Land Trusts Explore Merging to Achieve Scale

The Western Wisconsin Land Trust (WWLT), the Kinnickinic River Land Trust (KRLT), and the Bayfield Regional Conservancy (BRC) were each land trusts working to conserve the natural landscape in western Wisconsin. All three had been in business for many years and were well-known locally, but they faced challenges with staffing, outreach, and fundraising. The nonprofits decided to explore merging, hoping to achieve both higher conservation impact in the region and long-term financial stability. The SeaChange-Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration provided a grant to help fund a consultant to facilitate the exploration. As a result, WWLT and BRC decided to merge, forming Landmark Conservancy, which serves twenty counties in western Wisconsin.

Grant Information

Grant Amount: $5,000

Year Granted: 2016

Grantee: Western Wisconsin Land Trust

Location: WI - Wisconsin

Grantee Website: Landmark Conservancy