Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley

What Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley does

Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley (LTSCV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Morgan Hill, California. Its mission is to protect agricultural and conservation land in Santa Clara County through direct land acquisition, perpetual conservation easements, and partnership-based stewardship. Since founding, LTSCV has cumulatively protected more than 2,190 acres, comprising approximately 220 acres owned outright and 1,070+ acres of agricultural easements concentrated along the Pajaro River.

Notable protected assets include the 480-acre Carnadero Preserve, held in partnership with the City of Gilroy, and the Lake Silveira flood protection project with Valley Water. LTSCV holds Land Trust Alliance accreditation through November 2026, signaling conformance with national standards for land trust governance, financial management, and easement stewardship.

The organization is funded primarily through individual donations, an emerging tiered membership program, planned giving vehicles (Legacy Circle, Qualified Charitable Distributions), and pass-through public grants from agencies including NRCS, the California Department of Conservation, and Valley Water. LTSCV operates with a small staff led by an Executive Director, a Conservation Project Manager (Alyssa LoGalbo), and a Finance Manager, and executes its work through collaborations with peer organizations including The Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Open Space Authority, and the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau. The organization has announced plans to extend operations into San Mateo County.

Name

Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley

Legal name

Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley

Website

https://landtrustscv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that permanently protects agricultural and conservation land in Santa Clara County, California through fee acquisition and conservation easements, serving farmers, ranchers, public agencies, and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Agricultural easements
• Conservation easements
• Farmland preservation
• Nonprofit land trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgan Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting land conservation mission. Donors can give one-time or recurring contributions.
2. Membership Program: Recurring donor program enabling supporters to commit to land protection through ongoing contributions. Membership tiers were noted as coming soon.
3. Legacy Circle / Planned Giving: Bequests, life insurance beneficiary designations, retirement asset beneficiary designations, and charitable remainder trusts. Allows donors to include LTSCV in estate plans without impacting current lifestyle.
4. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): Direct transfers from IRA retirement accounts to LTSCV, counting toward Required Minimum Distributions and providing tax benefits by lowering adjusted gross income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that works with private landowners to place voluntary, legally recorded Conservation Easements and Agricultural Easements on properties in Santa Clara County, preserving farmland, rangeland, natural habitats, and open space in perpetuity. The organization also owns approximately 220 acres of land outright and supports its mission through donor programs (Membership, Legacy Circle planned giving, Qualified Charitable Distributions), volunteer stewardship, and community events.

Product overview

The Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley operates as a conservation nonprofit offering a portfolio of land protection programs. Core offerings include Conservation Easements (protecting natural habitats and wildlife) and Agricultural Easements (preserving farmland for agricultural use). The organization supports its mission through donor programs including Membership, Legacy Circle (planned giving), and Qualified Charitable Distributions. Community engagement is facilitated through Volunteer restoration programs and Get Involved Experiences (outdoor events like hikes and lunches). The portfolio is unified around land preservation in Santa Clara County, with programs enabling various forms of participation from one-time donations to estate planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Easements

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,190 acres protected since 1998
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor.

• City of GilroycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Gilroy on Van Dyke Ranch 108-acre conservation easement acquisition. City of Gilroy involvement enables joint conservation of agricultural land in scenic agricultural area.
• Santa Clara County Open Space AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner on Mission Organics Farm (170-acre easement) and Carnadero Preserve (480-acre acquisition). Major funding and strategic partner for agricultural land preservation.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner in Carnadero Preserve 480-acre acquisition. Collaborates on land conservation strategies in Santa Clara Valley region.
• American Farmland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Carnadero Preserve 480-acre acquisition. Works to protect American farmland from development.
• California Department of ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner on Mission Organics Farm (170-acre) and Carnadero Preserve (480-acre). Provides state-level conservation funding and support.
• Natural Resources Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner on Mission Organics Farm (170-acre) and Carnadero Preserve (480-acre). Federal agency supporting agricultural conservation.
• Valley WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Lake Silveira flood protection project. Constructing 2,000 linear feet of Llagas Creek restoration and wetlands creation as part of Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control Program.
• Santa Clara County Farm BureaucoreOthersLTSCV office is co-located at the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau building. This co-location, combined with LTSCV's independent nonprofit status, has helped build trust with local farmers and ranchers.
• San Mateo County Conservation PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTSCV is working to establish a presence in San Mateo County to address service gaps in coordination with other conservation agencies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Land-Trust-of-Santa-Clara-Valley-158922128204375

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley