Coastal Land Trust

What Coastal Land Trust does

The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (d/b/a Coastal Land Trust) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, with regional offices in New Bern and Elizabeth City. Its mission is to conserve lands with scenic, recreational, historic, and ecological value across North Carolina's coastal plain through fee-simple acquisition of natural areas and working landscapes, voluntary conservation easements with private landowners, and promotion of good land stewardship. The organization has conserved 91,387 acres and maintains a stated goal of reaching 100,000 acres protected, with a portfolio that includes flagship preserves such as the 2,921-acre Spencer Bay property (transferred to NC Wildlife Resources Commission), the 132-acre Springer's Point Preserve on Ocracoke Island, the 254.5-acre Gales Creek Preserve, the 177-acre B.W. Wells Savannah, the 250-acre Oakhurst Nature Park, and the 133-acre Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park.

The trust operates with 11-50 employees and an asset-light, relationship-driven model whose 'technology' consists of conservation easement legal instruments, land acquisition and stewardship workflows, and a basic public-facing website and newsletter. Core service lines are land conservation (acquisition and easements), environmental education (pollinator, carnivorous plant, and curriculum programs), community events (Elizabeth Darrow Art Show & Auction and annual celebrations), and historic preservation (Reaves Chapel restoration). It maintains Land Trust Alliance accreditation and is governed by a Board of Directors.

The revenue model is contribution-based, with no commercial product sales or pricing tiers. Funding streams include individual donations (monthly giving, stock gifts, legacy gifts, license plate/donation programs), foundation and corporate grants (Duke Energy Foundation, Fred and Alice Stanback, Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation), and government grants (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.C. Land and Water Fund, formerly Clean Water Management Trust Fund). Distribution to the public occurs through free or low-friction access to preserves for hiking, bird watching, and environmental education, supported by partnerships with organizations including Outer Banks Conservationists, Camp Albemarle, and the NC Natural Heritage Program.

Name

Coastal Land Trust

Legal name

North Carolina Coastal Land Trust

Website

https://coastallandtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Carolina Coastal Land Trust is a nonprofit land trust founded in 1992 that conserves ecologically and historically significant coastal lands in North Carolina through acquisition, conservation easements, and public education, serving private landowners and coastal communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation and Environmental Stewardship

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easements
• Environmental education
• Natural area preservation
• Habitat stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

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. Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute through the website, direct mail, and various giving programs including monthly donations, stock gifts, and legacy gifts.
2. Grants and Foundations: Funding received from foundations such as Duke Energy Foundation, Fred and Alice Stanback, and Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation, as well as government agencies including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and N.C. Land and Water Fund.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from benefit events such as art shows and auctions where proceeds support conservation work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coastal Land Trust is a nonprofit land trust that permanently conserves ecologically, historically, and scenically significant lands across North Carolina's coastal plain. It acquires land outright and holds conservation easements on private property, manages a portfolio of public preserves open for recreation and education, and delivers environmental education programs to schools and the community.

Product overview

Coastal Land Trust is a nonprofit land trust organization offering a portfolio of conservation products and services focused on preserving natural areas and working landscapes in North Carolina's coastal communities. Core offerings include land conservation services (fee simple acquisition and conservation easements), environmental education programs, and public preserves. The organization manages a diverse portfolio of protected lands including Spencer Bay (2,921-acre wetland property), Springer's Point Preserve (132-acre maritime forest), Gales Creek Preserve (254.5 acres), B.W. Wells Savannah (177 acres), and various other nature parks and preserves. Additional offerings include historic site restoration (Reaves Chapel) and community events for fundraising and education. The organization partners with government agencies, foundations, and other nonprofits to conserve ecologically, historically, and scenically significant properties throughout the coastal plain region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Conservation Services Conservation of lands with scenic, recreational, historic and/or ecological value, including acquisition of natural areas and working landscapes, and promotion of good land stewardship in coastal communities.
• Conservation Easements

