CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST
Charlestown Land Trust is a Charlestown, Rhode Island nonprofit that permanently protects nearly 700 acres of open space through conservation easements, land donations, and direct purchases, serving 300+ local member families and residents through stewardship and educational programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersCharlestown, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST does
Charlestown Land Trust (CLT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation corporation incorporated in Rhode Island in 1996 that permanently protects land and waterways in Charlestown, Rhode Island. The organization holds 177.81 acres in fee simple ownership and 470.67 acres under conservation easements, totaling nearly 700 acres across 21 owned properties and 10+ easement-held parcels, including Mill Pond Preserve and Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve. CLT operates as a primarily volunteer organization managed by a Board of Directors and one Executive Director (Kathan Teepe), supported by 300+ member families who provide financial gifts and stewardship labor.
The core operating model combines legal conservation mechanisms (conservation easements, land donations, direct purchases) with ongoing stewardship activities (property monitoring, trail maintenance, ecological assessments) and educational programming (guided hikes, paddles, lectures, and workshops). Revenue is generated through a tiered annual membership program ($40 Friend to $1,000 Conservationist), one-time donations, corporate sponsorships, an annual Summer Party fundraiser, and planned giving through a 'Muddy Boot' legacy giving society. After 17 years of operating a farmers market, CLT transitioned that program to The General Stanton Inn in 2025, refocusing resources on conservation.
CLT's competitive position rests on a regulatory moat from perpetual conservation easements and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, an institutional partnership network including the Town of Charlestown, The Nature Conservancy, the RI Agricultural Land Preservation Commission, and the Land Trust Alliance, and a deeply embedded local community base that has compounded over nearly three decades. The organization operates exclusively in Charlestown, RI, with no stated plans for geographic expansion, and its technology footprint is minimal — it relies on a website, social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, and a donor portal hosted on lglforms.com.
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST
- Legal name
- Charlestown Land Trust
- Website
- https://charlestownlandtrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Charlestown Land Trust is a Charlestown, Rhode Island nonprofit that permanently protects nearly 700 acres of open space through conservation easements, land donations, and direct purchases, serving 300+ local member families and residents through stewardship and educational programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Land Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- 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
Where CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlestown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual memberships provide essential support for conservation, stewardship, and outreach. Multiple membership levels from $40 (Friend) to $1,000 (Conservationist).
- Donations and Tributes: One-time gifts, tribute or memorial gifts in honor or memory of loved ones, and general donations supporting ongoing work and programs.
- Event Revenue: Annual Summer Party featuring live music, dinner, raw bar, and silent auction. Tickets and donations support open space protection.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsorships supporting conservation initiatives with opportunities to sponsor trails, events, and other programs.
- Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through estate plans and wills. 'Muddy Boot' honorary association for planned giving donors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Conservationist – $1,000 (highest tier) |
| Subscription | Annual | Steward – $500 |
| Subscription | Annual | Sponsor – $250 |
| Subscription | Annual | Nature Lover – $100 |
| Subscription | Annual | Friend – $40 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charlestown Land Trust acquires and permanently protects land and waterways in Charlestown, Rhode Island through conservation easements, land donations, and direct purchases. It monitors and manages conserved properties, maintains public hiking trails, and delivers educational programs including guided hikes, paddles, lectures, and workshops. The organization holds fee title to 177.81 acres and conservation easements on 470.67 additional acres, totaling nearly 700 acres under protection.
Product overview
Charlestown Land Trust is a locally led, non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation organization that operates as a single unified offering focused on land preservation and stewardship. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected conservation services including land acquisition and preservation through direct purchases and conservation easements (holding 470.67 protected acres via easements and 177.81 acres in fee), property monitoring and stewardship, trail maintenance and public access, and educational programs including guided hikes, paddles, lectures, and workshops. The organization also offers membership programs at various contribution levels to support ongoing conservation efforts. Key preserved properties include Mill Pond Preserve (with an official trail system) and Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve, both of which provide public recreational access to conserved lands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Conservation Easements Legal agreements that enable private landowners to protect land in perpetuity while retaining ownership. Restrictions legally bind present and future landowners to protect habitat, flora, fauna, and prevent destruction of natural resources or open space. Charlestown Land Trust holds 470.67 acres via conservation easements on parcels including Amos Green Farm and the Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve.
- Land Acquisition and Preservation Direct purchase and donation of land for permanent conservation with the organization holding fee title to properties, currently 177.81 acres including Mill Pond Preserve and 20 other properties.
- Property Monitoring and Stewardship Regular monitoring of conserved properties to ensure protection and ecological integrity, including boundary walks, ecological condition observations, and written documentation of findings.
- Trail Maintenance and Public Access Maintenance of hiking trails on protected lands including debris clearing, drainage improvement, vegetation management, and trail marking to provide free public access to conserved open spaces during daylight hours.
