Acres Land Trust

What Acres Land Trust does

ACRES Land Trust is a member-supported nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1960 and headquartered in Huntertown, Indiana. Its core function is the permanent protection of natural and working lands across 27 counties in northeast Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio, with a current portfolio exceeding 8,700 protected acres managed through acquisition, donation, and conservation easements. The organization also maintains more than 70 miles of public trail systems across its preserves for free visitor access from dawn to dusk daily, supporting hiking, wildlife viewing, nature photography, and environmental education.

ACRES operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model combining low-friction recurring membership ($20+ annual donations from 2,200+ members), foundation grants (Lupke, Steuben County Community Foundation, Schaefer, Wilson, Sledd, Olive B. Cole, plus Indiana Arts Commission/Arts United/NEA), merchandise and trail guide sales through an e-commerce shop, land donations from private property owners and religious institutions (e.g., Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters), and planned giving. The customer base is distributed across individual nature enthusiasts, land donors, volunteers (100+ active contributing 2,565 hours annually), and educational institutions. ACRES runs a small paid staff of 1-10 and supplements operations with an extensive volunteer network, university research partnerships (Michigan State, Manchester, Purdue, Trine), and conservation collaborators including Ducks Unlimited, Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, and Red-Tail Land Conservancy. Its differentiated offering centers on permanent legal protection, free public trail access, and a unique 200-Year Ecological Reflections art-and-science initiative at Wing Haven.

Name

Acres Land Trust

Legal name

ACRES Land Trust

Website

https://acreslandtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACRES Land Trust is a member-supported nonprofit founded in 1960 that permanently protects over 8,700 acres of natural and working lands across 27 counties in northeast Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio, while maintaining 70+ miles of free public trails for visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Natural area preservation
• Public nature preserves
• Habitat stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Donations: Annual membership donations starting at $20 per year, providing the primary operational funding for land protection and trail maintenance
2. Land Donations: Property owners donate land to ACRES for permanent protection, contributing to the organization's land portfolio without direct monetary revenue
3. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and trail guides
4. Trail Guides: Sale of preserve trail guides for $10 each
5. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Lupke Foundation, Steuben County Community Foundation, Edward & Hildegarde Schaefer Foundation, Edward M. and Mary McCrea Wilson Foundation, and Dr. Samuel D., and Martha B. and Mabel I. Sledd Foundation for specific projects like Ecological Reflections

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACRES Land Trust is a member-supported nonprofit that permanently protects natural and working lands through acquisition, donation, and conservation easements across 27 counties in northeast Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio. The organization maintains more than 70 miles of free public trail systems across multiple nature preserves, supported by annual memberships, major donations, foundation grants, and a small merchandise and trail-guide e-commerce operation.

