BBB Wise Giving Report for
Land Trust Alliance

BBB Wise Giving Report issued October 2007
BBB Wise Giving Report expires October 2009


Does not meet one or more standards
This charity does not meet one or more of the 20 standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Land Trust Alliance
Address: 1331 H Street, NW Suite 400
  Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-638-4725
202-638-4725
Web Address: www.lta.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1982, Massachusetts
Affiliates: Land Trust Accreditation Commission
Stated Purpose: "to benefit private and public organizations that are engaged in land and realted natural resource conservation."

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Evaluation Conclusions

              

Land Trust Alliance (LTA) does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Standard 1: Oversight of Operations and Staff - Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

  • LTA does not meet this Standard because the board of directors did not receive information about the financial arrangements made with an outside fund raising firm and/or consultant hired in the past year.

Standard 6: Board Policy on Effectiveness - Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

  • LTA does not meet this Standard because the board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 16: Annual Report - Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

  • LTA does not meet provision (d)(ii) of this Standard because its annual report does not identify the total amount spent for each of its major program activities.
  • LTA meets the remaining provisions of this Standard. 

Standard 17: Web Site Disclosures - Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

  • LTA does not meet this Standard because its website, www.lta.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not have a breakdown of program expenses for each major program.  The website also does not provide electronic access to the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990.
Land Trust Alliance (LTA) meets the remaining 16 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

              

LTA works to make it possible for more landowners to choose conservation; for more people to learn the art and science of how to save land; and for more land trusts to become strong and effective in saving land. The organization seeks to accelerate the pace of land conservation, to encourage strategic conservation, to ensure the permanence of conservation, and to build strong land trusts. In 2006 LTA reports helping to secure the passage of a new tax incentive for conservation. Also in 2006 the organization embarked on a comprehensive program to ensure the legal defense of conservation easements, a key tool in private land conservation, to ensure that protected land remains protected in perpetuity.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, LTA's program expenses were:

  
Field programs 2,319,921
Training and education 1,600,388
Information and communications 896,930
Public policy 535,089
Accreditation 287,871
Member services 68,307
Total Program Expenses: $5,708,506
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Governance

              

Chief Executive : Rand Wentworth, President
Compensation*:
$246,467

Chair of the Board: Peter Hausmann
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Chair of the Natural Lands Trust

Board Size: 20

Paid Staff Size: 49

*2006 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

              

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, membership appeals, workplace giving, and e-newsletter.
Fund raising costs were 15% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $7,882,685, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
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Tax Status

              

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

              

The following information is based on LTA's audited financial statements (consolidated with Land Trust Accreditation Commission) for the year ended December 31, 2006.

Source of Funds  
Grants 5,914,302
Individual memberships and donations 1,968,383
Conference fees 912,390
Organizational memberships 874,915
Investment income 181,565
Publication sales 115,926
Other programs 23,423
Total Income $9,990,904


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 76%  Fund Raising: 16%  Administrative: 8% 

Total income   $9,990,904
  Program expenses $5,708,506
  Fund raising expenses 1,180,823
  Administrative expenses 581,890
 
Total expenses   $7,471,219
Income in Excess of Expenses   2,519,685
Beginning net assets   5,273,417
Ending net assets   7,793,102
Total liabilities   559,193
Total assets   $8,352,295


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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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