Learn Practice Element 6A4: Building and Maintaining Operating Reserves

This guidance covers Practice Element 6A4: Build and maintain sufficient operating reserves to sustain operations.

One size does not fit all when it comes to operating reserves. Despite the importance of the issue, there is no simple formula or benchmark. To answer the question of “how much,” an organization must examine revenue streams and spending levels.

This guidance covers Practice 6A: Fiscal Health.

This document is designed to help land trusts choose accounting software that meets their needs. It includes questions to ask vendors and contains tips for Quickbook users.

Land Trust Standards and Practices, Practice 6A. Fiscal Health, includes five elements. This module addresses Practice 6A3: Assess the nature and variability of revenue and seek to diversify funding sources.

Land Trust Standards and Practices, Practice 5B: Accountability to Donors, includes four elements. This 30-minute module covers the third element:

3. Maintain financial and other systems to document and comply with any donor restrictions on gifts

Land Trust Standards and Practices, Practice 9F: Title Investigation and Recording, includes three elements. This module addresses the third element, 9F3.

This webinar will share innovative ideas for presenting financial reports so board members can better understand the financial picture of your land trust and focus on what is important.   ​ 

This guidance covers Practice Element 6A1: Develop an annual budget that reflects the land trust’s annual programs and activities.

This document lays out the typical steps land trusts take when developing a budget, including projecting income and expenses and identifying fixed and variable expenses and their impact on costs.