San Juan Preservation Trust

What San Juan Preservation Trust does

The San Juan Preservation Trust (SJPT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1979 in Friday Harbor, Washington, dedicated to the permanent conservation of land in the San Juan Islands. The organization protects more than 19,000 acres across 22 islands through two core mechanisms: ownership and management of approximately 50 nature preserves on 21 islands, and holding more than 200 voluntary, perpetual conservation easements on private properties. Core service lines include a Stewardship Program managing preserves and monitoring easements, environmental restoration projects targeting species such as the Island Marble Butterfly and Western Bluebird, and Community Engagement & Education programs including volunteer work parties, school partnerships, and naturalist-guided outings.

SJPT operates no technology products or software platforms; its core capability is direct conservation execution through land transactions, easement negotiations, ecological restoration, and community-based stewardship. There are no patents, proprietary algorithms, or technology vendors disclosed. The organization is led by Executive Director Angela Anderson with a team of approximately 15-16 full-time professionals plus seasonal caretakers on outer-island preserves, governed by a 15-21 member volunteer Board of Directors representing the four major San Juan Islands.

SJPT generates revenue entirely through voluntary contributions, with no products or services sold. Revenue streams include individual membership and one-time donations, monthly sustaining gifts, legacy/planned gifts through the Gann Society, securities and IRA Charitable Rollover transfers, Named Endowment Funds (minimum $50,000), and donations of land or conservation easements. The organization holds Land Trust Accreditation Commission certification, confirming adherence to national ethical and professional standards. SJPT receives no direct tax revenue and depends on a donor base of nearly 3,000 members and supporters, with demonstrated capacity for multi-million-dollar campaigns such as the 2006 $18.5M Turtleback Mountain Preserve protection effort.

Name

San Juan Preservation Trust

Legal name

San Juan Preservation Trust

Website

https://sjpt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The San Juan Preservation Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1979 that permanently conserves land in Washington State's San Juan Islands through preserve ownership, conservation easements, and stewardship, funded by approximately 3,000 individual members and donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Conservation Parks & Private Nature Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easements
• Nature preserve stewardship
• Habitat restoration programs
• Environmental nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Friday Harbor

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. Membership/Donations: Voluntary contributions from nearly 3,000 individual members and donors. Any contribution size makes one a valued member, receiving newsletters and priority event registration.
2. Legacy Giving/Planned Gifts: Members of the Gann Society have notified SJPT of provisions in their will to leave a bequest or other planned gift. Includes IRA charitable rollover for individuals age 73 or older (up to $100,000 tax-free).
3. Named Endowment Funds: Donors may establish permanent Named Endowment Funds with a gift of $50,000 or more to support land conservation efforts indefinitely.
4. Securities and IRA Gifts: Gifts of long-term appreciated securities provide capital gain tax savings and income tax deductions. IRA Charitable Rollover allows tax-free transfers directly to SJPT.
5. Land Donations: Outright gifts of land or donation of conservation easements on land retained by property owner. Land without conservation value may be sold with proceeds supporting other conservation priorities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The San Juan Preservation Trust permanently protects natural areas in the San Juan Islands of Washington State by acquiring special island places and holding voluntary, perpetual conservation easements on private land. It actively stewards approximately 50 nature preserves across 21 islands and monitors more than 200 conservation easements, while connecting the public to those lands through volunteer programs, educational outreach, and guided tours. The organization is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from nearly 3,000 members, donors, and private foundations.

