Catawba Lands Conservancy

What Catawba Lands Conservancy does

Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1991 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC. The organization permanently protects land, water, wildlife habitat, farmland, and natural areas across a 15-county service area spanning the Southern Piedmont and lower Catawba River basin in North and South Carolina. Its core work consists of negotiating and holding conservation easements, acquiring property, and stewarding protected lands, with cumulative conserved acreage exceeding 18,800 acres, 161 miles of protected waterfrontage, and 3,350 acres of preserved farmland. CLC also serves as the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, a regional network of more than 435 miles of open trails, greenways, and blueways connecting over 2 million citizens.

The organization's core technology stack centers on geographic information systems and mapping tools used to track conservation properties and plan trail network expansion. Programmatic offerings include the Catawba Grasslands Project for habitat restoration, NeighborWoods tree planting with TreesCharlotte, the Spencer Mountain River Access paddler pass program, the Jenner Wood V Citizen Science Program, and signature events such as Clays for Conservation and Trail Forum. CLC's go-to-market is community-led: the organization engages landowners through direct outreach to negotiate easements, cultivates volunteer stewardship and trail-building labor, and runs corporate partnership and event programming to drive engagement and donations.

CLC is funded by a diversified nonprofit revenue base rather than commercial sales. Income streams include individual and corporate donations across tiered membership levels (Catawba Society and Catawba Corps affinity groups), foundation and corporate grants (notably Foundation For The Carolinas, Duke Energy, Wells Fargo, Knight Foundation, and the Women's Impact Fund), government funding through NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, and the federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, planned giving via bequests and trusts, and event revenue. Customer-facing segments span private landowners donating easements, county and municipal government partners, corporate sponsors, schools and youth organizations, and the general public using trails and preserves.

Name

Catawba Lands Conservancy

Legal name

Catawba Lands Conservancy

Website

https://catawbalands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catawba Lands Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust founded in 1991 in Charlotte, NC that permanently protects land, water, wildlife, and farmland across 15 counties in North and South Carolina, holding over 18,800 acres under conservation easement and leading the 435-mile Carolina Thread Trail regional network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easement management
• Trail network stewardship
• Habitat preservation programs
• Farmland preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and membership programs. Donors can contribute at various levels including Catawba Society and Catawba Corps affinity groups.
2. Grants and Government Funding: CLC receives funding from foundations (Women's Impact Fund, Duke Energy Water Fund), government trust funds (NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund), and federal programs (Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program).
3. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: The organization offers planned giving options including bequests and trusts, as well as stock and mutual fund donations for legacy gifts.
4. Event Revenue: Signature events including Clays for Conservation, Trail Forum, and National Trails Day generate community engagement and fundraising opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Catawba Lands Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust that permanently protects land, water, wildlife habitat, and farmland across a 15-county region in North and South Carolina through conservation easements and direct land acquisition. The organization also serves as the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, a regional network spanning 435+ miles of trails connecting more than 2 million citizens.

Product overview

Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC) is a nonprofit land trust offering land conservation services and managing the Carolina Thread Trail regional network. The organization provides conservation easements, preserves natural areas, and operates citizen science programs including the Jenner Wood V Citizen Science Program. Key programs include the Catawba Grasslands Project for habitat restoration, Spencer Mountain River Access for paddling, and signature events like Clays for Conservation and Trail Forum. The conservancy serves six counties in North Carolina and leads the 15-county Carolina Thread Trail initiative spanning North and South Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carolina Thread Trail: A regional network of trails, greenways and blueways focused on linking more than two million citizens through 15 counties in North and South Carolina.
• Jenner Wood V Citizen Science Program

Products and services

• Land Conservation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,800 acres of land conserved permanently for public benefit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Great Outdoor Provision Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Land Trust Day events where a portion of sales proceeds are donated to CLC. Store location at Park Road Shopping Center in Charlotte.
• City of CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Tree Canopy Preservation Program; donated conservation easements on forestland; partnership for greenway development and tree planting initiatives.
• TreesCharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLC leads the NeighborWoods program, planting 3,500 trees annually in Charlotte neighborhoods. Initiative to increase city tree canopy by 50% by 2050.
• ReVenture Park / Forsite Development Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for Long Creek Conservation Area stewardship. Brownfield redevelopment site adjacent to conserved land.
• Clariant CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting conservation near their sites. Donated 1997 conservation easement involving 17 acres at Long Creek Bluff.
• The North Carolina ArboretumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for ecoEXPLORE citizen science program at CLC preserves. Incentive-based community science project for children K-8.
• Mecklenburg County Park and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with CLC on citizen science events including Moth Nights at Eastover Ridge Preserve.
• NC Wildlife FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wildlife habitat protection and recognition. ReVenture Park received Wildlife and Industry Together (WAIT) certification.
• NC Forest ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on prescribed burns and forest management. Worked with NCFS on Piedmont Oak Savanna habitat restoration at Buffalo Creek Preserve.
• NC Biodiversity ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiodiversity experts consulted on rare moth sightings and species identification at CLC preserves.
• Carolina Raptor CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRehabilitation center for injured raptors. Released rehabilitated barred owl at Long Creek Conservation Area.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks/trails for public access. Overlaps with CLC's conservation easement and Carolina Thread Trail mission but at much greater scale and geography.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that acquires and conserves land for working forests, farms, and public access. Competes for federal and foundation conservation funding across the same Southern landscape.
• The Nature Conservancy (NC Chapter): Global conservation organization with active NC operations, broader portfolio, and significantly larger resources. Competes with CLC for major foundation and corporate conservation dollars in the same region.

Direct peers

• Piedmont Land Conservancy: Greensboro-based North Carolina land trust operating across the Piedmont with a similar conservation-easement and stewardship model. Comparable in scope, headcount, and donor-base profile to CLC.
• Three Rivers Land Trust: Regional North Carolina land trust conserving farmland, forests, and waterways. Most direct peer given overlapping Piedmont-region land-conservation mission, easement-driven model, and similar reliance on government and foundation grants.
• Triangle Land Conservancy: Durham-based NC land trust protecting land across the Research Triangle. Direct peer operating a multi-county conservation easement portfolio and public trail network similar to CLC's Carolina Thread Trail.
• Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina: North Carolina land trust focused on the western foothills and Catawba watershed. Direct regional peer with overlapping conservation priorities and easement-driven model.

Emerging players

• MountainTrue: Western North Carolina conservation nonprofit focused on forests, rivers, and public lands. Partial overlap with CLC's stewardship and advocacy work but different geographic focus, making it more of an adjacent peer than a direct competitor.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: National trail-advocacy nonprofit that recently invested in CLC (2025-10-06 funding round). Strong overlap with the Carolina Thread Trail mission and a likely partner/funder for CLC's trail expansion going forward.

Regional players

• Coastal Land Trust: North Carolina coastal-region land trust with a comparable conservation-easement model. Same nonprofit land-trust category but focused on a different geography, so direct competition is limited.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CatawbaLands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catawba-lands-conservancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Catawba Lands Conservancy