Board Member Boot Camp for Rhode Island Land Trusts

The Land Trust Alliance and Rhode Island Land Trust Council are partnering to offer a five-part series covering the essential roles, functions and responsibilities of land trust board members. The series is designed for board members of Rhode Island land trusts who may be new to being on a board, new to the land trust community or are looking to review some key practices.

Learning sessions will take place from 6-7:15 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 8, 15, 22, 29 and Sept. 5.

• August 8: Land trusts 101 (Virtual)

  Whether you are looking for a refresher or looking to dive deeper in the work that land trusts do in Rhode Island, this session will help you learn the ropes of land trust work and connect you with your peers.

• August 15: Board governance (Virtual)

  To fulfill their duties in overseeing the operations of the organization, nonprofit board members must be fully apprised of their responsibilities and have opportunities to participate. This session will go over what to expect and how to operate as a board member within an organization.

• August 22: Property acquisition (Virtual)

  A land trust is defined by the land it protects. Doing deals means understanding the process from the first landowner conversation all the way to recordation. We’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of the acquisition process, from setting your priorities to closing the deal to recording the deed or easement.

• August 29: Financial management (Virtual)

  Land trusts must be consistent with their annual budgeting, maintaining financial record, preparing financial statements, conducting annual reviews and more when it comes to financial management. We’ll discuss ways to ensure that the financial management practices are transparent and compliant.

• September 5: Stewardship (Virtual)

  When your land trust conserves land, you promise to take care of that land, forever. Stewardship plays a vital role in the continued care and conservation of land trust properties. This session will explore what stewardship means for your land trust.

This training is made possible by generous donors to the Alliance, including the Sharpe Family Foundation, who make it possible for us to offer this high-valued opportunity for only $25 per organization. Please take advantage of this generosity by encouraging as many board members to join from your organization as possible. If this cost is a barrier to your participation, please reach out to Jen Plowden as we have a limited number of scholarships available.

Instructions for registering

Bring your whole board! You only need to register one person from your organization. When registering, please use the “add guest” option to input other participants from your organization or send a list of names and emails to Mariah at mfogg@lta.org.

Participants in Land Trust Alliance events should review and agree to the Alliance Code of Conduct.