- Educational Programs Guided hikes, paddles, lectures, workshops, and special events designed to foster appreciation and understanding of the environment and encourage conservation of natural resources among community members.
- Membership Program Annual membership program with multiple tiers (Friend $40, Nature Lover $100, Sponsor $250, Steward $500, Conservationist $1,000) providing essential support for conservation, stewardship, and outreach.
- Mill Pond Preserve
Companies that use CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Nature ConservancycoreThe Nature Conservancy stepped in with 6 hours to go to prevent the sale of Mill Pond Preserve (then Cross' Mill Hatchery) to the Suntory Group of Japan. The land was ultimately transferred to CLT and opened to the public on Earth Day 2005.
- Town of CharlestowncoreCollaborates on land preservation including Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve (owned by town with CLT holding conservation easement), Amos Green Farm protection with Agricultural Preservation Committee, and tax exemption from Town Council.
- RI Agricultural Land Preservation CommissionminorPartnered on the Amos Green Farm conservation easement to protect agricultural land in perpetuity.
- Economic Improvement Commission of CharlestownminorCo-sponsor of Charlestown Farm Day event promoting local agriculture and CLT conservation work.
- Agricultural Preservation Committee of CharlestownminorCo-sponsor of Charlestown Farm Day event promoting local agriculture and CLT conservation work.
- Church of the Holy SpiritminorHosted CLT Farmers' Market for 13 summers, providing grounds and storage for equipment during the market's 17-year operation.
- Land Trust AllianceminorNational resource for understanding conservation easements and the role land trusts play in protecting local land. CLT references Land Trust Alliance as a resource for easement information.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Westerly Land Trust: Adjacent Rhode Island land trust with comparable mission, scale, and operational model — permanently protecting open space in a coastal/wooded community through easements and direct acquisition.
- Tiverton Land Trust: Nonprofit land trust in Tiverton, RI, operating with a similar volunteer-driven, member-supported model focused on conservation easements and protected open space in a coastal Rhode Island community.
- South Kingstown Land Trust: A neighboring Rhode Island land trust operating with a similar local-nonprofit model, conservation easements, public trails, and membership-based fundraising in a comparable South County coastal geography.
- Narragansett Land Trust: Small Rhode Island land trust conserving open space in the adjacent town of Narragansett using the same combination of conservation easements, fee ownership, and member-supported stewardship.
- Little Compton Land Trust: Small coastal Rhode Island land trust with a comparable volunteer-driven, donation-funded model protecting open space and providing public trail access in a neighboring southeastern RI community.
Regional players
- Save the Bay: Narragansett Bay-focused environmental nonprofit with a similar Rhode Island geographic scope and donor-supported model, though centered on waterway advocacy and habitat rather than fee land ownership.
Broad incumbents
- The Nature Conservancy (Rhode Island): The largest global land conservation organization with an active Rhode Island chapter; CLT has a direct partnership history with TNC (Mill Pond Preserve transfer). Operates at vastly greater scale but in the same conservation-easement and land-protection category.
- New England Forestry Foundation: Regional land trust conserving working forests across New England through acquisition and easements — a broader incumbent operating the same perpetual-conservation model across a multi-state footprint.
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island: Rhode Island's largest Audubon chapter, managing wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and educational programming with public access — a broader incumbent in the same environmental-conservation and education mission space.
Others
- Land Trust Alliance: National membership association and accreditation body for U.S. land trusts; CLT explicitly references it as a resource. Functions as an ecosystem/industry enabler rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST social profiles
Digital presenceCHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST
What does CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST do?
Charlestown Land Trust acquires and permanently protects land and waterways in Charlestown, Rhode Island through conservation easements, land donations, and direct purchases. It monitors and manages conserved properties, maintains public hiking trails, and delivers educational programs including guided hikes, paddles, lectures, and workshops. The organization holds fee title to 177.81 acres and conservation easements on 470.67 additional acres, totaling nearly 700 acres under protection.
Is CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST a public or private company?
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST founded?
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST based?
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST is headquartered in Charlestown, United States, in the North America region.
How does CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are donations and Tributes, event Revenue, corporate Sponsorships and planned Giving.
Who are CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Westerly Land Trust, Tiverton Land Trust, South Kingstown Land Trust, Narragansett Land Trust and Little Compton Land Trust. Save the Bay is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are The Nature Conservancy (Rhode Island), New England Forestry Foundation and Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Land Trust Alliance is listed as an others.
Does CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST have an API?
No public API is recorded for CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST.
What industry is CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST in?
CHARLESTOWN LAND TRUST's product category is Land Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas, with a secondary code of AFAMAMAH, Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services. Its NAICS code is 71219.