Dear ,
As we launch into summer there
are important developments at the Commission. In May we bid a fond farewell to
commissioner Jennifer Lorenz (TX) and welcomed commissioner-elect Cary Leptuck (PA) as a voting member. We
will also be welcoming four new commissioners in the next several
months. Sadly, Henrietta Jordan, our extraordinary review manager, will be leaving
us this summer. Her position will be posted on our website soon.
We know
that many land trusts are eager to apply for accreditation. We are happy to announce
that we will be opening registration for 2010 rounds 1 and 2 on August 4, 2009.
We will not be opening 2010 round 3 registration at that time.
We are pleased
that The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is also interested in applying for accreditation
and considering an application late in 2010. Given the size and scope of an application
from an organization such as TNC, the number of other applications that can be
reviewed concurrently needs to be determined. We will open round 3 when we have
more information, likely by early next year.
Regards, 
Tammara Van Ryn
Executive Director Back to top
2010 Accreditation Registration to Open in August Registration to apply for accreditation in rounds 1
and 2 of 2010 will open on August 4, 2009. This is a required first step
in the application process. Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
We have made important changes to the program requirements, shifting some requirements
to the registration and pre-application stages in order to help foster successful
applications.
If you are considering applying for accreditation in 2010
now is the time to start preparing and acquainting yourself with the new registration
requirements (see last page of the registration fact sheet or
the June 2009 edition of the Applicant Handbook). For example,
make sure you have completed your assessment and that you have adopted all the required policies.
Slots
are still open for 2009 round 3. Please note, if your organization plans to register
for round 3 of this year, registration for round
3 will close at 5:00pm EDT on Monday, August 3. If you plan to apply for
accreditation in 2009 you must complete the registration process on or before
August 3. Back to top
New Commissioners Announced We are excited to welcome four
new commissioners to the accreditation program. We look forward to working with
Tom Duffus, Kevin McGorty, Steve Swartz and Jessica Whittaker as they fill positions
soon to be vacated by outgoing commissioners. Each brings to the Commission a
wealth of expertise and experience in land conservation. Read
more. Back to top
Upcoming Webinars on Accreditation The Commission hosts free webinars
throughout the year to provide information on different topics related to accreditation.
Whether you are already registered to apply in 2009 or are just learning about
the accreditation program, we hope to provide useful information on the program
through these webinars and to provide an opportunity for you to ask your burning
questions.
Reserve your spot today for one of our upcoming webinars:
Thursday,
July 16, 2009 | 12:00 pm Eastern and
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 3:00 pm Eastern
In-Depth:
The Application Process
Please visit the webinar page on our website for more information
on these upcoming webinars, as well as the downloadable presentations from our
past webinars.
Back to top
 12
Months – 12 Standards – 12 Tips: Standard 6
Each
month in 2009 we’ll bring you an application tip relating to one of the
12 standards from Land Trust Standards and Practices. This month’s tip comes from Standard
6, in particular practice 6B. Financial Records, and is drawn from Land Trust
Alliance materials.
Why is it important?
When
a land trust receives a donation or grant, it may come with restrictions on the
use of the funds. As part of its obligation to the public, a land trust –
like all non-profits – must ensure that it is upholding its promise to the
donor as to how it will use those funds. The Financial Accounting Standards Board
(FASB), which sets national standards for financial accounting, designates three
classifications of funds depending on the type of donor restrictions: unrestricted,
temporarily restricted or permanently restricted.
For example, if a land
trust receives a general membership contribution, those funds may have been donated
with the understanding that they could be used for any activity that supports
the land trust’s work – these funds are unrestricted.
Temporarily
restricted contributions are restricted for a period of time or for a particular
use. For example, when a land trust solicits a gift for stewardship and defense
funds these may be considered temporarily restricted. The land trust may be able
to use the principal to defend an easement.
Many land trusts have established
endowments to which donors make a contribution with the understanding that those
funds are permanently restricted. In this
case, the principal may not be used and only the income from the fund may be spent.
How is it documented?
An applicant
is able to show that it is appropriately tracking and using its dedicated funds
in a number of ways. The Commission will review the applicant’s supporting
materials – in the application and in the project documentation –
for evidence that restrictions on dedicated funds are being honored and that its
communications with donors are honest and forthright. Below are examples of the
types of documentation an applicant can provide; the Commission does not expect
every applicant to have every document. Applicants should include materials that
best show how they implement the practice. See the Applicant Handbook and application
for accreditation for more about required documents.
- Donor solicitation and acknowledgment
letters.
- Accounting
policies and procedures.
- Restricted, temporarily restricted and unrestricted fund balances on
the Form 990 and annual audit or other financial statements.
- Investment policies. (See the Commission’s
Guidance Document on the
required policies for accreditation.)
- Finance or other board committee minutes or notes.
- Other documentation
of fund uses and restrictions.
For more on this and other elements
of Standard 6: Financial and Asset Management, visit The Learning Center, an online resource available
from the Land Trust Alliance, in particular Determining
Stewardship Costs and Raising and Managing Dedicated Funds and the upcoming
course on Financial Management.
Back to top
This email was sent to: archive_email@informz.netLand Trust
Accreditation Commission
112 Spring St., Suite 204
Saratoga Springs, NY
12866-3302
518-587-3143
info@landtrustaccreditation.org The Land
Trust Accreditation Commission awards the accreditation seal to community institutions
that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and
working lands forever. The Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust
Alliance established in 2006, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land
conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. For more
information please visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. If you wish to opt-out from receiving the Accreditation Update e-mails,
click
here. If you prefer to unsubscribe from
all Land Trust Accreditation Commission and Land Trust Alliance e-mails, click
here. To subscribe, send an e-mail to info@landtrustaccreditation.org with 'subscribe
- eNewsletter' in the subject line. Include your name and e-mail address in the
message.
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"The
accreditation process was a challenging one, but the net result is that the policies
and procedures we've put in place will make us a more effective, and credible,
steward of the natural resources we are committed to protecting."
Warren Miller, Land Trust for Santa Barbara County
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PUBLIC
COMMENTS ON CURRENT APPLICANTS | The Commission
is currently accepting comments from the public on all current applicants for
accreditation. For a complete list of current applicants and to submit a comment,
please .
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