← Back to US Funders Directory

Land Trust Alliance Incorporated

Annual Giving
$5.5M
Grant Range
$5K - $4.0M
Decision Time
4mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5.5 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $4,000,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Membership: Required for most grant programs
  • Total Support: Over $40 million distributed over 40 years

Contact Details

Address: 1250 H Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 638-4725
Email: membership@lta.org
Website: www.landtrustalliance.org

Overview

The Land Trust Alliance Incorporated (EIN 04-2751357) is the national land conservation organization representing more than 950 member land trusts across America. Since its founding, the Alliance has distributed more than $40 million in grants to land trusts over the past 40 years. In 2023, the organization awarded $5.5 million to 241 land trusts. The Alliance works with local and national partners to provide both capital and capacity-building grants to land trusts, using resources provided by government and institutional funders to increase the pace of private land conservation in America. Ashley Demosthenes assumed the role of President and CEO on March 17, 2025, bringing more than 25 years of conservation and land trust experience. The Alliance is currently undertaking a 12-month strategic planning process to guide the organization and land trust community forward.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Land and Climate Grant Program (with Open Space Institute)

  • Grant amounts: $5,000 - $15,000
  • Total funding per round: Up to $150,000
  • Application method: Online via Foundant grant portal
  • Application deadline: June 16, 2025 (for 2025 round)
  • Decision notification: August 31, 2025
  • Supports climate-informed land conservation, stewardship, policy or communications plans addressing habitat resilience, carbon mitigation, renewable energy siting, or community adaptation to climate impacts
  • Since 2020, the program has awarded over $1.6 million supporting 133 projects led by 116 organizations in 35 states and Puerto Rico

New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP)

  • Has awarded 1,268 grants totaling more than $31 million to 99 land trusts (2002-2025)
  • Five grant categories: Capacity and Excellence, Conservation Catalyst, Professional Development, Stewardship and Resource Management, Transaction
  • Application deadline: January 5, 2026 by 5 p.m. Eastern
  • Decision notification: Spring 2026
  • Partnership between NY State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Alliance

Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program (New York)

  • Grant amounts: Up to $1.35 million available in 2025 round
  • 2024: 15 grants totaling $4 million to 11 land trusts
  • 2025: 9 grants totaling $1.72 million to 6 land trusts, protecting 2,050 acres
  • Requires accreditation by Land Trust Accreditation Commission

Western Innovation Grant

  • Focus on innovation, community-centered conservation, and partnerships
  • Geographic eligibility: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
  • Recently awarded 26 land trusts with grants

Partnerships for Disability Access, Inclusion and Leadership Grant

  • Grant amounts: $10,000 - $15,000
  • Awarded to 10 land trusts in 2024
  • Supports accessibility improvements, inclusion initiatives, and co-creation of programs with disabled communities
  • Includes virtual peer convenings and mentorship from Disabled Hikers and the Alliance's Council on Inclusive Health and Disabilities
  • Contact: agilbert@lta.org

Chesapeake Bay Land and Water Initiative Grant Program

  • Invested $813,000 to support water quality protection projects in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Priority Areas

  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation through land conservation
  • Community-centered conservation and equitable access to conserved lands
  • Support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities and low-income communities disproportionately affected by climate change
  • Forest conservation and carbon sequestration
  • Water quality protection and watershed conservation
  • Disability access and inclusion in outdoor spaces
  • Capacity building for land trusts
  • Indigenous partnerships and First Foods gathering
  • Farmland access and protection

What They Don't Fund

The Alliance focuses specifically on supporting nonprofit land trusts and land conservation organizations. While not explicitly stated, the organization does not fund:

  • Organizations that are not land trusts or directly engaged in land conservation
  • Projects outside the United States
  • Most grant programs require Alliance membership in good standing

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Ashley Demosthenes (assumed role March 17, 2025)

Ashley Demosthenes brings more than 25 years of conservation and land trust experience, most recently serving as CEO of South Carolina's Lowcountry Land Trust, where she led the organization to protect more than 163,000 acres. Demosthenes has articulated a collaborative leadership philosophy: "I believe in being up close to the work being done. I never want to be in the dark about what our land trust members and allies are facing, where their pain points are, and what victories they are achieving." She views land conservation as "a nonpartisan, proven solution for community challenges and changing environmental conditions that threaten our economy and well-being" and emphasizes "collaborative leadership" as key to bringing diverse stakeholders together.

Vice President of Conservation Initiatives: Erin Heskett

Board of Directors: David Calle serves as Vice Chair of the Land Trust Alliance Board of Directors. The complete board roster is available on the Alliance website.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications for most Land Trust Alliance grant programs must be submitted electronically via the Foundant Technologies grant portal. Applicants will need to create a user account to access the system.

