What Lake Forest Open Lands Association does

Lake Forest Open Lands Association (LFOLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1967 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. It conserves and stewards 1,100 acres of natural land across ten public preserves — encompassing woodlands, wetlands, ravines, prairies, and Lake Michigan shoreline — open to the community 365 days a year with more than 20 miles of maintained trails. LFOLA is the first nationally accredited land trust in Illinois, holding a third Land Trust Accreditation Commission renewal with an extended seven-year term.

The organization operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model built on tiered annual memberships ($75 to $10,000 across eight levels), tax-deductible donations and a planned-giving program (Open Prairie Society), fee-based summer camps for children ages 18 months to 14 years, bi-annual native plant and tree sales, corporate sponsorships, and grants. It delivers nature-based education through summer camps, school programs, volunteer stewardship cohorts (ECO-Crew, Shaw Prairie Stewards, Adventures in Restoration), and the Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL) sub-brand, which extends programming across Lake County. In 2024 LFOLA secured a $5.75 million federal grant through NOAA's Office for Coastal Management to restore a remnant ravine-bluff ecosystem along Illinois' Lake Michigan shoreline.

Operationally, LFOLA runs from two Lake Forest campuses — the Nagel Campus for Open Lands (headquarters, stewardship, and administration) and the Mellody Farm Conservation Campus (programming hub and Lockhart Family Nature Center) — supported by 11–50 staff and a broad partner network including Illinois DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, Friends of the Chicago River, the University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute, and local schools. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on free public preserve access, signature annual events drawing 300–1,600 attendees, and direct outreach to local businesses for sponsorships and volunteer engagement.

Name

Lake Forest Open Lands Association

Legal name

Lake Forest Open Lands Association

Website

https://lfola.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Forest Open Lands Association is a 501(c)(3) land trust founded in 1967 that conserves 1,100 acres across ten nature preserves in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, Illinois, serving local residents, families, and Lake County communities through public access, education programs, summer camps, and volunteer stewardship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation and Environmental Stewardship

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Nature preserves
• Environmental education
• Volunteer stewardship
• Community land trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $75 to $10,000 across multiple tiers (Acorn, Maple Mob, Columbine Circle, Trillium Troopers, and Quercus Club levels). Membership provides access to preserves, dog walking privileges, event discounts, and exclusive benefits.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations supporting conservation efforts, preserve maintenance, trail upkeep, volunteer engagement, and youth education programs. All gifts are 100% tax deductible.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Fee-based summer camp programs for children ages 18 months to 14 years, ranging from $120 to $625 per session depending on duration and membership status.
4. Plant and Tree Sales: Bi-annual native plant and tree sales offering trees ($40), shrubs ($35-$50), and perennial pints ($6) to support native gardening and generate revenue.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorships and partnership opportunities for businesses seeking to align with environmental leadership and community engagement.
6. Federal and Grant Funding: Secured $5.75 million federal grant through NOAA Office for Coastal Management for ravine-bluff ecosystem restoration project.
7. Planned Giving (Open Prairie Society): Bequests, gifts of real estate, life insurance, pooled income funds, and charitable trusts through the Open Prairie Society legacy giving program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Lake Forest Open Lands Association is a nonprofit land trust that owns, manages, and maintains more than 1,100 acres across 10 nature preserves in the Lake Forest–Lake Bluff area of Illinois, providing free year-round public access for hiking and nature-based recreation. It delivers summer camps, volunteer stewardship programs, native plant sales, conservation leadership training, and community gardening initiatives to local residents, schools, and member families.

Product overview

Lake Forest Open Lands Association is a land trust and conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offering centers on ten nature preserves (1,100 acres) open year-round for public access. Complementary services include membership programs at various giving levels, educational programming through summer camps and the Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL), volunteer stewardship opportunities, native plant/tree sales, community events, and land conservation services for private landowners. The organization serves the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff community and broader Lake County through these integrated conservation and education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL): A community outreach initiative of Lake Forest Open Lands Association that focuses on breaking down barriers to the natural world for communities throughout Lake County, fostering future conservation leaders through immersive outdoor experiences and community-based learning.

