E-Newsletter: August 2010
Youth Action Council Applications Available
What is a Land Trust?
Ample Harvest
Community Events & Announcements
Submit an Event
Introduction
As summer winds down, we wanted to send you a few updates about the Foundation and resources in the MetroWest region.
Youth Action Council Applications Available
Applications for the 2010-2011 Youth Action Council are now available on our website. The Youth Action Council (YAC) is a hands-on grantmaking program comprised of youth from numerous MetroWest communities. They are entrusted with reviewing and granting up to $10,000 in funds to nonprofit organizations serving children and youth.
If you have a high school student who would be interested in applying for the Youth Action Council, please click here. Applications are due by September 30, 2010. You can learn more about YAC here.
What is a Land Trust?
Throughout the spring and summer, we’ve tried to introduce you to some of the outdoor resources in the region. One wonderful resource that we haven’t highlighted are land trusts in MetroWest.
A Land Trust is, usually, a nonprofit that protects, conserves, and develops land. They are formed through land purchases and/or land donations, and may also manage land owned by others. Land trusts protect everything from forests, watersheds, and islands to urban gardens, Civil War battlefields, and hiking trails.
There are many advantages to setting up nonprofit land trusts. They can hold and manage land and other assets as a corporation, rather than through individuals. As private organizations, land trusts can be more flexible and creative and can generally act more quickly than government agencies, since they are not restrained by politics and procedures. They can raise money from a variety of sources to provide programming and improvements, and donors can receive income, estate, or gift tax savings. Properly structured land trusts are exempt from federal and state income taxes, and sometimes from local property and real estate transfer taxes as well.
Here are a few local land trusts that are doing wonderful work:
Sudbury Valley Trustees is a regional land trust that conserves land and protects wildlife habitat in the Concord, Assabet, and Sudbury river basin for the benefit of present and future generations. SVT currently owns, through gifts and purchase, more than seventy properties in sixteen towns, a total of over 2,200 acres. Additionally, SVT holds conservation restrictions on more than 1,000 acres that protect the land from further development. You can learn more on their website www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org.
The Harvard Conservation Trust is going through a period of growth. Founded almost 40 years ago to preserve the unique character and natural resources of Harvard, the Trust currently holds around 700 acres of land. It is a membership-based organization that is actively trying to grow its members and profile in the region. They’ve recently begun a number of projects including a partnership with the public libraries and Mass Audubon to introduce children to wildlife, sponsor nature walks and lectures throughout the year, and are in the midst of planning a 5k trail run in September that will highlight the beautiful open spaces in Harvard. To learn more, visit their website at www.harvardconservationtrust.org.
The Southborough Open Land Foundation preserves and protects the open spaces and rural character of the Town of Southborough. The Foundation holds close to 300 acres of land in the town, and is working hard to get more people involved. They hold a number of public events Riverfest, the Beals Preserve Celebration, guided nature walks, canoe rides, and lectures. To learn more about SOLF, please visit their website at www.solf.org.
Here are some of the other land trusts in MetroWest.
- Westborough Community Land Trust
- Boxborough Conservation Trust
- Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts
- Westwood Land Trust
- Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust
- Hopkinton Area Land Trust
- Stow Conservation Trust
- Boxborough Conservation Trust
- Acton Conservation Trust
- Carlisle Conservation Foundation
- Concord Land Conservation Trust
- Walden Woods Project
- Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
- Waltham Land Trust
- Weston Forest & Trail Association
- Weston Land Trust
- Wellesley Conservation Council
- Dover Land Conservation Trust
- Sherborn Rural Land Foundation
For an exhaustive list of Land Trusts in Massachusetts, we recommend you visit www.massland.org.
Ample Harvest
As gardens in this area hit their peak and you can’t think of another way to cook a zucchini, instead of throwing your vegetables away, consider donating them to a local food pantry. Ample Harvest, a new national organization, connects home gardeners and local farmers to local food pantries who are able to accept fresh produce. You can go onto their site, search for food pantries in your area, and get information about the items they accept, and when you can drop food off.
Search for food pantries in your area >
Community Events & Announcements
Friday, August 20, 2010: Reagle Music Theatre: Hairspray
Wednesday, August 25, 2010: Lone Rangers Networking Breakfast
Saturday, August 28, 2010: Wayside Inn: Model-A Car Show and Family Barbecue
Wednesday, September 8, 2010: Small Can Be Big Celebration
Sunday, September 12, 2010: Danforth Museum of Art: Fall Open House
Submit an Event
To submit and event, please send an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the event details and date.
Stay in the Know
Don’t miss out on what’s going on.
See our Events Calendar >
Professional Advisor?
Does your client want to make a positive impact in the area? We can help you make it happen. Since 1995, we’ve been an invaluable resource for advisors like yourself as you help your clients achieve their philanthropic goals. It’s a way you can make a lasting impression with your clients and they can leave a lasting legacy for the community.
Learn What the Foundation for MetroWest Can Do for You & Your Client >