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    Your partnership makes this work possible

    Since 1982, the Land Trust Alliance has grown to represent nearly 950 land trusts, serving as the national voice of the community. The Alliance is committed to saving the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.

    This year, we heard that those within the land trust community feel that the Alliance has a meaningful impact on their work. In fact, they said that without the Alliance, their work would be more isolated, less informed, more difficult and less effective.

    But we cannot do this alone. We rely on the generosity of committed individuals, foundations, businesses and partners to help land trusts conserve land, build capacity and serve their communities.

    It’s been a privilege to support the Alliance. Throughout my career, the Alliance has been a foundation and a rock for the land trust community.”
    — Reggie Hall, long-time monthly Alliance donor and director of conservation finance at Legacy Works

    Adapting to change and charting a path forward

    Thank you for the essential role you play in strengthening land conservation across the nation.

    Land trusts count on the Land Trust Alliance, especially during times of change and uncertainty. In 2025, that support mattered more than ever — and we couldn’t have done it without you. You are vital to helping the Alliance deliver the resources, tools, training and leadership that land trusts need to succeed.

    Together, we are advancing land conservation so that everyone can benefit from protected lands for food, health, clean air and water, climate resilience and more. As we look toward the future, we are grateful for your contributions to ensure that the places we all need and love will be there tomorrow.

    • 250 supporters, land trusts and community members in 25 states visited with Alliance leadership.

    • 287 donors shared feedback through our 2025 donor survey.

    • 838 members, donors and partners engaged in strategic planning surveys and assessments.

    You spoke, we listened

    In 2025, the Alliance engaged in a comprehensive effort to better understand what land trust leaders, donors, partners and staff value most and where the Alliance can have the greatest impact. From our surveys and impact assessments to direct conversations across the country, one message came through clearly: The Alliance’s role as a national connector, advocate and standard-bearer for land conservation matters more than ever.

    After joining the organization in March 2025, new CEO Ashley Demosthenes embarked on a

    nationwide listening tour, meeting directly with land trusts, donors and partners. These conversations reinforced the Alliance’s role as both a national leader and a trusted partner to land trusts on the ground. Four themes emerged:

    Informed by the 300+ stakeholder responses during our search for the Land Trust Alliance’s new CEO, we heard from you in 2025:

    • 250 supporters, land trusts and community members in 25 states visited with Alliance leadership.

    • 287 donors shared feedback through our 2025 donor survey.

    • 838 members, donors and partners engaged in strategic planning surveys and assessments.

    • Advocacy matters.

    • Storytelling is powerful.

    • Leadership development is essential.

    • Partnerships are key.

    “For the conservation community, we know that conservation work is forever work. And we’re in this for the long haul. The places we protect will endure forever.”
    — Ashley Demosthenes, CEO, Land Trust Alliance

    Where focus drives results

    In 2025, the Alliance evaluated our impact through several flagship initiatives, including the Land and Climate Program, the New York State Conservation Partnership Program, capacity-building work in Texas and our recently formed Natural Resources Conservation Service team. The results were clear: When the Alliance can invest deeply in a program, the impact is outsized — accelerating conservation outcomes while strengthening land trusts for the long term.

    Advancing land as a climate solution

    The Alliance’s Land and Climate Program is helping land trusts incorporate climate science and planning into their work. A 2025 evaluation found that the program has provided 230 trainings, 1,900 hours of technical assistance and over $1.2 million in grant funding to land trusts since it launched in 2017. Ninety percent of grantees report an increased capacity to address climate change through new climate strategies, resilience planning and community education.

    “Being part of the Alliance has enabled us to reach higher. The resources, trainings and connections help us innovate, solve problems and build trust. With these tools, we are better able to keep the promise of perpetuity.”
    — Marie Orttenburger, Land Conservancy of West Michigan

    2025 impact in numbers

    Research in 2025 by the Alliance and a team of consultants found that land trusts who engage deeply with our member services protect almost 2x the acres as their less engaged peers over a five-year period. Through grants, leadership development, convening and more, the Alliance is strengthening land trusts, expanding conservation capacity and advancing land protection nationwide.

    • $4,254,643

      awarded through 188 grants to land trusts to expand their conservation capacity and advance on-the-ground projects.

    • 5,302

      registrants across 49 webinars to educate land trust staff, volunteers and board members on the latest topics in land conservation.

    • 4,700

      page views for Alliance online resources about the new federal landscape and potential impacts to land trusts.

    • 1,653

      attendees representing 660+ organizations at Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in Cleveland.

    • 1,415

      participants in 26 peer groups for executive directors, board members, urban conservationists, land stewards and more.

    • 168

      participants at Advocacy Days, the largest ever, representing 40+ states and attending 218 congressional meetings.

    Conserving and stewarding more land in New York

    Since the launch of the New York State Conservation Partnership Program in 2002, the Alliance has helped deliver grants to New York’s land trusts that have conserved 1.4 million acres of farmland, wildlife habitat, recreational land and urban open space. This represents a 346% increase in conserved land — far exceeding what the state would have been able to achieve alone — and demonstrates the power of sustained investment in local conservation capacity.

    Accelerating conservation through capacity-building in Texas

    Recognizing the opportunity to expand conservation in Texas, the Alliance and our partners invested $946,000 in tailored training, direct assistance, coaching and mentoring for 21 land trusts over a 10-year period from 2014- 2024. The result was a $9.3 million increase in participant operating budgets — a 10:1 return on the Texas Advancement Initiative’s investment — unlocking new conservation opportunities across the state.

    A rural scene with a dirt path, cows grazing in a green field, and a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.

    Partnerships for working lands

    The Alliance established its NRCS Conservation Acquisitions Team in 2024 to assist land trusts in obtaining support for working lands conservation through Farm Bill funded programs. NCAT has helped land trusts access $8.2 million in funding to permanently conserve working lands across the country. Through NCAT support, working groups, online learning and other services, the Alliance is benefiting 1 in 3 member land trusts that identify agricultural land as a conservation priority.

    The Land Trust Alliance enters 2026 with renewed energy underpinned by new leadership, a strong and engaged community, and a clear purpose. Guided by what we heard in 2025, we are writing the next chapter of the land trust movement — together.

    The Alliance is developing a new strategic plan that will guide us and the land conservation community forward. This plan will set a bold, shared vision for the next 10 years — one that both our current community and new audiences will rally to achieve. The strategic planning process is designed to be inclusive, transparent and grounded in the needs of land trusts, donors and partners, based in broad engagement from the community. The finalized strategic plan will be announced in the fall of 2026. This process will help focus our work, clarify what success looks like and ensure the Alliance is investing where it can make the greatest difference.

    Connecting, leading and advocating — together

    Opportunities to engage with the Alliance and the land trust community in 2026 include:

    Advocacy Days: April 13–16, Washington, D.C.

    Southeast Land Conservation Conference: April 28-30, Greenville, S.C.

    New York Land Conservation Conference: May 12-13, Glens Falls, N.Y.

    Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference: Sept. 16–19, Denver, Colo.

    A stronger picture of conservation impact

    In January 2026, the Alliance launched the next National Land Trust Census — one of the most comprehensive efforts to measure and understand the collective impact of land trusts nationwide. Results will be shared later in 2026. The Census will provide critical data to:

    • Demonstrate the scale and value of private land conservation.

    • Inform policy, funding and advocacy efforts.

    • Support land trusts in telling their conservation stories.

    Thank you for being part of this work

    Your support makes it possible for the Alliance to strengthen land trusts, elevate conservation at a national scale and protect the places people need and love — now and for generations to come.