Greenbelt Land Trust

What Greenbelt Land Trust does

Greenbelt Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon. It acquires and permanently protects ecologically and agriculturally significant lands in the Willamette Valley, working across Benton, Linn, Marion, Polk, Yamhill, and parts of Clackamas and Lane Counties. Core activities include land acquisition through purchase, conservation easements, and donations; long-term stewardship following 20-30 year management plans; habitat restoration for prairies, wetlands, riparian forests, and oak savannas; and community engagement through events, volunteer programs (e.g., Thursday Volunteer Stewards), educational outreach with local schools, and the Mighty Acorns Kids Club. The Trust has cumulatively protected over 6,200 acres and was one of the first out of 1,200 U.S. land trusts to achieve national accreditation in 2008.

The organization operates on a nonprofit revenue model with no products or services sold. Income is derived from three primary streams: charitable donations and membership subscriptions; planned giving and stock donations through the Heritage Circle program; and grant funding from federal and state agencies including the Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Meyer Memorial Trust, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Trust claims a 1:13 leverage ratio in which each dollar of community contributions attracts approximately $13 in grant funding. Notable acquisitions include Bald Hill Farm (587 acres, 2013), Mulkey Ridge Forest (170 acres, 2015), Santiam Kingston Hills (406 acres, 2018), and Kingston Prairie Preserve (155 acres transferred from The Nature Conservancy in 2018). The team of 9+ staff is led by Executive Director Jessica McDonald (since 2020) and supported by a network of board, volunteers, and partner organizations including the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.

Name

Greenbelt Land Trust

Legal name

Greenbelt Land Trust

Website

https://greenbeltlandtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greenbelt Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that permanently protects ecologically and agriculturally significant lands across the Willamette Valley in Oregon, serving private landowners, community members, and students through conservation easements, stewardship, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Land stewardship
• Habitat protection
• Nonprofit land trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Corvallis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, membership programs providing newsletter, event invitations, and voting rights to elect Board of Directors
2. Planned Giving and Estate Planning: Legacy gifts, bequests, planned giving options including stock donations and Heritage Circle planned giving program
3. Grant Funding: Funding from federal and state agencies including Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Meyer Memorial Trust, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Greenbelt Land Trust permanently protects ecologically and agriculturally significant lands in Oregon's Willamette Valley through purchase, conservation easements, and donations. It acquires and stewards over 6,200 acres across seven counties, manages habitat restoration and long-term stewardship programs, and engages the community through events, volunteer programs, and educational initiatives. The Trust is funded through donations, memberships, planned giving, and grants from federal, state, and private partners.

