Land Trust boosts its presence with Trillium Fund grant

The head of the Northumberland Land Trust (NLT) says it was able to use a Trillium Foundation grant to bring more attention to its efforts and to boost fundraising toward its land preservation cause.

“With the OTF grant, the Northumberland Land Trust was able to hire Peterborough-based V-Formation, a fundraising and communications firm,” says Rob Kennedy, president of the NLT.

“We had an increase in volunteer requests, successful grant applications and an increase in donations.”

Northumberland — Peterborough South MPP David Piccini recently attended NLT’s volunteer appreciation event to formally congratulate them on the $45,300 Resilient Communities Fund grant it received in 2023 through the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

The NLT has experienced some of its fastest growth in land donations and fundraising. The OTF grant allowed NLT to hire a fundraising and communications consultant to lead the development of annual fundraising and communications plans.

The NLT relies on volunteers and donations to do its work. In 2023, membership and individual donations increased 69 per cent and stewardship donations increased 58 per cent. Corporate and foundation donations increased more than tenfold.

“I am glad that our government is investing in Northumberland Land Trust as it is the foundation of our community’s way to protect and preserve our province’s biodiversity” said Piccini.

“The Ontario Government will continue to support crucial organizations, like Northumberland Land Trust, to ensure that communities across Ontario have access to nature, while maintaining and conserving it.

The grant also enabled NLT to purchase digital ads and help with the costs for an annual customer relationship management data system.

The NLT holds free nature walks, a birding marathon and prescribed burns, as well as stewardship activities such as removing invasive species and forest management.

The NLT has a mandate to establish, maintain and manage protected areas. A not-for-profit, charitable organization, the NLT accepts donations of land, enters into conservation agreements for the permanent protection of natural landscapes, forests, farms and waterways and provides public education and information on land conservation tools.

The trust also raises funds to purchase local land for the purposes of conservation. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors representing a cross section of the community including landowners, farmers, business people and professionals.

People can donate through the NLT’s website at nltrust.ca or email at [email protected].