Products and services

• Nature Preserves Public Access Free, year-round (365 days a year) public access to 10 nature preserves covering more than 1,100 acres in the Lake Forest–Lake Bluff area, providing hiking and nature-based recreation for local residents and visitors.
• Summer Nature Camps Seasonal nature-based summer camps for children and youth in the Lake Forest–Lake Bluff community, using the organization's preserves as outdoor classrooms.
• Volunteer Stewardship Program Volunteer-driven stewardship opportunities including habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and preserve maintenance for community members interested in hands-on conservation.
• Native Plant Sales Sales of regionally appropriate native plants to local residents and gardeners, supporting pollinator habitat and ecological landscaping in the Lake Forest–Lake Bluff community.
• Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL) Conservation leadership training program equipping community participants with skills and experience in land stewardship, ecology, and conservation practices.
• Green Gardening Group (G3)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,100 acres of conserved nature including woodlands, wetlands, ravines, prairies, and shoreline open to public 365 days/year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of Illinois Nature PreservescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership began in fall 2021 to promote a reinvigorated model of care for Skokie River Nature Preserve through the Shaw Prairie Stewards program. Friends assembles diverse groups of motivated volunteers with varied strengths and talents.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Restoration partner from 1997 for riverbank restoration at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve.
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program was uniquely eligible to apply for NOAA's federal award program and partnered with Lake Forest Open Lands to develop the funding proposal for the $5.75 million ravine-bluff ecosystem restoration grant.
• Prairie Research Institute (University of Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-Ambassador Internship supported by Illinois Coastal Management Program engages experts from University of Illinois' Prairie Research Institute alongside Lake County Audubon Society, Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch, and community leaders.
• Lake County Audubon SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization contributing to Eco-Ambassador Internship program, providing birding expertise and conservation knowledge.
• Illinois Beach State Park HawkwatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes to Eco-Ambassador Internship providing field study opportunities and environmental education.
• Cristo Rey St. Martin College PrepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with LFOLA's Center for Conservation Leadership on Owakonze canoe trip program. Students participate in fall canoe build workshop and weeklong paddling expedition.
• Camping and Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep and CCL for Owakonze weeklong canoe trip to Camp Owakonze on Child's Island in Ontario, Canada.
• Stevenson High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on restoration workdays at Baa and Mello's Preserve at Westfork Savanna.
• Kimley HornminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner contributing restoration workdays at Baa and Mello's Preserve at Westfork Savanna.
• EnsembleMEDIAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner in Green Gardening Group (G3) cooperative gardening initiative for Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents.
• Orphans of the StormminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnimal shelter partner appearing at Spring Plant & Tree Sale event to promote pet adoption alongside native plant sales.
• Trickster Cultural CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Take a Hike to Honor Our Veterans event, providing food and cultural offerings.
• Friends of the Chicago RiverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestoration partner from 1997 for over 2,000 feet of riverbank frontage along the Middlefork River at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lake County Forest Preserves: Government-run forest preserve district serving Lake County, Illinois. Operates preserves, trails, and education programs in the same geography as LFOLA — directly comparable conservation and public access mission, though funded through public tax revenue rather than donations.
• Brandywine Conservancy: Regional land trust and environmental education center in southeastern Pennsylvania. Comparable mix of land conservation, public preserve access, environmental education, and membership-based funding.
• Natural Lands: Regional nonprofit conserving natural lands in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Comparable regional land trust with fee simple and easement land protection, public preserve access, and member-supported conservation model.
• Scenic Hudson: Regional land trust along New York's Hudson River valley conserving land and offering public access. Comparable regional land trust model with preserve stewardship, education, and member-supported funding.
• Openlands: Regional Chicago-area land trust conserving natural areas and connecting people to nature. Highly comparable as a regional nonprofit land trust with similar mix of preserve management, education, and community engagement in the same metro area.
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Statewide land trust conserving Maine's coastal and inland lands. Comparable accredited land trust with mixed fee simple and easement holdings, public preserves, and education programs.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit focused on land and water protection. Comparable conservation mission and accredited land trust operations, but operates at global scale with significantly more resources and scientific capacity.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that protects land for public access and conservation. Directly comparable mission (land conservation, public access, community engagement) but operates at much larger national scale with broader funding sources.
• National Audubon Society: National conservation nonprofit focused on birds and habitat. LFOLA already partners with Lake County Audubon Society; comparable mission around habitat protection, public access, and education, but at much larger national scale.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation with federal grant experience. Comparable land conservation mission and federal partnership execution model, but operates nationally with significantly larger resource base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lfopenlands
• Facebookfacebook.com/LFOpenLands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-forest-open-lands
• Instagraminstagram.com/lfopenlands

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Lake Forest Open Lands Association