North Shore Land Alliance

What North Shore Land Alliance does

North Shore Land Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 2002–2003 and headquartered in Mill Neck, on Long Island's North Shore in New York. Its core function is acquiring and stewarding conservation-worthy land to protect the region's sole-source drinking water aquifer, wildlife habitat, wetlands, and historic landscapes. The organization serves three primary constituencies: local residents who use its 16 nature preserves, trails, and the Roosevelt Community Garden; private landowners who enter conservation easements or sell property for permanent protection (27 easements held to date); and municipalities and government agencies—including Nassau County, the Village of Oyster Bay Cove, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation—that partner on open space planning and acquisition. To date the Land Alliance has protected 1,500 acres, including facilitating 600 acres of local government acquisitions.

The organization's product surface consists of three core service lines—private land conservation, land stewardship, and education/outreach—supported by a proprietary GIS-based conservation planning tool that maps priority areas across more than a dozen Long Island villages using parcel size, location, wetlands, slope, and other environmental variables. It operates a network of ten public preserves including the culturally significant Humes Japanese Stroll Garden, runs programs such as guided nature walks, lecture series, the O'Neil Stewards college internship, the Long Island Water Education Program, and the Roosevelt Community Garden. Its GTM motion is community-led: engaging local supporters through memberships, donations, volunteer programs, and signature events like the annual Wine Auction & Dinner, while partnering with government agencies on grant-funded acquisitions.

The revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: individual donations and recurring memberships, corporate giving and sponsorships, government and foundation grants (NYS DEC, NYS Conservation Partnership Program, Rauch Foundation), special events, and planned/legacy giving. The Land Alliance is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission—one of only 450 of 1,300 U.S. land trusts—and is governed by a Board of Trustees led by Chair Hollis Russell, with Lisa Ott serving as President and CEO since founding.

Name

North Shore Land Alliance

Legal name

North Shore Land Alliance

Website

https://northshorelandalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

North Shore Land Alliance is a 501(c)(3) accredited land trust that has protected 1,500 acres on Long Island's North Shore since 2003 through conservation easements, land acquisition, and stewardship of 16 nature preserves serving local residents, private landowners, and municipal governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easements
• Land stewardship
• Environmental education programs
• Habitat preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oyster Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: The organization relies heavily on individual donations, gift memberships, tribute and memorial gifts, and annual membership renewals from community supporters.
2. Corporate Giving and Sponsorships: Business memberships and corporate sponsorships provide another revenue stream, with companies supporting conservation efforts in exchange for recognition.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Grants from entities such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Conservation Partnership Program, and various foundations support specific conservation projects.
4. Special Events: Annual fundraising events such as the Wine Auction & Dinner generate significant revenue while also engaging the community.
5. Planned Giving and Legacy Donations: Legacy and planned giving programs allow supporters to include the organization in their estate planning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

North Shore Land Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that protects natural, historic, and environmentally sensitive lands on Long Island through private land conservation, conservation easements, fee simple acquisitions, and stewardship of public preserves. The organization owns and manages 16 nature preserves covering 1,500 acres, holds 27 conservation easements, and delivers environmental education, community outreach, and volunteer programs serving local residents, landowners, and municipalities.

Product overview

North Shore Land Alliance is a land trust organization (not a technology company) offering private land conservation, land stewardship, and environmental education services. The organization operates a network of ten nature preserves across Long Island and maintains conservation easements on protected lands. Key programs include the Humes Japanese Stroll Garden (a 7-acre historic Japanese landscape), the Roosevelt Community Garden (in its ninth season), and various educational initiatives including guided nature walks, water education programs, and college internships. The organization facilitates conservation through partnerships with landowners, municipalities, and government agencies, protecting critical lands including forests, wetlands, meadows, and coastal areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Land Conservation

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500 acres of conservation-worthy lands protected on Long Island
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core, major and supporting.

