2024 land trust grant Fund recipients

Momentum Conservation is thrilled to announce the 29 recipients of the 2024 Land Trust Grant Fund Program. These Maine land trusts were awarded general operating support ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Throughout the review process, Momentum prioritized applicants that are: working to center justice, open to trying new things, expressing vulnerability through sharing learnings, and committed to challenging colonial systems in conservation. 

We read about challenges and barriers to achieving missions and goals that included competitive land and housing prices, differing levels of comfort with change, staff turnover, and lack of organizational capacity and funding opportunities. We also learned about many amazing projects across the state including organizations partnering with community groups to support inclusive gatherings, focusing on housing, prioritizing creative solutions for accessibility, centering equity in hiring practices, and committing resources to staff development. 

This annual grant program will open for applications again in spring 2025. 

Program Goals:

  • Strengthen the land trust community’s governance, leadership, strategic planning, financial stability, programming, and organizational development.
  • Help land trusts integrate equity and inclusion in their organizational policies, practices, and programming.
  • Position land trusts to broaden their membership, including by engaging BIPOC, low-income people, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities.
  • Support land trusts in developing additional social capital and infrastructure by facilitating connections to share lessons, opportunities, and growth.
  • Ensure that conservation is rooted in community, and that conserved land is accessible to the broadest range of communities for meaningful experience.

Below is a list of the 2024 Land Trust Grant Fund Program grantees: 

Blue Hill Heritage Trust
Bomazeen Land Trust
Brunswick Topsham Land Trust
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Downeast Coastal Conservancy
Downeast Lakes Land Trust
Falmouth Land Trust
Francis Small Heritage, Inc
Frenchman Bay Conservancy
Georges River Land Trust
Great Works Regional Land Trust
Greater Portland Community Land Trust
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust
Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
Kittery Land Trust, Inc.
Land In Common, Inc.
Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Midcoast Conservancy
Presumpscot Regional Land Trust
Saco Valley Land Trust
Scarborough Land Trust
Sebasticook Regional Land Trust
South Portland Land Trust
Three Rivers Land Trust
Viles Arboretum
Western Foothills Land Trust
York Land Trust