Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust: Supporting Conservation Across Generations
The Challenge: Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust protects land for people and nature in one of the most naturally diverse and economically stressed parts of Massachusetts. Through strong leadership and effective conservation, the organization has established a reputation as a strong local land trust within the land trust community. That capability was stretched during a leadership transition that took place in the middle of the group’s most ambition capital campaign. Working through the transition of executive leadership, completing the expectations of the campaign, and leveraging those successes to grow the capacity of the land trust became the challenges Mount Grace faced.
Our Process: Over the years, we have partnered with Mount Grace to provide tailored support through multiple stages of growth and evolution. Beginning with coaching to support the emergence of a new executive director, we helped her translate her experience into core strengths as the land trust leader. With her partnership, we supported fundraising training and planning, strategic planning, and support for collaboration with other nearby land trusts. Translating the ambitions and aspirations of the board and staff into actionable plans with structures to support them ensured the durable value of the investments.
The Transformation: The transformation taking place in Northcentral Massachusetts is stunning. Mount Grace has found greater clarity, motivation, and shared support through the process of engaging their community before developing their plans. Programs have evolved to provide national leadership on critical issues like Indigenous conservation and co-management programs. Donors have stepped up to underwrite core elements of their plan for years into the future, now understanding how their investment will support this well-conceived transformation. The Land Trust Alliance recognized Mount Grace as the national Excellence Award winner in 2022, casting a spotlight on the transformation and stunning success of the organization.