General Application Process:

  1. Attend information session (strongly encouraged for most programs)
  2. Create account in Foundant grant portal
  3. Submit complete application with all required documentation by deadline
  4. Receive automatic confirmation email from Foundant upon submission
  5. Contact the organization if confirmation email is not received

Key Requirements:

  • Most programs require current Land Trust Alliance membership in good standing
  • Preference given to accredited land trusts and organizations with board-approved plans to pursue accreditation
  • Applications must demonstrate organizational capacity to complete the project within specified timeframes

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by program:

  • Land and Climate Grant Program: Decisions by August 31, 2025 (for 2025 round)
  • New York State Conservation Partnership Program: Decisions announced in Spring 2026
  • Forest Conservation Easements Program: Full application invitations by June 13

Typical timeline from submission to decision ranges from 3-8 months depending on the program.

Success Rates

While the Alliance does not publish specific success rates, available data shows:

  • 2023: 241 land trusts received grants from a total of $5.5 million in funding
  • 2022: 209 land trusts received grants from a record-breaking $7.5 million
  • Land and Climate Grant Program: 133 projects funded over 5 years from 116 different organizations

The Alliance has distributed over $40 million to land trusts over the past 40 years, demonstrating sustained commitment to supporting the field.

Reapplication Policy

The Alliance's grant programs generally allow reapplication in subsequent rounds. Data indicates that organizations that "applied in 2023 or 2024 but have never been awarded" and those that "applied prior to 2023 but were never awarded" are tracked, suggesting unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply. No specific waiting periods or restrictions on reapplication were documented.

Application Success Factors

Membership and Accreditation Matter
Preference is given to accredited land trusts or organizations with a board-approved plan to pursue accreditation. Accreditation status is an important factor in grant evaluation. Ensure your organization is a current member of the Alliance in good standing before applying to most programs.

Community-Centered Conservation
CEO Ashley Demosthenes emphasizes that "partnerships and cross-sector relationships are vital for advancing land conservation." The Alliance prioritizes projects that demonstrate collaboration, community engagement, and address inequities. For example, Western Innovation Grant recipients included projects like the Wallowa Land Trust bringing Indigenous gatherers to harvest First Foods and the Alaska Farmland Trust implementing subsidized lease programs for equitable farmland access.

Climate Focus with Community Impact
The Land and Climate Grant Program "encourages proposals that address the disproportionate burdens of a changing climate and environmental harms on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and low-income communities." Successful applications demonstrate how climate-informed conservation plans will directly benefit vulnerable communities.

Demonstrate Replicability or Scale
Applications should show how projects will "inform conservation decisions in the near term." If the project doesn't cover a broad geographic region (county scale or larger), demonstrate how it serves as a model or will influence organizational operations beyond the immediate project.

Organizational Capacity is Critical
The Alliance advises applicants to "carefully consider whether the project is ready, and whether your organization has the capacity to complete the work within this timeframe." Have financial systems in place before applying, as grant funding often has special tracking requirements.

Engage Early
The Alliance strongly encourages interested applicants to watch information session recordings before applying and schedule time during office hours with program staff. This demonstrates commitment and allows clarification of questions before submission.

Specific Examples of Funded Projects:

  • Central Colorado Conservancy: Increasing Climate Resiliency of Conserved Lands in the Upper Arkansas Watershed
  • Rhode Island's Aquidneck Land Trust: Site Prioritization for Land Protection and Resiliency Projects
  • Vermont's Friends of the Mad River: Ridge to River 2.0 - Building a Watershed Action Framework for Climate Resilience
  • Openlands and Access Living: Disability access partnership project in Illinois
  • Blue Hill Heritage Trust (Maine): Improving trail guides and website accessibility

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Membership is typically mandatory: Become an Alliance member in good standing before applying; accreditation or a board-approved plan to pursue it provides a competitive advantage
  • Start with information sessions: Attend program-specific information sessions and use office hours to clarify questions—this demonstrates engagement and ensures alignment
  • Emphasize partnerships and community benefit: Applications should showcase collaborative approaches, particularly those that advance equity and serve marginalized communities disproportionately affected by climate and environmental issues
  • Match program priorities precisely: Each grant program has specific focus areas (climate resilience, disability inclusion, forest conservation, etc.)—tailor applications to demonstrate clear alignment
  • Show organizational readiness: Demonstrate your land trust has the capacity, systems, and timeline to successfully complete the proposed work; incomplete or underprepared applications are not competitive
  • Think beyond your immediate project: Articulate how your project serves as a model, informs broader conservation decisions, or will influence practices beyond the immediate scope
  • Applications are competitive but accessible: With 241 grants awarded in 2023 and multiple program opportunities, the Alliance demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting diverse land trusts across the country

References

← Back to US Funders Directory