A. Board Responsibility Background The board is responsible for establishing the organization’s mission, determining strategic direction and setting policies and priorities to carry out the mission, and, as required by law, the oversight of the organization’s finances and operations. As well, the board should ensure the prevalence of high ethical…

Background The land trust has qualified for federal charitable status and complies with requirements for retaining this status, including prohibitions on private benefits and political campaign activity. If the land trust holds, or intends to hold, conservation agreements, it complies with the applicable enabling provincial legislation. Land trusts that intend…

Background A land trust that raises money and holds conservation agreements is advised to incorporate as a non-profit corporation, following the appropriate provincial or federal incorporation statute. Incorporation is not a prerequisite for obtaining federal (and sometimes provincial) charitable status but provides a legal mechanism that gives the organization separate…

A. Compliance with Laws Background Federal, provincial and local agencies establish laws and regulations applicable to non-profit, charitable organizations. They also establish reporting requirements to monitor compliance with statutes. Knowing and following the law is essential for all land trusts. Canadian courts do not consider ignorance of the law to…

Background The land trust communicates its mission, goals and/or programs to members, donors, landowners, the public, community leaders, conservation organizations and others in its service area and promptly responds to public requests for information about its operations. This practice emphasizes that a land trust must establish public support for its…

Background These are the “planning practices” and specify the need for a clear mission statement and a process, such as a strategic plan, for establishing and evaluating land trust programs. A mission statement is important in that it embodies the work of the land trust, why it exists and how…

A. Ethics Background The land trust upholds high ethical standards through being inclusive and through honesty, openness, transparency, fairness, integrity, and the avoidance of any perceived or actual conflict of interest in its governance and operations, including implementation of its mission. A land trust’s ethical obligations extend from the land…