MLTN Infoline – June 25, 2024
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Guidance from Land Trust Alliance on Changes to IRS Form 8283 for Conservation Easement Donations
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Back in December 2023, the IRS revised Form 8283 and its instructions. The revisions reflect the implementation of the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act and other changes the IRS wanted. The most crucial changes relate to the additional requirements for donors who are pass-through entities and their members. Exceptions apply for family pass-through entities. In March, the Land Trust Alliance posted new guidance in the form of a general summary of changes as well as detailed summaries of each section and category. They also revised their Practical Pointer Form 8283 and Appraisal Review, along with Practice 10B2 of Land Trust Standards and Practices.
If you’re looking to really walk through the changes, Diana Norris, the Alliance’s conservation defense network and tax manager, has created two video presentations explaining the recent updates to the form:
Please note, LTA membership is required to access these LTA resources.
In addition, MCHT has updated its Gift Acceptance Policy. The revised policy has been posted to the MLTN Publications and Documents page and is available to all.
Always here doing our best to keep you up to date,
Angela, Jeff, and Donna
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Maine Natural Areas Program Launches Marsh Migration Model to Address Sea Level Rise
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The Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP) within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has introduced an updated marsh migration model and a comprehensive report. This initiative aims to help communities and land managers identify critical areas necessary for the inland migration of tidal marshes anticipated under projected sea level rise scenarios. MNAP’s updated tool presents current tidal marsh areas along the Maine coast alongside projected migration spaces, enabling planners, local leaders, and conservation organizations to visualize and plan for marsh migration under various sea level rise scenarios, ranging from 1.2 to 10.9 feet.
An analysis of potential marsh extent indicates that Maine is likely to experience a net loss of tidal marsh habitat over time, as some current marshes may become inundated, and available migration space is limited. Only approximately 31% of potential marsh migration space across all sea level rise scenarios is conserved statewide, underscoring the need for additional conservation efforts for current and future marsh areas.
The MNAP marsh migration resources and a companion report are available at MNAP Coastal Resiliency.
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Design Thinking Your Strategic Plan
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Tuesday, July 9, 2024 via Zoom 2:00-3:15pm
Cost: $25 for MANP members*, $50 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Iowa Nonprofit Alliance
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to developing your strategic plan. This workshop will provide you with the skills and processes to design a creative, effective, and sustainable strategic plan; one that utilizes the best of your organization’s board, staff, and volunteers to achieve a greater positive impact and be in the best position to provide and grow your offerings now and in years to come.
Participants will:
Learn more and get the link to register on partner website at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Fundraising for Small Organizations
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Wednesday, July 10, 2024 via Zoom
11:00am-12:00pm Cost: $35
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Common Good Vermont
Feeling overwhelmed by fundraising? Are you a new Executive Director or Board member looking to gain fundraising skills? Are fundraising tasks always at the bottom of your to-do list? If you answered yes to any of these, this workshop may be for you! The following will be briefly covered:
Visit MANP’s website to register.
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Operate Intentionally to Grow Sustainably
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Tuesday, July 16, 2024 via Zoom
10:00am-12:00pm
Cost: $35 This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Common Good Vermont
Growth can be exciting and is often a major goal for mission driven organizations and their funders, as they seek to expand their impact and solve critical societal challenges. Yet many growing organizations find themselves facing similar internal challenges, as the operational practices that met their needs when they were small begin to fall short when faced with growth. Despite thriving by many measures – with expanding budgets, staff, and programs – growing organizations often find themselves grappling with decreasing effectiveness and increasing staff burnout and turnover.
This session aims to help organizations that are growing or planning to grow avoid common pitfalls and build a people-centered operations foundation that supports sustainable organizational growth. By building foundational systems and practices before growing substantially, an organization can minimize the distractions and inefficiency caused by the constant work-arounds and confusion that persist absent operational foresight, and save themselves from having to spend significant time and resources playing “catch up” to eventually build a reliable foundation.
Learn more and register on MANP’s website.
