Summary
The Land Trust Service Center’s Technical Assistance Program aims to improve the quality
and increase the quantity of conservation acquisition projects in Pennsylvania by building the
organizational capacities of voluntary land conservation organizations. The program accomplishes this by providing technical assistance—directly from staff and by facilitating assistance from conservation peers and private consultants.
Whether your land trust’s need requires five minutes on the telephone or many days of in-depth consulting work, the Land Trust Service Center may be able to help. We can help
you to define your need, match you with a service provider, and then substantially fund the necessary services.
Organizations may ask for help at any time.
Focus of Assistance
Technical assistance available to organizations can be classified into three broad categories:
- strengthening the organization’s base
- building a strategic and enduring land conservation program
- using a conservation project as a general training tool.
Specific examples of eligible assistance projects are given below.
Strengthening the Organization’s Base
- Basic guidance on organizational development issues
- Strategic planning
- Training in board effectiveness or board development
- Nonprofit management training
- Fundraising planning
- Membership development
- Assessment of organization vis-à-vis LTA Land Trust Standards & Practices
- Implementation of LTA Land Trust Standards & Practices
- Guidance on starting a land trust
- Exploration and feasibility study of collaboration or merger by land trusts
Building a Strategic and Enduring Land Conservation Program
- Basic guidance on structuring and implementing land and conservation easement acquisition projects
- Information on conservation options and issues
- Developing acquisition project selection criteria
- Developing a conservation acquisition priority plan (utilizing existing data rather
than creating new biological inventories and the like)
- Developing a landowner outreach program
- Building a stewardship program
- Public outreach and education
Using a Conservation Project as a General Training Tool
- Assistance in structuring, negotiating and completing a fee land or conservation easement acquisition that is of a complexity never dealt with by the organization previously. The assistance must be as much focused on educating organization staff or volunteers as it
is on completing the transaction.
Who Are the Service Providers?
Services can be provided by:
- Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) staff
- peers at other land trusts and nonprofit organizations
- private consultants.
PALTA will work with the conservation organization to identify a service provider or providers that can best meet the organization’s needs.
Money Details
Up to 36 hours of direct assistance from Pennsylvania Land Trust Association staff is generally free of charge.
The Land Trust Service Center will cover up to ninety percent of other service provider
assistance. The organization is required to supply a cash match of at least ten percent of
the total service costs.
Peer and other service providers are strongly encouraged to hold their billing to
$30/hour for assistance rendered under this program. The portion of any fee in excess of
$30/hour is the sole responsibility of the benefiting organization.
Service providers can bill for hours of service as well as for out-of-pocket expenses such as
mileage and printing.
All commitments by a service provider and an organization including completion of the project scope of work must be satisfied prior to PALTA cutting a check for the services.
The Land Trust Service Center places a cap on technical assistance to any one organization. The cap presently stands at $5000 in service provider costs annually, excluding PALTA staff time.
Features of a Good Request
Preference will be given to proposals that have the following features:
- A clear plan to build local expertise
- Heavy board involvement and interest
- Services will help the organization achieve compliance with a Land Trust Alliance Standard & Practice
- Low cost to the LTSC
- Sufficient funding is not readily available from other sources
- Assistance will help in implementing LTSC funder priorities
- Service provider holds to the recommended $30/hour rate
Ineligible Funding Items
The program’s role is to provide technical assistance directly by PALTA staff and facilitate
assistance from conservation peers and private consultants. The program does not fund equipment purchases, printing, and mailing expenses, or the like. Also, it does not fund an organization’s staff time associated with the technical assistance.
The Center does not subsidize activities that an organization has been able to accomplish previously without the Center’s help.
The Process
Step 1. Organizations interested in requesting assistance should call the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association. The request will be discussed, and PALTA staff will help the caller refine the request if appropriate. In some cases, staff may suggest a broader exploration of the organization’s issues and needs as a precursor to the pursuit of specific
assistance.
If the request fits within the program’s guidelines, goals, budgetary limits and priorities, PALTA will try to help. If feasible, staff will provide the necessary assistance over the telephone
immediately or soon after. If the matter is something that cannot be handled by PALTA, staff will work with the caller to identify suitable service providers.
Step 2. The organization works with the chosen service provider(s) to develop a scope of work, budget and timeline for the services needed. The land trust consults with PALTA during this process to ensure that the workplan is efficient, effective and satisfactory for
funding.
Step 3. The organization reaches agreement with the service provider and commits matching funds for the project. The organization then submits a simple application, and PALTA reviews it. If and when a notice of approval is issued, the organization proceeds.
Forms
Click on any of the following to download to your computer:
Application Form
40 KB MS Word file or 108 KB PDF file
Do not complete this form without first talking with PALTA staff. The
form can be filled out on the computer and then printed.
Evaluation Form
28 KB MS Word file or 60 KB PDF file
To be completed at the close of the project. The form can be filled out on the computer and then printed.
Technical Assistance Program brochure
1.5 MB PDF file
The materials presented on this page in an 8.5x14 brochure form. This is a several megabyte PDF file, so please think twice before downloading it.
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