyst Planning Grants)
Land management or restoration activities (for Capital Grants)
Building construction or maintenance
Political lobbying
Land acquisition restoration capital costs (for Catalyst Planning Grants)
Projects outside eligible geographic focus areas
Projects with less than 75% forest cover (for Delaware River Watershed forest protection projects)

Governance and Leadership

President & CEO: Erik Kulleseid (appointed 2024), former New York State Parks Commissioner. Selected after rigorous national search conducted by Russell Reynolds Associates following Kim Elliman's retirement.

Former President & CEO: Christopher "Kim" Elliman served for more than 30 years (retired April 2024). During his tenure, OSI grew from a local Hudson Valley land trust into a nationally recognized conservation leader active in 16 states and three Canadian provinces.

Board Chair: Amelia Salzman

Founding Chairman: John Adams (co-chair with Salzman), honored at OSI's 50th anniversary gala in 2024 alongside his wife Patricia Adams for founding the organization.

Notable Board Members: John Ernst (OSI Trustee appointed as Chair of the Adirondack Park Agency)

The Board of Trustees retained Russell Reynolds Associates for the CEO search, demonstrating commitment to strong governance and strategic leadership.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Contact Regional Field Staff Before submitting any grant proposal, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact OSI field staff for their region to discuss the project. This is considered a critical first step in the application process.

Step 2: Review Standards and Guidelines Prior to submitting proposals, applicants must review:

OSI's Stewardship and Conservation Easement Standards
Carbon Project Guidelines
Program-specific requirements and geographic focus areas

Step 3: Submit Application Application methods vary by program:

Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund: Annual competitive rounds with Fall deadline (typically December)
Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund: Rolling basis
Land and Climate Catalyst Planning Grant: Annual competitive rounds
Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund: Annual application cycle
McHenry Awards: Annual application cycle for students

Step 4: Review Process OSI staff and fund-specific Advisory Committees review applications against fund criteria and goals. Advisory Committees include members with expertise in land protection, conservation science, and philanthropy.

Step 5: Conditional Approval Once OSI conditionally approves a grant, they provide the grantee with a checklist of items required for OSI to prepare a grant agreement. This includes review of conservation easement language and/or management plan language prior to distribution of grant funds. Forest management plans are required for all Forestland Protection capital grants.

Decision Timeline

Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund: Applications submitted in Fall (December deadline), award notifications in February (approximately 2 months)
Land and Climate Catalyst Planning Grant: Award notifications typically in August following application deadline
Other Programs: Vary by program; generally 2-4 months from submission to decision

Projects must typically be completed within 18 months of receiving notification of grant award.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, OSI made 22 capital grants in 2023, and the Land and Climate Grant Program has awarded more than $1.6 million to support 133 projects led by 116 organizations over five years, suggesting selective but consistent grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

OSI does not explicitly publish reapplication restrictions. Unsuccessful applicants can contact regional field staff to discuss feedback and potential reapplication. The organization maintains ongoing relationships with conservation partners, suggesting reapplication is possible with project improvements.

Application Success Factors

1. Early Engagement with Field Staff OSI explicitly encourages contacting regional field staff before applying. This is not optional advice—it's a critical step that allows applicants to align projects with OSI priorities and receive guidance on strengthening proposals.

2. Strong Match Ratios OSI gives clear preference to projects demonstrating 4:1 or greater financial match (and 5:1 for some funds). Projects showing strong leverage of OSI dollars through other committed funding sources are more competitive.

3. Climate Resilience and Carbon Benefits Conservation easements and stewardship must maintain or increase ecosystem resilience to climate change threats and conserve/increase forest ecosystem carbon. Projects should explicitly demonstrate these benefits.

4. Land Trust Accreditation For land trust applicants, OSI gives preference to organizations that are accredited by the Land Trust Alliance or have a reasonable plan and timeframe for attaining accreditation. This demonstrates organizational capacity and adherence to professional standards.

5. Organizational Capacity Projects must be led by organizations with demonstrated capacity and financial ability to execute the transaction and ensure long-term stewardship and management consistent with fund objectives. OSI reviews management plans and conservation easement language before releasing funds.

6. Adherence to OSI Standards Projects must meet or exceed OSI Conservation Easement and/or Stewardship Standards. Applicants must review these standards before applying, and OSI staff will review easement language and management plans for compliance.

7. Geographic and Strategic Alignment Projects should clearly fit within OSI's designated geographic focus areas and align with specific fund priorities (e.g., protecting biodiversity, landscape connectivity, water quality, community access).

8. Measurable Conservation Outcomes Particularly for restoration and stormwater projects, OSI looks for "significant measurable benefits" such as quantifiable reductions in sediment and nutrient inputs to streams.

Recent Funded Project Examples:

Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe received $39,231 to establish their first tribal community forest
Williston, Vermont community forest received $105,000 grant
Dutchess Land Conservancy received $12,000 for climate planning
Western New York Land Conservancy received $20,000 plus technical assistance for climate planning
Chattanooga Housing Authority received $20,000 for Butterfly Effect Program enhancing community resilience

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Contact field staff BEFORE applying: This is a critical first step emphasized repeatedly by OSI and provides opportunity to align your project with their priorities and receive guidance.
Demonstrate strong leverage: OSI strongly prefers projects with 4:1 or 5:1 match ratios, showing their investment catalyzes significantly larger conservation outcomes.
Emphasize climate resilience and carbon: Projects must explicitly demonstrate how they maintain or increase ecosystem resilience to climate change and conserve forest carbon—this is central to OSI's mission.
Pursue or plan for land trust accreditation: If you're a land trust, accreditation status (current or planned) significantly strengthens applications and demonstrates organizational capacity.
Review standards before applying: OSI's Conservation Easement and Stewardship Standards are not suggestions—projects must meet or exceed them, and staff will review compliance before releasing funds.
Plan for 18-month completion: Projects must typically be completed within 18 months of award notification, so ensure your timeline is realistic and achievable.
Consider the full OSI toolkit: Beyond grants, OSI offers low-cost bridge loans through the Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund and other mechanisms—field staff can help determine the best financing approach for your project.

References

Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (accessed December 2025)
Charity Navigator - Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc Rating (accessed December 2025)
Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute Award $243,000 to accelerate local climate planning (accessed December 2025)
Open Space Institute: Land for People, for Wildlife. Forever. (accessed December 2025)
New York - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
About - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Apply for Grants & Loans - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Funding - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
OSI President & CEO Kim Elliman Announces Retirement Plans (accessed December 2025)
New York State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid Named New President & CEO of the Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Open Space Institute Announces 2025 Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards (accessed December 2025)
Annual Reports - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Conservation Capital - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Community Forest Fund (Completed) - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)
Southeast Resilient Landscapes Fund - Open Space Institute (accessed December 2025)