Accreditation Program Kicks Off!
Land trust colleagues from around the country joined the Land Trust Accreditation Commission earlier this month for the first-ever accreditation application lottery drawing. Names of applicants were drawn at Rally 2007: The National Land Conservation Conference in Denver, Colorado in front of a packed room at a special Accreditation Kick-Off: Lottery Drawing and Reception on October 5. Commissioner Peter Stein emceed the event with Darby Bradley and Jean Hocker drawing the applicant names Denver-style – from a cowboy hat. The results of the lottery are available on our website at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
"Lancaster Farmland Trust is excited to be participating in the first round of accreditation,” says Executive Director Karen Martynick. “Our organization is built on public trust and accountability. Accreditation will allow us to expand our base of support for farmland preservation by sending a clear message that we take seriously the trust our donors place in us and will help us in our mission to save our home, our harvest and our heritage."
The lottery for 2008 applications closed with over 80 participants. Each land trust that entered the lottery was selected randomly for one of three application rounds in 2008. More information about the 2008 application process can be found at http://landtrustaccreditation.org/pdf/AccreditationUpdateOct2007.pdf.
Thank you to all the land trusts that expressed an interest in applying for accreditation, and to all those who joined us in Denver for this historic event.
Report from Rally
The Commission hosted two workshops on accreditation at Rally: an introduction to the program and a closer look at applying for accreditation and preparing an application. At our second workshop, two panels of pilot participants shared their experiences going through the program and offered invaluable advice to land trusts considering applying. As one pilot group said, “It is probably the best thing we can be doing for our organizations and for the people who will be sitting in our chairs 50 years from now.”
New Report on Nonprofit Governance Available
Independent Sector’s Panel on the Nonprofit Sector recently released Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations. According to Independent Sector, “The Guide represents the first time that charities and foundations reflecting a broad cross-section of the American nonprofit community have come together to develop principles of ethical conduct, accountability and transparency that they aspire to and encourage all organizations to follow.” Land trusts interested in good governance may want to review this report.
The Commission launched its new website just in time for Rally. Check out our new site at www.landtrustaccreditation.org for updates on the accreditation program, resources for those interested in applying, an exciting new land trust search feature and much more.
Public Comments on Current Pilot Applicants
As part of the application process, the Commission is currently accepting public comments on the second round pilot applicants. Comments must be attributed, relate to how the applicant carries out national quality standards and will be shared with the applicant. For more information, or if you would like to offer a comment on a current applicant, please visit: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/index.php/current-applicants/action-public-comment.
