Evergreen Circle

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Dear Friends,

As president of your land trust, I attend summits run by the Connecticut Land
Conservation Council where land trust presidents share ideas and solutions.
Time and resources are a constant theme. 

 

I leave these summits in awe because East Haddam Land Trust (EHLT) currently
has a high level of director volunteerism. Last year, EHLT’s member-elected
board of directors averaged 82 hours per week of volunteer time on land trust
business. (This does not include the many hours given by non-director volunteers.)

 

Many land trust boards cannot volunteer 82 hours per week,
the equivalent of two full-time employees. EHLT boards of the past have not always
volunteered at this level, and we cannot expect future boards to do so.
But this is the amount of time it takes to run an accredited, active, and engaged land trust.

 

To remain effective and relevant into the future, we need a committed, stable funding source, beyond our current annual membership drives, to support professional and technical expertise. 

 

Following a model that helped other land trusts stabilize funding sources, EHLT instituted our Evergreen Circle. It will consist of individuals willing to donate at least $1000 per year in dollars, goods, or professional services.

 

If you have donated at this level in 2024, you are automatically part of the 2025 Evergreen Circle. If you would like to join our Evergreen Circle, we thank you in advance and urge you to donate. 

 

While EHLT’s directors continuously look for ways to improve efficiency, seek grants, and encourage increased volunteer support, doing so will not keep EHLT on the path of growth necessary to meet our mission. Conserving more land, creating more public-access trails, extending our public engagement, and managing the business of being a land trust requires increasing levels of time and funding. It requires a consistent and evergreen model.

 

Please reach out to Pete Govert at Pete.Govert@ehlt.org or 860-484-3458 with any questions about our work or our new Evergreen Circle.

 

Sincerely,

Joene Hendry, President
East Haddam Land Trust

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