Product overview

ACRES Land Trust operates as a member-supported nonprofit land conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on permanent land protection and public access to nature preserves. The core offering consists of land conservation services, including acquisition and stewardship of natural areas across 27 counties. Public preserves and trails provide free access to protected lands. The organization supplements these through a membership program, seasonal ACRES Quarterly publication, the 200-Year Ecological Reflections initiative, and merchandise (trail guides, apparel). Events, workshops, and volunteer programs engage the community in conservation work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Conservation Services Permanent land protection through acquisition, donation, and conservation easements across 27 counties in northeast Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio, safeguarding natural and working lands in perpetuity.
• Public Preserves and Trails Free public access to trail systems at multiple nature preserves, open dawn to dusk daily, providing more than 70 miles of trails for hiking, wildlife viewing, and outdoor recreation.
• Membership Program Annual membership program with donations starting at $20 per year, providing the primary operational funding for land protection and trail maintenance, along with member-only events and the seasonal ACRES Quarterly publication.
• 200-Year Ecological Reflections Initiative A long-term art and science initiative at Wing Haven, commissioning artists and botanists to create a 200-year documentary record of ecological changes at the preserve.
• Events and Workshops Hikes, art workshops, member events, themed programs (e.g., "deep listening," "trek and tap"), and educational programs held at ACRES preserves throughout the region.
• Volunteer Programs Volunteer opportunities in preserve stewardship, trail maintenance, native plant care, invasive species removal, and land management activities across ACRES preserves.
• Trail Guides Physical trail guides available for $10 each, sold to support ACRES' land protection work and enhance preserve visitation.
• Apparel and Merchandise Branded merchandise including sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, stickers, and accessories sold through the ACRES online shop, with proceeds supporting land protection.
• ACRES Quarterly Publication A 20-page seasonal publication mailed to members each season, featuring ACRES news, member stories, and upcoming events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 461.18 acres newly protected in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Orbis Environmental ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2017Botanist Scott Namestnik of Orbis Environmental Consulting conducted the inaugural plant inventory for the 200-Year Ecological Reflection project at Wing Haven, providing scientific documentation of plant species.
• Our Lady of Victory Missionary SisterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2017Catholic religious organization that partnered with ACRES to permanently protect 107 acres of prairie and forest at their Motherhouse in Huntington, Indiana. The land, now called Victory Noll Acres, preserves the land from development while allowing the sisters to continue their ministry of land stewardship.
• Manchester University and Purdue UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Universities developing science protocols for the 200-Year Ecological Reflection initiative, contributing to long-term scientific monitoring of Wing Haven preserve.
• Ducks UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRES is working closely with Ducks Unlimited to retire 87 acres of remaining agricultural fields and restore nearly 100 acres back to functional forested wetlands, flatwoods and emergent wetlands at Thoreau Wildlife Reserve as part of restoring the historic Great Black Swamp.
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Division of WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRES is partnering with ODNR Division of Wildlife to restore and protect wetlands at Thoreau Wildlife Reserve, working together to return land to a more historically natural state within the Buckskin Creek-Tiffin River Watershed.
• Michigan State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate student Olivia Ruppert from Michigan State University is conducting research on threatened and endangered reptile and amphibian species at Wing Haven and 49 other wetland sites using environmental DNA sampling.
• Oak Farm Montessori SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents and staff at Oak Farm Montessori School near Avilla, Indiana have partnered with ACRES for seedling growing and learning about land protection through meaningful work.
• Fort Wayne Children's ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wildlife tracking initiatives, where the zoo participates in programs to protect animals and their habitats using ACRES preserves for research.
• Trine UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrine University conservation students help ACRES manage Beechwood, Foster and other preserves as part of a land management immersion focused on caring for the land.
• Red-Tail Land ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRES donor Josie Fox previously gifted property to Red-Tail Land Conservancy (Dutro Woods) showing cross-organization collaboration in land conservation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Red-Tail Land Conservancy: Indiana-based nonprofit land trust operating in the same northeast Indiana geography as ACRES; mentioned directly as a cross-organization collaborator (Josie Fox donated to both), making it the closest geographic and mission-aligned peer.
• Black Swamp Conservancy: Northwest Ohio land trust with comparable mission, donor-supported model, and regional footprint in the same geographic territory where ACRES operates (overlapping with Thoreau Wildlife Reserve).
• Little River Wetlands Project: Northeast Indiana land trust focused on wetland preservation and restoration in the Fort Wayne area; comparable in scale, mission, and footprint to ACRES, serving overlapping regional donors and members.
• Sycamore Land Trust: Southern Indiana nonprofit land trust protecting natural areas and working lands with similar member-supported model, comparable acreage, and analogous preserve-and-trail operations.
• Michigan Nature Association: Michigan-based nonprofit nature conservancy operating nature sanctuaries with similar member-supported structure; ACRES has expanded into Michigan, making this a directly comparable regional peer.
• Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy: Regional Michigan land trust operating in the same southern Michigan territory where ACRES has begun expanding (e.g., Kauffman Nature Sanctuary in Hillsdale County), with similar preserve-and-stewardship model.

Others

• Ducks Unlimited: National wetlands-focused conservation nonprofit that is an active ACRES partner (Thoreau Wildlife Reserve restoration); serves as a strategic collaborator and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor for membership dollars.

Regional players

• Northwest Indiana Land Trust: Indiana-based land trust with similar mission of permanent land protection, though operating in northwest Indiana rather than the northeast Indiana territory where ACRES is concentrated.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Indiana): National nonprofit with an Indiana chapter pursuing permanent land protection at much greater scale; comparable conservation mission but broader portfolio, larger budgets, and global donor base.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks for public use; much larger organization pursuing similar permanent-protection outcomes but operating across all 50 states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Acres Land Trust