Renewal

As soon as your land trust is accredited it can begin to take steps to help prepare for renewal. For instance:

• Immediately: Sign up for and read our eNewsletter, which contains important news and tips.
• Immediately: Most land trusts that achieve accreditation for the first time are also issued "Expectations for Improvement" (EFIs); some land trusts are issued EFIs as part of a compliance confirmation process. It is never too soon to think about how your land trust will address EFIs! Review any EFIs your land trust received; address right away any EFIs for creating templates, updating templates, etc. and create a strategy for identifying opportunities to address any other EFIs that are more situational. Document when progress is made to address them. View the Expectations for Improvement web page.
• As Needed: Keep track of instances during your accredited term when Standards and Practices were not followed, and the circumstances, so you can readily document this at renewal. 
• Annually: Read the Requirements Manual at least annually to become aware of and better understand changes to the accreditation indicators and program requirements that were published after your land trust was accredited.
• Workplan template: Download a comprehensive sample workplan for renewal. 

The Commission is pleased to provide the following presentation materials for use by land trust staff and boards considering renewal of accreditation:

• PowerPoint presentation with script in notes
• Your Investment Matters! Fact Sheet
• Benefits of Accreditation Fact Sheet
• Video to share: The Value of Renewing Accreditation
• Video to share: What it Means to be an Accredited Land Trust

Registration serves many purposes:

• Confirms your land trust’s intent to renew.
• Ensures the Commission has your land trust's current contact information.
• Identifies any related corporations that will be part of your pre-application and application.
• Submitting your registration also means you will get access to and can start working on your pre-application.

Registration for a renewal round generally opens six months prior to the application due date. At that time the Commission will send your accreditation contact an email to start the registration process.

Your accredited land trust must register for renewal, submit a renewal pre-application, and submit a complete renewal application on or before each assigned deadline. As long as those three key deadlines are met, your land trust will remain accredited until the Commission makes a final decision on your renewal application.

There will generally be two rounds each year for renewal applications. Your land trust will be contacted about two years prior with general information about the year and round it must renew, and again within six months of your application due date with more specific details. Plan accordingly and make sure your land trust registers and meets all associated deadlines.

• Registering one round earlier than scheduled.
• Information on penalties related to failure to register and meet subsequent deadlines.
• Deadlines and Exceptions for Catastrophes.

• It's online! The entire renewal process (including registration) is completed entirely online through our Accreditation Management System (AMS).
• It's easy! A reference copy of the renewal registration form is available. At registration, your land trust also pays the renewal registration fee.
• We will send a reminder! Six months prior to your land trust’s application due date, the primary accreditation contact for your organization will receive an email to alert him or her to begin the renewal process and with a link required for registering. 

A general rule (contact us for the specific year and round assigned to your land trust) 

• If your accreditation expiration date is August – your application is due in the Spring Round of the same year.
• If your accreditation expiration date is January – your application is due in the Fall Round of the previous year.
• The Commission will contact the primary accreditation contact ~6 weeks before registration opens, as a reminder.

To confirm or change your accreditation contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the updated information.

If you have questions, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 518-587-3143.

• The $850 registration fee can be paid by credit card through the AMS, and payment unlocks all AMS features. Contact the Commission if you need to pay this fee by check.
• The $850 is separate from the application fee. To calculate your application fee please visit the Timeline and Costs webpage.

• Registration remains open for ~2 months because we understand that each organization prioritizes and plans for renewal in a way that best fits its working schedule. The actual registration process should take just a few minutes!
• No matter when you submit your registration —within the registration open period—your due date does not change from what is posted on our website. In other words, your due date and accreditation review timeline are not adjusted based on when you submit your registration.

• If your organization wishes to apply for renewal of accreditation earlier than required, you may register for one round earlier than when your application is required. The Commission will attempt to accommodate your preference; however, priority will be given to applicants that must apply in that round.
• There are very limited circumstances where the land trust may be given a one round extension. See Deadlines and Exceptions for Catastrophes. 

Renewal applicants do not have to demonstrate that they completed an assessment against all Land Trust Standards and Practices. However, conducting an assessment remains a great way to prepare for renewal:

• Assessments conducted before applying for renewal may help land trusts identify areas that need more work before submitting the renewal application.
• Completing periodic assessments against the full set of practices helps land trusts set benchmarks for continuous improvement.
• A new assessment helps measure progress against your past benchmarks.

If your organization has a multiple corporate structure (such as an LLC or a supporting organization) then the Commission will need to make a determination of whether the organization will need to provide additional documentation. If you think your organization is legally linked to another entity, contact the Commission as early in the renewal process as possible (you can even reach out before you register). Read more about Related Entities.

Voices of Experience: Learn about the Renewal of Accreditation Process from Accredited Land Trusts
Learn about renewal of accreditation from land trusts that have been through the program in this webinar designed for organizations that are actively preparing for renewal. Representatives from accredited land trusts will talk about how they prepared to apply for renewal of accreditation and relate their experiences going through the process. This webinar is presented in a manner that participants should already be familiar with the accreditation process and are preparing their organization’s renewal application. Watch and listen to the recorded presentation »