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Managing Special Event Risks: Lay the Foundation for Safety
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Wednesday, July 17, 2024 via Zoom 2:00-2:30pm
Cost: FREE
This free 30-minute webinar is offered in partnership with Nonprofit Risk Management Center
A nonprofit event can provide lots of magical things: delicious food and drink, your community’s favorite traditions (or new traditions), and great company. Events also bring many potential safety risks. Learn how to mitigate those and have a great event.
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Geotourism Workshop: Put the Locally Driven Destination Development, Stewardship and Marketing Approach to Work for Your Community
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Three 2-hour video conference sessions plus one-on-one coaching
Wednesdays, Oct. 30, Nov. 13 & 20, 2024 12:00-2:00pm
Cost: $425 includes early registration discount through June 30, plus an additional 15% off with the code MaineLandTrust
Learn how to put Geotourism to work for your community. Introduced more than 20 years ago through National Geographic, this community-led approach has been used by destinations around the world to guide development, catalyze locally driven marketing, foster stewardship, and align tourism with the good of the place and the people who live there.
In 2002, National Geographic began collaborating with destinations across the United States and around the world to craft a holistic approach to tourism development, marketing and stewardship that put communities in the lead. National Geographic called this approach “geotourism.”
This course provides both a conceptual understanding of the geotourism approach and practical tools and insights to help your community become a destination that is more in charge of its own future.
This course is offered by The Harbinger Consultancy. Please check out their website for more in-depth information about this Geotourism Workshop and others courses they offer, like their Creative Placemaking and Outdoor Recreation Roadmap courses. The MaineLandTrust code is valid on all courses!
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Brunswick Edition of Scuttlebutt: A Guide to Living and Working Near the Water
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The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA), a locally-based non-profit dedicated to fostering sustainable fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and supporting Maine’s fishing businesses, has just released the Brunswick edition of Scuttlebutt: A Guide to Living and Working Near the Water. This guide follows on the heels of a Harpswell Scuttlebutt edition published last year. The new Brunswick guide is designed to help residents better connect with and appreciate their town’s waterfront economy by providing “the scuttlebutt,” or insider information about all the many facets of our working waterfront. MCFA was pleased to partner with many stakeholders as well as the Town of Brunswick to create the guide, which was printed with support from the Nathaniel Davis Fund and over 15 local business sponsors as well as The Times Record. Print copies are available at many locations throughout town including the Town Hall and the Brunswick Visitor’s Center. The guide is also available online. If you would like paper copies, please contact Susan Olcott, or we have some copies at MCHT’s Topsham office as well.
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Jobs in the Conservation Sector
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Exciting job opportunities at Maine conservation organizations are being posted daily! Here are the most recent additions to our very busy job board. Finance and Administration Director – Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Development Director – Scarborough Land Trust
Associate Director of Stewardship – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Conservation Project Manager – Forest Society of Maine
Business Development Manager – The Ecology School
Institutional Giving Manager – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
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L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program
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Applications Due: 11:59pm Friday, September 27, 2024
L.L.Bean has been a key partner of Maine land trusts for years, both as a Leading Sponsor of the Maine Land Conservation Conference and also helping Maine Coast Heritage Trust create and continue the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program. Last year, L.L.Bean stepped up with a major increase in funding for the program that allowed us to more than double the program’s support for stewardship, preserve management, and programming at local land conservation organizations across the state. This year, L.L.Bean is again matching that support! The purpose of the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program is to provide funding to Maine land trusts to enhance public access to conserved lands. Priorities include traditional stewardship projects, such as preserve management planning and trail improvements, as well as programming to promote outdoor activities, especially for underserved populations. Projects that meet one of these priority goals and also involve collaboration between land trusts and/or other organizations (e.g., other non-profits, municipal governments, schools, etc.) may be given special consideration. Read full guidelines here.
New this year, organizations that receive funding through the L.L.Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Fund DO NOT need to wait a year before applying again!
Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are current members of the Maine Land Trust Network, and must have adopted Land Trust Standards & Practices. Visit the MLTN website for more information.
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