Private Benefit and Land Trust Work

Have the words “private benefit” come up when preparing for a transaction, finalizing an amendment or approving a new use on an easement or fee property? If so, you know that those words can be some of the scariest a land trust can hear. Join experienced non-profit attorneys Jonathan Blum (Holland & Knight, LLP) and Julia Ma Powers (The Nature Conservancy) as they demystify the concepts of private benefit, private inurement, self-dealing, Unrelated Business Income Tax and commerciality. Created for land trust board and staff, this webinar will introduce the legal topics and then work through hypotheticals, covering scenarios commonly faced by land trusts. 

Here’s a look at what we will cover:

• How to identify situations where there is risk of private inurement and private benefit.

• Strategies to avoid or mitigate legal risk when encountering potential private inurement/benefit issues, including when approving commercial activities on land trust land, donor activities, approving an amendment or in the rare case of paying more than fair market value for land or easement.

• How to document appropriate steps in managing private inurement/benefit to meet accreditation standards.

• Practice strategies learned with real-life scenarios land trusts frequently face.

This event is part of the 2026 Online Learning Pass.

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