Saint Simons Land Trust

What Saint Simons Land Trust does

Saint Simons Land Trust (SSLT) is a nonprofit community land conservation organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Its core function is acquiring and stewarding land — through fee-simple purchases, donations, and perpetual conservation easements — to preserve the natural, scenic, and historic character of St. Simons Island. The organization has assembled a portfolio of roughly 1,400 upland acres (approximately 14% of the island) plus 137 additional acres protected through easements, anchored by the 644-acre Cannon's Point Preserve, which contains approximately 472 acres of maritime forest, over six miles of salt-marsh-adjacent shoreline, historic tabby ruins, and a demonstration living shoreline. The trust is Land Trust Alliance accredited (2015, re-accredited 2020) and conducts long-running research partnerships with Purdue University, New Mexico State University, University of Georgia, and Georgia Southern University, including a nine-year maritime forest restoration study involving 1,470 research trees.

The organization operates with a small staff of approximately 10 full-time employees supported by nearly 200 volunteers. Its product and program surface includes protected properties open to the public (hiking, biking, birding, kayaking), environmental education initiatives (Outdoor Classroom, Passport to Preservation, Trailside Discoveries), and a portfolio of community engagement programs. Revenue is diversified across tiered annual memberships (nearly 1,000 member households, with 350+ Live Oak Society at $1,000+ and 20+ Benefactors at $10,000+), the Pennies for Preservation voluntary 1%-of-receipts business partner program, 12-month corporate sponsorships, direct donations and bequests, signature events (notably the Oyster Roast, grown from 400 to over 1,400 attendees), grants (e.g., $700,000 from the Terry Thomas Foundation), and a branded merchandise e-commerce shop. Strategic alliances with The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and multiple universities provide ecological research capacity, regulatory coordination, and external validation (e.g., Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designation, 2018).

Name

Saint Simons Land Trust

Legal name

St. Simons Land Trust

Website

https://sslt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Saint Simons Land Trust is a nonprofit community land conservation organization that has protected nearly 1,400 acres (about 14%) of St. Simons Island, Georgia, through acquisitions and perpetual conservation easements, serving residents, members, volunteers, and local business partners via stewardship, education, and fundraising programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Land trust services
• Habitat preservation
• Conservation easements
• Environmental stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Simons Island

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Nearly 1,000 member households contribute annually at various levels. Core group of 350 Live Oak Society members contribute $1,000+ annually, with 20+ Benefactors contributing $10,000+ each year
2. Pennies for Preservation Program: Voluntary giving program where local businesses and their patrons contribute 1% of receipts and invoices, providing ongoing revenue stream for land acquisitions
3. Corporate Sponsorships: 12-month annual sponsors from the business community provide significant support for programs, conservation projects, and operational needs
4. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and Yeti cups
5. Donations and Bequests: Direct donations including bequests from estates such as Steve and Miranda Hires' estate for Old Ironsides protection
6. Event Revenue: Annual Oyster Roast and other events generate revenue through ticket sales and volunteer support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Saint Simons Land Trust is a nonprofit community organization that protects and preserves St. Simons Island's natural, scenic, and historic resources. It acquires and manages nearly 1,400 upland acres through fee simple purchases, conservation easements, and land donations; operates public preserves with trails for hiking, biking, birding, and kayaking; runs environmental education programs; and funds its mission via memberships, donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, merchandise sales, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

St. Simons Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization focused on preserving the natural and scenic character of St. Simons Island. The organization operates a portfolio of protected properties and preserves (including Cannon's Point Preserve, maritime forests, nature trails, and greenways), supplemented by environmental education programs (Outdoor Classroom, Passport to Preservation), community fundraising programs (Pennies for Preservation, Live Oak Society memberships), signature events (annual Oyster Roast, Trailside Discoveries family initiative), and an online merchandise shop. The Trust protects approximately 1,400 upland acres and holds conservation easements on additional acreage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pennies for Preservation: A voluntary giving program in which the business community helps raise funds to preserve and protect greenspaces, wilderness areas, trails, waterways, wildlife, important habitat, and tree canopy on St. Simons Island.
• Live Oak Society
• Legacy Society