Quantifiable outcome

• 91,387 acres saved with goal of 100,000 acres

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Camp AlbemarlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Agreement to expand children's access to nature. Camp Albemarle uses Gales Creek Preserve for camper programs while Coastal Land Trust uses Camp Albemarle's facilities for education tours. Both organizations share maintenance responsibilities.
• Outer Banks Conservationists (OBC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to permanently protect Island Farm on Roanoke Island and Currituck Beach Lighthouse through conservation easements. OBC owns and manages the properties while Coastal Land Trust holds easements ensuring permanent protection.
• North Carolina Wildlife Resources CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpencer Bay property transferred to the State of NC to be managed by the Commission as part of Gull Rock Game Land. Ongoing partnership for game land management.
• Cedar Hill/West Bank Heritage FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to restore Reaves Chapel, a historic African American church. Foundation initiated the project; Coastal Land Trust purchased the site in 2019 and is working on restoration to transfer as a state historic site.
• North Carolina Natural Heritage ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for identifying and protecting significant natural areas, including joint work on the B.W. Wells Savannah and other heritage sites.
• Progress Energy (now Duke Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU to work together to conserve rare plants under powerline rights-of-way at sites including B.W. Wells Savannah. Manages right-of-way vegetation to maintain habitat.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy: Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is a regional land trust in western North Carolina accredited by the Land Trust Alliance that uses conservation easements and land acquisition to protect natural and working lands. It is a direct peer operating under the same accreditation framework and easement methodology.
• Conservation Fund: The Conservation Fund is a national nonprofit that works with private landowners, government agencies, and corporations to acquire and protect ecologically significant lands, including in North Carolina. It is a direct functional peer in the fee-simple acquisition and easement business that Coastal Land Trust operates.
• North Carolina Coastal Federation: The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a statewide nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring the state's coastal rivers, sounds, and estuaries. It is a direct peer in mission — coastal water quality and habitat — and shares the same geography, donor base, and government grant sources as Coastal Land Trust.
• Audubon North Carolina: Audubon North Carolina is a statewide conservation nonprofit that manages sanctuaries, conducts environmental education, and works on coastal bird habitat protection. It competes with Coastal Land Trust for coastal landowner partnerships, education grants, and visitor engagement in the same coastal plain geography.

Regional players

• Three Rivers Land Trust: Three Rivers Land Trust is a North Carolina land trust that conserves land in the Piedmont and coastal regions using conservation easements and fee acquisitions. It is a regional peer using the same tools (easements, accredited land trust standards) in adjacent/overlapping geographies.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (North Carolina): The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization with a North Carolina chapter that acquires and manages coastal preserves and conservation easements, often partnering with or competing against smaller regional land trusts like Coastal Land Trust for the same landowner relationships and grant dollars.
• Trust for Public Land: Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for public use, including coastal and waterfront projects. It is directly comparable in mission and tactics — fee acquisitions, conservation easements, public-access preserves — but operates at a much larger national scale.
• Open Space Institute: Open Space Institute is a regional conservation organization that protects natural lands in the eastern United States through land acquisition and conservation finance. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping methods (fee purchase, easements, partnerships) and is often a co-funder or co-acquirer on coastal land deals.

Others

• State of North Carolina (NC Land and Water Fund / Clean Water Management Trust Fund): The NC Land and Water Fund (formerly Clean Water Management Trust Fund) is a state grant-making program that funds land conservation and water quality projects. It is an ecosystem participant — at times a funder (Spencer Bay, Abbey Nature Preserve), at other times the eventual steward of transferred lands (Pasquotank River Preserve, Spencer Bay via Gull Rock Game Land).

Emerging players

• Ducks Unlimited (North Carolina): Ducks Unlimited is a habitat-focused nonprofit that acquires and restores wetlands and waterfowl impoundments, including projects like the 215-acre waterfowl impoundment at Spencer Bay. It is an adjacent peer whose focus on wetland/waterfowl habitat overlaps directly with Coastal Land Trust's coastal marsh preservation work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF0HUlqYkulk66WfakqD65g/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/NC-Coastal-Land-Trust-20318219985
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-carolina-coastal-land-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastallandtrust
• Xx.com/NCCoastalLT

Compliance1 record

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 Coastal Land Trust