The Finger Lakes Land Trust

Name

The Finger Lakes Land Trust

Legal name

Finger Lakes Land Trust, Inc.

Website

https://fllt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Nature preserves
• Conservation easements
• Watershed protection
• Nonprofit land trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: Annual membership donations from individuals and families supporting conservation work
2. Planned Giving: Bequests through wills, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities for long-term legacy giving
3. General Donations: One-time and recurring cash gifts, stock donations, donor-advised fund grants, and tribute gifts in honor or memory of loved ones
4. Land Donations: Outright gifts of real estate and conservation easements where landowners donate property or development rights for tax benefits while retaining ownership
5. Memorial Bench Program: Aldo Leopold Memorial Benches placed at nature preserves for a $5,000 donation with personalized plaques
6. Recurring Giving: Automatic monthly, quarterly, or annual gifts through credit card recurring payments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Finger Lakes Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization that permanently protects lands and waters in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. It creates and manages 45+ public nature preserves, holds conservation easements on private lands, and runs watershed protection initiatives to combat harmful algal blooms. The organization also operates the Go Finger Lakes outdoor recreation platform and engages 2,000+ members and 200+ volunteers in conservation programs.

Product overview

The Finger Lakes Land Trust operates as a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on land and water protection. Core offerings include nature preserves (45+) and conservation easements for private landowners seeking to protect their land permanently. The organization provides volunteer opportunities through Trailblazer programs and educational hikes via the Talks & Treks series. Its Go Finger Lakes recreation platform promotes outdoor activities across the region. Additional offerings include publications (The Land Steward quarterly newsletter, The Living Land monthly email), memorial bench programs, the Aldo Leopold Society leadership giving circle, conservation videos, and educational content including the A Closer Look article series and Toxic Algae Information Hub. All programs support the mission to conserve forever the lands and waters of the Finger Lakes region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Go Finger Lakes: Outdoor recreation website created by the Finger Lakes Land Trust to promote recreation and conservation, featuring interactive maps of hiking, biking, paddling, skiing, and outdoor adventure destinations across the region.

Products and services

• Nature Preserves Over 45 nature preserves created by the Finger Lakes Land Trust, free and open to the public 365 days a year for quiet recreation including hiking, paddling, birding, and family outings.
• Conservation Easements Voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future development to protect land's conservation value while remaining available for traditional uses such as forestry and hunting. Landowners retain ownership rights while deriving tax benefits.
• Go Finger Lakes Recreation Platform Free outdoor recreation website created by the Finger Lakes Land Trust promoting hiking, biking, paddling, skiing, and outdoor adventure destinations across the Finger Lakes region with an interactive map of 50+ destinations.
• Aldo Leopold Society Leadership giving society recognizing Land Trust members who make unrestricted gifts of $1,000 or more, with annual reception and special outings on protected properties.
• Aldo Leopold Memorial Bench Program Handcrafted Leopold-style memorial benches placed at designated locations within nature preserves, honoring loved ones with personalized plaques. Includes installation, 3-year maintenance, and repair.
• Trailblazer Volunteer Program Volunteer corps that assists with outdoor field work at nature preserves including clearing trails, climbing hills, building kiosks or bridges, collecting litter, and controlling non-native invasive plants.
• Talks & Treks Educational Series Educational hike program where knowledgeable leaders guide participants through preserves, covering topics in ecology, geology, plants, animals, and natural history of the region.
• The Land Steward Newsletter Quarterly print newsletter featuring the latest news on conservation activities and articles on the nature of the Finger Lakes region, provided to members.
• Emerald Necklace Conservation Initiative Greenbelt of protected lands around the south end of Cayuga Lake linking more than 50,000 acres of conservation land including state forests, national forest, FLLT preserves, and 78 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail.
• 5-Point Water Quality Initiative Strategic plan to expand water protection efforts including lakeshores, stream buffers, wetlands, and partnerships with lake associations to combat harmful algal blooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ acres conserved forever
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Finger Lakes Trail ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for maintaining and managing the Finger Lakes Trail system that runs through the Emerald Necklace and other conservation lands. The trail extends from Allegany State Park to the Catskill Forest Preserve with branch trails throughout the region.
• Cayuga Trails ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrail maintenance partnership for the 78 miles of Finger Lakes Trail passing through the Emerald Necklace. The club maintains this stretch of the FLT.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment conservation agency partner for time-sensitive land acquisitions and cooperative projects. Includes 19 cooperative acquisition projects in the Emerald Necklace since 2006, expanding state forests and wildlife management areas.
• New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for conservation acquisitions and land protection projects including support for preserve creation.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner with FLLT and Skaneateles Lake Association to combat harmful algal blooms (HABs) and safeguard the Skaneateles watershed.
• Skaneateles Lake AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLake association partner in coalition to combat harmful algal blooms and protect water quality in Skaneateles Lake.
• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational land trust association that provides accreditation through its independent Land Trust Accreditation Commission, setting standards for excellence and conservation permanence.
• EarthShareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkplace giving campaign partner that raises funding through environmental workplace giving campaigns on behalf of FLLT nationwide.
• United WayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorkplace giving partner allowing employees to support conservation through payroll deductions via United Way campaigns.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Genesee Land Trust: Western New York regional land trust operating a comparable model of conservation easements plus fee-owned nature preserves open to the public, with similar headcount scale and LTA accreditation focus. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping geography (Rochester-adjacent) and program mix.
• Central New York Conservancy: Central NY accredited land trust protecting forests, farmland, and water resources across multiple counties with conservation easements and public preserves; similar scale, mission, and revenue model (membership + grants) makes it a tight functional peer.
• Saratoga Preservation (Saratoga PLAN): Saratoga County NY land trust protecting natural, agricultural, and cultural resources via easements and public preserves; comparable headcount and program mix, especially its blend of trail networks and easement stewardship.
• Adirondack Land Trust: New York statewide LTA-accredited land trust conserving forests, farmland, and waterfront in the Adirondack region; nearly identical service model (easements + preserves + volunteer corps) at broadly similar scale, making it the strongest regional peer.
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Large New England coastal land trust operating a similar preserve-and-easement model with strong water-quality and public-access focus; useful scaled-up benchmark for FLLT's trajectory.
• Vermont Land Trust: Statewide Vermont land trust with a significantly larger conserved-acre portfolio but the same core model of conservation easements plus public-access preserves; represents the scaled-up analog of FLLT's playbook.
• Lake Champlain Land Trust: Vermont/New York accredited land trust conserving natural areas and farmland around Lake Champlain via easements and preserves; highly comparable model with parallel water-quality focus driving its mission.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust: NY accredited land trust focused on Tug Hill region's forests, farms, and waters using easements and public preserves; very similar operating profile and revenue model to FLLT.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (NY Chapter): Global environmental nonprofit that actively holds conservation easements and acquires preserve land across New York and collaborates with FLLT on the Skaneateles HAB coalition; competes for major donor dollars and grants even as it partners on projects.
• Trust for Public Land: National land-conservation nonprofit operating across the U.S. that runs conservation finance, easement programs, and public-park initiatives; a broader incumbent peer competing for similar foundation and corporate funding pools while occasionally co-acquiring conservation land in FLLT's geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FLLandTrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_xIhofCZ5edXDlIs53PvOg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/FingerLakesLandTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/fingerlakeslandtrust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Finger Lakes Land Trust