Products and services

• Protected Properties and Preserves Network of 12+ protected properties on St. Simons Island including maritime forests, salt marshes, tidal creeks, and shoreline habitats, open to the public free of charge for hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, and nature photography.
• Cannon's Point Preserve A 644-acre peninsula preserve featuring maritime forest, historic tabby ruins, living shoreline, over six miles of shoreline, and access for hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. Open Saturday-Monday, 9AM-3PM.
• Environmental Education Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,400 upland acres preserved (14% of island)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolds perpetual conservation easement on Cannon's Point Preserve preventing future commercial or residential development and ensuring protection of land and conservation values forever. Partners on maritime forest restoration research.
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple divisions partner including Coastal Resources Division, Law Enforcement Division, State Parks and Historic Sites Division, and Wildlife Resources Division. Conducts bat surveys and wildlife monitoring at preserved properties.
• Purdue UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Douglass Jacobs from Purdue leads maritime forest restoration research at Cannon's Point Preserve. Nine-year research partnership studying live oak restoration, animal browse, vegetation competition, and shade tolerance.
• New Mexico State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Owen Burney leads maritime forest restoration research. Grew live oak saplings from acorns collected on St. Simons Island including 300-year-old oaks at Cannon's Point Preserve.
• University of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on coastal conservation research and education initiatives.
• Georgia Southern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeological research and field school partnerships. Graduate student Scott Clark conducted Native American subsistence research. Professor John Carroll leads ribbed mussel living shoreline research.
• Coastal WildScapesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on coastal conservation and wildlife monitoring initiatives.
• Brunswick Job CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteered 637+ hours bagging over 5,000 bags of shell for living shoreline construction at Cannon's Point Preserve.
• AmeriCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer support for living shoreline and conservation projects.
• Boy Scout Troop 207minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteered for living shoreline construction and conservation projects.
• College of Coastal GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Tate Holbrook's Conservation Biology classes monitored living shoreline from 2014-2020. Student volunteers assist with data collection and restoration projects.
• The Nature Conservancy LEAF InternsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEAF interns provided volunteer support for living shoreline projects.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on wildlife conservation, shorebird protection, and habitat management across Georgia coastal properties.
• Georgia Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships for conservation, wildlife management, and environmental protection initiatives.
• The Army Corps of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on environmental and conservation projects.
• Glynn CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on conservation and property management initiatives.
• Altamaha RiverkeeperminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for coastal conservation efforts.
• Satilla RiverkeeperminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for waterway conservation.
• Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated Cannon's Point Preserve as part of Georgia Barrier Islands Landscape of Hemispheric Importance in 2018.
• King City KitchenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPennies for Preservation partner restaurant contributing 1% of receipts to land conservation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Trust for Public Land: National land trust using acquisition, easements, and conservation finance to protect natural and historic landscapes. Direct overlap in mission and tools but operates at scale across many geographies, including Georgia coastal projects.
• The Nature Conservancy (Georgia): Global conservation landholder that actually holds SSLT's perpetual Cannon's Point easement and partners on maritime forest research. Functions as both a backstop (easement enforcer) and a broader-incumbent peer in the same coastal conservation category.

Regional players

• Little St. Simons Island: Privately held neighboring barrier island that combines conservation with a small luxury eco-resort and a Stewardship Program reaching 25+ years. Directly comparable on island-scale conservation but funded through a different (hospitality + private family) revenue model.
• Jekyll Island Authority: State-managed barrier island with conservation lands, trails, and public access adjacent to St. Simons. Comparable on island-conservation mission and public trail network, but funded through state appropriations and tourism rather than membership-driven philanthropy.

Others

• Georgia Conservancy: Statewide Georgia conservation nonprofit engaging on land use, coastal policy, and environmental education. Not a direct landholder peer but a regional counterpart in policy, advocacy, and donor ecosystems.
• Altamaha Riverkeeper: Named partner on waterway conservation adjacent to SSLT's preserves. Different transactional model (advocacy + water quality monitoring vs. land ownership) but a recognizable peer to donors evaluating Georgia coastal conservation giving.
• Land Trust Alliance (Southeast): Umbrella body that accredits SSLT (2015, 2020) and supports land trusts nationally, including in the Southeast. Industry-organizing peer that influences funding eligibility for accredited trusts.
• Satilla Riverkeeper: Named partner organization on waterway protection in the same Georgia coastal region. Comparable in donor base and public-facing conservation mission, but not a land-acquiring trust.

Direct peers

• Coastal Georgia Land Trust: Hyper-local peer also operating on Georgia barrier islands and coastal counties, employing a similar fee-simple acquisition plus conservation-easement model. Direct overlap in donor pools, partner universities, and Georgia DNR touchpoints makes it the closest business-model comparator on the same geography.

Emerging players

• Ducks Unlimited (Southeast): Habitat conservation organization active across Georgia's salt marsh and maritime forest ecosystems. Overlaps on coastal acreage acquisition and ecological restoration partners, but with a national waterfowl-driven mandate that limits direct overlap with SSLT's broader preserve portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/stsimonslandtrust
• Xx.com/SSLandTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-simons-land-trust

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 Saint Simons Land Trust