Product overview

The San Juan Preservation Trust is a nonprofit land trust offering a unified suite of land conservation services rather than a technology product. Its core offerings center on permanent land protection through two mechanisms: (1) owning and managing approximately 50 nature preserves across 21 islands, including Turtleback Mountain Preserve, Vendovi Island Preserve, and Mount Grant Preserve; and (2) holding voluntary conservation easements on more than 200 private properties. Supporting services include a Stewardship Program for preserve management and easement monitoring, Community Engagement & Education programs with volunteer opportunities and school partnerships, and various Donation & Membership Programs. The organization was founded in 1979 and protects more than 19,000 acres on 22 islands throughout the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Conservation Services End-to-end permanent land protection offering for property owners in the San Juan Islands, comprising fee acquisition of priority lands and the holding of voluntary, perpetual conservation easements on private parcels. Available to private landowners and donors of land or easements.
• Stewardship Program Active management of approximately 50 nature preserves on 21 islands and annual monitoring of more than 200 conservation easements, including restoration projects for conservation-dependent species. Targeted at private landowners holding SJPT easements and the general public visiting preserves.
• Community Engagement & Education Volunteer engagement, naturalist-guided tours, and educational outreach partnering with schools and teachers to use SJPT-conserved lands as learning landscapes. Targeted at island residents, visitors, families, and K-12 students.
• Turtleback Mountain Preserve A 1,578-acre preserve on Orcas Island with 8.7 miles of trails, Garry oak savanna habitat, old-growth forest, and 956-foot elevation gain. Open to the public for hiking and nature-based recreation.
• Vendovi Island Preserve A 217-acre island preserve owned and managed by SJPT with 2.8 miles of shoreline, 3 miles of hiking trails, and diverse ecosystems including forests, meadows, wetlands, and beaches. Open to the public April through September, welcoming approximately 2,500 visitors annually.
• Mount Grant Preserve A 250-acre preserve on San Juan Island with 4.6 miles of trails and sweeping vistas. Open to the public for hiking.
• Nature Preserves Portfolio Approximately 50 SJPT-managed nature preserves spanning 21 islands in the San Juan archipelago, including Beaverton Marsh, Beecher Preserve, Buck Bay, Cowlitz Bay, Frank Richardson Wildfowl Preserve, and Graham Preserve, available for public hiking on a preserve-by-preserve basis.
• Conservation Easements Voluntary, legally binding, and perpetual conservation easements held by SJPT on more than 200 private properties in the San Juan Islands, with annual monitoring provided. Targeted at private landowners seeking permanent protection of specific conservation values on their land.
• Restoration Projects Environmental restoration projects on SJPT-managed lands, including Island Marble Butterfly habitat expansion, Western Bluebird reintroduction, Garry oak habitat restoration, and invasive species removal.
• Donation & Membership Programs Donor support offerings for individuals who wish to fund SJPT's land conservation work, including one-time donations, monthly sustaining support, Tiptop League ($1,000+ donors), legacy gifts through the Gann Society, gifts of securities and IRA Charitable Rollovers, $50,000+ Named Endowment Funds, and outright land donations or conservation easements. Targeted at individual donors, legacy givers, and private foundations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protected 305 properties, 51.7 miles of shoreline, 25 miles of trails, and more than 19,000 acres on 22 islands
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trust for Public LandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Collaborated with Trust for Public Land in the $18.5 million fundraising campaign to protect Turtleback Mountain Preserve in 2006, the largest conservation campaign ever undertaken in San Juan County.
• San Juan County Conservation Land BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Joint ownership and management partner for Turtleback Mountain Preserve and Mount Grant Preserve. Land Bank owns and manages preserves while SJPT holds conservation easements providing permanent protection.
• Samish Indian NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Samish Indian Nation to create an interactive Storymap of Coast Salish place names of the San Juan Islands, promoting indigenous cultural connection to the land.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that acquires and conserves land at scale using a mix of fee acquisition, easements, and partnership deals with public agencies. Closely comparable in the conservation real-estate playbook.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and parks; collaborated with SJPT on the $18.5M Turtleback Mountain campaign. Shares the conservation-easement and acquisition playbook at much greater scale.
• Jefferson Land Trust: Accredited land trust serving the Olympic Peninsula with a similar preserve-and-easement model, member/donor funding base, and stewardship program. Directly comparable in operating model and regional geography.
• Great Peninsula Conservancy: Accredited land trust serving the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington with comparable easement/preserve model and community-funded structure. Closely comparable in size, staffing, and member base.
• North Olympic Land Trust: Accredited land trust serving the north Olympic Peninsula of Washington using easements, preserves, and member fundraising. Same Pacific Northwest coastal/conservation focus and small-staff operational scale.
• Whidbey Camano Land Trust: Accredited Washington State land trust operating in Island and Snohomish counties with comparable preserve-and-easement model, member-funded structure, and Pacific Northwest conservation focus.
• San Juan County Conservation Land Bank: Local public agency focused on the same San Juan Islands geography; co-owns and co-manages Turtleback Mountain and Mount Grant preserves with SJPT. Directly comparable in mission (land protection) and customer base (island residents).
• Skagit Land Trust: Accredited regional land trust in northwestern Washington using the same combination of fee-owned preserves and conservation easements, supported by a community donor base. Highly comparable in scale and structure.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership association that grants Land Trust Accreditation (the credential SJPT holds). Not a direct competitor but the industry umbrella body governing the standards and accreditation peer trusts operate within.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit that also holds conservation easements and manages nature preserves. Overlaps with SJPT in easement-based land protection and donor-funded nonprofit structure, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpQjmrtDfLSgu5txYw_jXWg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SJPTrust
• Xx.com/sjptrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 San Juan Preservation Trust