Product overview

Greenbelt Land Trust is a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization focused on protecting and preserving the Willamette Valley for a resilient future. The organization offers land conservation services (acquiring land through purchase, conservation easements, and donations), land stewardship with comprehensive management plans, and public engagement programs including events/tours, volunteer opportunities, educational outreach, and membership. Key programs include the Mighty Acorns Kids Club for children, Heritage Circle planned giving, stock donation services, and the Connecting People to Nature educational initiative. The Trust has protected over 6,200 acres across Benton, Linn, Marion, Polk, Yamhill, and parts of Clackamas and Lane Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Conservation Services Acquires and protects land in Oregon's Willamette Valley through purchase, conservation easements, and donations, working with landowners to develop protection strategies that meet conservation and financial goals.
• Land Stewardship Maintains and enhances habitats on protected properties following comprehensive 20-30 year Management Plans, including restoring floodplain forests, enhancing prairies, growing native seed, and integrating cattle grazing with endangered species protection.
• Events and Tours Year-round public events including habitat restoration workdays, guided property tours (such as turtle tours at Harkens Lake), educational workshops, and volunteer activities covering archaeology, geology, migratory birds, floodplain restoration, and prairie ecology.
• Volunteer Programs Thursday Volunteer Stewards regular habitat restoration and trail maintenance program, public work parties, and individual volunteer opportunities including trail scouting, maintenance, and mowing, plus private group work parties.
• Mighty Acorns Kids Club Children's club providing a welcome packet and invitations to Greenbelt's family-friendly events and special Mighty Acorns events, connecting kids to nature and conservation.
• Membership and Donations Membership program offering newsletters, event invitations, volunteer opportunities, and voting rights to elect Board of Directors, with monthly sustaining memberships and gift memberships available.
• Estate Planning and Planned Giving Heritage Circle planned giving program for donors who include Greenbelt in their estate plans, offering tax advantages and special recognition, including options for gifts of appreciated securities.
• Stock Donations Program accepting donations of appreciated securities (stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares), allowing donors to receive tax deductions while avoiding capital gains on appreciated assets.
• Connecting People to Nature Educational programming partnering with local schools, teachers, and organizations including Marys River Watershed Council and Institute for Applied Ecology to provide hands-on environmental learning using protected lands as learning laboratories for students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,200 acres permanently protected
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborative partnership transferring Kingston Prairie Preserve (155 acres) to align conservation partners and priorities across Oregon. Previous partner on Philomath Prairie conservation.
• Oregon Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program funds from BPA. Strategic partner on wildlife habitat conservation across multiple properties.
• Benton County Natural Areas and ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership on managing and protecting natural areas including Jackson Frazier Wetlands, Fitton Green Natural Area, and conservation corridor development.
• City of CorvalliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Bald Hill Natural Area, Owens Farm acquisition, and Open Space Bond Measure (2000) that led to permanent protection of 5 key properties.
• Marys River Watershed CouncilsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Evergreen property enabling hundreds of middle school students to use the property as a learning laboratory.
• Institute for Applied EcologysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Evergreen property restoration and Bald Hill Natural Area restoration. Collaborates on prairie habitat restoration for endangered species.
• Confederated Tribes of the Grand RondecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized as active members of the sovereign nations. The tribes own adjacent conservation properties near Kingston Prairie and Santiam Kingston Hills.
• Land Trust Accreditation CommissioncoreOthersNational organization that awarded Greenbelt Land Trust national accreditation in 2008, recognizing exemplary policies and practices.
• EarthsharesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partner allowing employees to donate to Greenbelt Land Trust through payroll deductions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Ecotrust: Pacific Northwest nonprofit working at the intersection of environment, economy, and equity, including native land conservation and stewardship in Oregon. Comparable in regional scope and nonprofit structure but broader than pure land conservation.
• Cascadia Wildlands: Oregon-based conservation organization focused on forest and watershed protection in the Cascadia region. Comparable regional focus and forest/river conservation work, though primarily advocacy-driven rather than fee/easement-based.

Direct peers

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that works with communities to protect land for public use through acquisition, conservation easements, and fundraising campaigns. Highly comparable in mission, deal structure, and reliance on landowner relationships across the U.S.
• Natural Lands: Regional nonprofit land conservancy operating across Pennsylvania and New Jersey that acquires and stewards natural lands using a similar fee + easement model. Comparable in organizational scale, accreditation, and integration of public access and stewardship.
• The Nature Conservancy: National land and water conservation nonprofit that acquires and manages ecologically significant lands. Directly comparable because TNC has actively partnered with Greenbelt, transferring the 155-acre Kingston Prairie Preserve to GLT in 2018 to align regional conservation priorities.
• Pacific Forest Trust: Forest-focused conservation organization working on private forest conservation easements in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable because Greenbelt holds conservation easements on forested properties (e.g., Mulkey Ridge Forest, Willamette Bluffs) using similar legal structures.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization representing 1,200+ land trusts that administers the accreditation program Greenbelt achieved in 2008. An industry body rather than a direct competitor, but materially shapes Greenbelt's operating standards and sector positioning.

Regional players

• Deschutes Land Trust: Central Oregon land trust focused on protecting lands in the Deschutes Basin. Operates with a similar accreditation, easement, and stewardship model to Greenbelt but in a different Oregon region with different habitat focus.
• Columbia Land Trust: Pacific Northwest land trust covering southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. Comparable mission and operational structure with a broader geographic footprint, including riparian and forest conservation easements similar to Greenbelt's portfolio.
• McKenzie River Trust: Oregon-based land trust focused on the McKenzie River watershed. Comparable in organizational structure, accreditation status, and landowner engagement model, but operates in an adjacent rather than overlapping geography within Oregon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/greenbeltlandtrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenbeltlandtrust
• Xx.com/greenbeltnature
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greenbelt-land-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Greenbelt Land Trust