The Trustees of Reservation

What The Trustees of Reservation does

The Trustees of Reservations is the United States' first and Massachusetts' largest private nonprofit land conservation and historic preservation organization, founded in 1891 by landscape architect Charles Eliot and chartered by an act of the Massachusetts legislature with unique statutory authority to hold land tax-free for public benefit. Headquartered in Boston at 200 High Street, the organization permanently protects 120+ properties spanning 27,000+ acres across Massachusetts — including beaches, forests, working farms, historic house museums, gardens, wildlife refuges, inns, and campgrounds — with additional holdings in Connecticut and Vermont, and 375+ miles of public trails plus 120 miles of coastline (the largest private coastal holding in Massachusetts, representing 16% of the state's protected coastline).

The organization operates a multi-revenue-stream nonprofit model combining earned income and philanthropic support. Earned revenue streams include tiered membership subscriptions (with benefits across all properties), advance timed-entry passes for high-demand sites such as Crane Beach and Castle Hill, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable and meat shares at five community farms serving 1,300 members, guided tours (priced $5–$350), venue rentals, and retail through farm stands and an online gift shop. Philanthropic support comes from individual donations, corporate partnerships, competitive state and federal grants, and endowment income. The volunteer program contributes 50,000+ hours annually across agriculture, coastal, ecology, events, horticulture, stewardship, and trails activities, functioning as a critical labor multiplier.

Programs span over 5,000 annual events and programs serving 250,000+ participants, nine summer camps, eleven historic house museums, two museums (deCordova and Fruitlands), and 56 Boston community gardens producing 60,000 lbs of produce annually (20,000 lbs donated to food pantries). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the trustees.org website, an event-ticketing platform (explore.thetrustees.org), a CSA e-commerce storefront (shopthetrustees.org), and physical on-site retail and admissions. The organization partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, and multiple farmer-training nonprofits to co-manage refuge systems and lease farmland for community agriculture, with governance exercised by a Board of Directors under President & CEO leadership.

Name

The Trustees of Reservation

Legal name

The Trustees of Reservations

Website

https://thetrustees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Trustees of Reservations is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1891 that permanently protects and operates 120+ properties spanning 27,000+ acres across Massachusetts — including beaches, farms, forests, historic homes, and wildlife refuges — serving over 2 million annual visitors through memberships, CSA programs, admissions, tours, events, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation and Historic Preservation

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Birding & Wildlife Observation Lodges (THAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Historic preservation
• Outdoor recreation memberships
• Community supported agriculture
• Nature education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to 120+ properties with free/reduced admission, member-only benefits, advanced ticketing, and discounts on programs and retail.
2. CSA Programs: Community Supported Agriculture shares including summer vegetable shares (20 weeks), winter vegetable shares, and pasture-based meat shares (Fall/Winter, Spring, Summer Grill). 1,300 CSA members.
3. Admission Fees: Day passes and advance timed-entry passes for popular properties including Crane Beach, Castle Hill, deCordova, and other high-demand sites.
4. Tours and Programs: Revenue from guided tours such as Coskata-Coatue nature tours ($65-75 per person), historic house tours, and special program fees.
5. Donations and Grants: Individual donations, corporate partnerships, competitive grants from state/federal sources for stewardship projects, and endowment income.
6. Venue Rentals and Farm Stands: Revenue from renting venues for events and retail sales through farm stands and gift shops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Trustees of Reservations is a 501c3 nonprofit conservation organization that permanently protects and publicly shares 120+ properties totaling more than 27,000 acres across Massachusetts, offering access to coastal beaches, working farms, historic house museums, forests, wildlife refuges, and gardens. Its sellable offerings include annual memberships granting admission to all reservations, advance timed-entry passes at high-demand sites, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable and meat shares at five community farms, nine summer day camps, 5,000+ annual educational programs and guided tours, overnight inns and campgrounds, volunteer stewardship programs, venue rentals, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

The Trustees of Reservation is a nonprofit land conservation organization offering access to a network of 120+ permanently protected properties (27,000+ acres) across Massachusetts. The portfolio encompasses coastal beaches, wildlife refuges, working farms, historic house museums, gardens, campgrounds, and natural landscapes. Core offerings include a membership program with property access benefits, advance timed-entry passes for high-demand sites, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs at five community farms, summer camps, over 5,000 annual educational programs and events, historic home tours, overnight accommodations (inns and campgrounds), volunteer stewardship opportunities, venue rentals, an online gift shop, and an Archives & Research Center. The organization is the nation's first and Massachusetts' largest preservation and conservation nonprofit, founded in 1891.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trustees: Primary operating name and brand for the conservation nonprofit organization