• The Nature ConservancyfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The Nature Conservancy played a key role in the founding of North Shore Land Alliance. Paul Rabinovitch, then Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy, saw a need for a local organization to take on conservation work that TNC was moving away from. TNC also donated properties including Fox Hollow Preserve (2012) and Cordelia H. Cushman Preserve to the Land Alliance.
• Nassau CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNassau County works with the Land Alliance on stewardship of county-owned preserves including Red Cote Preserve and Tiffany Creek Preserve. The county has acquired lands with Environmental Bond Program monies that the Land Alliance subsequently stewarded.
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYS DEC awarded a $1.285M grant through the Water Quality Improvement Project program for the Pulling property acquisition, and previously funded Shore Road Sanctuary restoration through Environmental Protection Fund grants.
• The Trust for Public LandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with the Trust for Public Land on the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception conservation project in Lloyd Harbor, working alongside the Village of Lloyd Harbor, Town of Huntington, and New York State.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension NassausupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Roosevelt Community Garden program and was acknowledged for partnership in Earth Week activities and community education initiatives.
• Hofstra UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Small Farm Summit and Long Island Food Conference events, hosted panel discussions on community gardens, and provided academic support for conservation education.
• Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau CountysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer partner at the Roosevelt Community Garden, with members working together to care for their designated plot during Earth Week activities.
• NielsenIQsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate volunteers who participated in monarch butterfly house installation at Wawapek Preserve, supporting conservation education efforts.
• Theta Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha SororitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner conducting seed-starting workshops at the Roosevelt Community Garden as part of their Enhance Our Environment initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vermont Land Trust: Statewide accredited land trust with a similar preserve, easement, and donor-funded operating model. Comparable in mission, scale of conserved acreage, and reliance on government grants and individual philanthropy to North Shore Land Alliance.
• Peconic Land Trust: Long Island-based regional land trust protecting farmland and natural lands on the East End of Long Island. Operates the same accredited land trust model, government grant funding approach, and conservation easement methodology on the same island, making it a closely comparable regional peer.
• Scenic Hudson: New York-based land trust and advocacy organization that protects land along the Hudson River. Operates the same accredited land trust model focused on water quality, conservation easements, and public access — closely comparable in mission, governance, and funding mix to North Shore Land Alliance.
• The Trust for Public Land: National land conservation organization that works with communities to protect land for public use. The Trust for Public Land is a direct co-development partner of North Shore Land Alliance on the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception project, sharing mission, conservation easement methodology, and government grant funding streams.
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Statewide accredited land trust protecting land along Maine's coast. Operates a similar preserve network, conservation easement portfolio, and donor-funded operating model — a strong analog for understanding North Shore Land Alliance's structure, scale, and growth trajectory.
• Open Space Institute: Regional conservation organization that protects significant landscapes in the northeastern U.S., including New York. Shares the same land acquisition, conservation easement, and grant-funded operating model as North Shore Land Alliance, with overlapping Long Island and Hudson Valley activity.

Others

• Regional Plan Association: Tri-state (NY/NJ/CT) regional planning and advocacy organization focused on open space, land use, and environmental quality. Operates in an adjacent capacity to North Shore Land Alliance on Long Island policy and open space planning.
• The Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization that supports land trusts across the U.S., including administering the Land Trust Accreditation Commission that accredits North Shore Land Alliance. Not a direct operational peer but the central trade and accreditation body for the sector.

Broad incumbents

• Massachusetts Audubon Society: Large regional conservation organization operating wildlife sanctuaries, environmental education programs, and advocacy. Comparable in its preserve network, education programming, and donor-supported model, though substantially larger and broader in scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental organization that played a foundational role in North Shore Land Alliance's creation in 2002 and continues to donate properties (Fox Hollow, Cordelia H. Cushman). Operates the same conservation easement and fee simple acquisition model at a vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthShoreLandAlliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/northshorelandalliance
• Xx.com/landalliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 North Shore Land Alliance