Products and services

• Trustees Properties Network A network of 120+ permanent reservations spanning more than 27,000 acres across Massachusetts, including coastal beaches, forests, farms, historic homes, gardens, campgrounds, and wildlife refuges. Properties are open to the public for recreation, education, and conservation.
• Membership Program Annual membership offering free or discounted admission to 120+ reservations, advance ticketing, member-only events, and discounts on programs and retail. Includes a complimentary Family Membership ($80 value) offered through partner nonprofit fundraising events.
• Advance Passes and Timed Entry Timed-entry and advance admission passes for high-demand reservations including Crane Beach, Castle Hill, Appleton Farms, deCordova Sculpture Park, Fruitlands Museum, Long Point Wildlife Refuge, Mytoi, Naumkeag, Wasque, and World's End. Passes for Crane Beach are released Mondays at 12 noon, with members receiving presale access at 11:30 AM.
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Vegetable and meat CSA programs at five community farms (Appleton Farms, Powisset Farm, Moose Hill Farm, Weir River Farm, and The FARM Institute) offering 20-week summer vegetable shares, 2-4 pickup winter vegetable shares, and three-monthly pasture-based meat shares totaling 45 lbs. 1,300 CSA members across the program.
• Community Farms Five working community farms open to the public: Appleton Farms (Ipswich), Chestnut Hill Farm (Southborough), Powisset Farm (Dover), Weir River Farm (Hingham), and The FARM Institute (Martha's Vineyard). Includes farm stands, PYO crops, and educational programming; visited by 550,000+ farm visitors annually.
• Summer Camps Nine summer camps offering farm, nature, and outdoor programs for children at various Trustees properties, including farm-based and coastal nature experiences.
• Programs and Events Over 5,000 annual programs and events including concerts, guided tours, workshops, outdoor adventures, historic house tours, farm activities, and nature education, with 250,000+ participants across Trustees properties.
• Historic Homes and Museums Eleven historic house museums including Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, The Old Manse (Concord), Naumkeag (Stockbridge), The Mission House (Stockbridge), The Ashley House (Sheffield), and others; plus two museums - deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (Lincoln) and Fruitlands Museum (Harvard). Includes guided house tours ($5-$30) and exhibitions.
• Inns and Campgrounds Overnight accommodations including The Inn at Castle Hill (Ipswich), The Guest House at Field Farm (Williamstown), Long Point Cottage (Martha's Vineyard), Dunes' Edge Campground (Provincetown), and Tully Lake Campground (Central MA).
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities across all properties in agriculture, coastal conservation, ecology, events, horticulture, skilled trades, stewardship, and trails; volunteers contribute approximately 50,000 hours annually.
• Venue Rentals Rental of Trustees properties and facilities for weddings, events, ceremonies, and corporate gatherings at historic houses, estates, farms, and outdoor venues.
• Shop The Trustees Online and physical gift shops and farm stores selling Trustees merchandise, local products, produce, and specialty items sourced from properties.
• Archives and Research Center A state-of-the-art facility in Sharon, MA housing the organization's historical, curatorial, and archival collections including photographs, prints, paintings, textiles, furniture, and paper materials.
• Community Gardens Fifty-six community gardens across eight Boston neighborhoods with 1,575 garden plots serving approximately 10,000 Boston residents; produces an estimated 60,000 pounds of produce annually with 20,000 pounds donated to food pantries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2+ million visitors annually enjoy access to protected natural and cultural spaces
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cooper Hill Conservation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Alliance partnership for land conservation collaboration. The Trustees, as a member of the Cooper Hill Conservation Alliance, received the 2026 Connecticut Special Award for Excellence in Conservation Collaboration for protecting over 1,200 acres of ecologically significant land.
• Nantucket Conservation FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-management of Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge area. Three entities own the vast majority of acres forming a large wildlife refuge system: The Trustees' Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge, The Haulover and Coatue Wildlife Refuge held by NCF, and Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFWS owns the Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge at Great Point, part of the larger wildlife refuge system encompassing Coskata-Coatue. Collaboration on coastal conservation and wildlife protection.
• Stockbridge-Munsee CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year agreement with Stockbridge-Munsee Community to tell the tribe's story through the Mission House exhibit at The Trustees property. Exhibit is told in the tribe's own voice, providing a cultural footprint for the community.
• National Trust for Historic PreservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trustees inspired the creation of 1,600+ land conservation trusts in the U.S., including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, serving as the founding model for the preservation movement.
• Nuestras RaicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit farm and farmer training programs leasing land at Land of Providence property in Holyoke. Supports urban agriculture and farmer training initiatives.
• New Entry Sustainable Farming ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmer training program graduates leasing land at Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover. Headquarters located at Moraine Farm in Beverly.
• Brookwood Community FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit farming organization leasing land at Eleanor Bradley Cabot Estate in Canton for community agriculture.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Appalachian Mountain Club: New England-based conservation and outdoor recreation nonprofit with comparable membership model, trail infrastructure, and outdoor education programming; directly overlaps the Trustees' recreational and stewardship mission in Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts Audubon Society: Statewide Massachusetts conservation nonprofit operating wildlife sanctuaries, nature centers, and educational programs with membership access; directly comparable footprint, mission, and member-based operating model.
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Regional New England land trust operating a similar model of permanent land conservation, public access, agricultural programs, and historic preservation; closely comparable in scale, structure, and New England geography.
• Essex County Greenbelt Association: Regional Massachusetts land trust conserving farmland, wildlife habitat, and public trails in Essex County; directly comparable in mission, conservation easements, and farm-leasing programs on the North Shore.
• New England Forestry Foundation: New England-wide land trust focused on permanently protected working forests; comparable in conservation-easement strategy, public access, and regional New England land stewardship focus.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit with a significant Massachusetts chapter; pursues the same land-conservation and stewardship mission but at vastly greater geographic scale and with deeper institutional funding capacity.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National historic preservation nonprofit inspired by the Trustees (which served as its founding model); overlaps on historic house stewardship, public engagement, and cultural heritage conservation at a national scale.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation for public access, parks, and community benefits; pursues the same conservation-and-public-access mission as the Trustees but with national scope and policy-level influence.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership association supporting the land trust community; the Trustees is a member/leader of this ecosystem that provides policy advocacy, training, and accreditation for the 1,600+ trusts the Trustees helped inspire.

Regional players

• Island Preservation Trust (Nantucket): Nantucket-based land trust operating in the same geography as the Trustees' Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge; directly comparable coastal-conservation model on a smaller island footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thetrustees
• Facebookfacebook.com/thetrustees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/36821
• Instagraminstagram.com/thetrustees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Trustees of Reservation