Deadline: 30-Jun-21
The Transaction Grant Program will assist organizations in leveraging conservation projects by providing support to fund qualifying transaction costs associated with land and easement donations. Each property funded with these grants must be permanently protected through a Conservation Easement or Notice of Acceptance of Property for Conservation Purposes.
Funding direct program costs for land transactions is one of the greatest challenges facing conservation organizations today, in spite of the very high leverage effect it has on a land or easement donation from private donors. Landowners who are willing to donate conservation land worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are often unable to fund the cash transaction costs as well. Triangle Community Foundation will leverage donated land transactions by funding the transaction costs and stewardship endowments associated with land donations.
Funding Information
- Grant values will vary by project and will not exceed $25,000.
- Survey, environmental assessment, and legal description expenses
- Legal expenses including attorney fees, title insurance, closing costs, and recording costs
- Legal defense fund for the project
- Baseline documentation report (including grantee labor and expenses to create the report)
- Stewardship endowment for the project
- Conservation staff expense, including labor costs and travel expenses, directly related to the proposed project
The Foundation will not fund deficit or debt financing, grants solely for the purpose of re-granting, grants to projects in which land is not permanently protected, projects outside Chatham, Durham, Orange, or Wake counties, ad valorem or rollback taxes (may count as match), landowner’s appraisal for tax reporting (may count as match), land acquisition (value may count as match), or general administrative or operating costs not related to the project.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies based in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake counties. Religious congregations and organizations operating under fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit are eligible to apply when collaborating with a 501(c)(3) that meets all other criteria. Organizations must meet the Foundation’s non-discrimination policy, and must have been incorporated at least three years prior to the application deadline. Only one application per organization per fiscal year (July – June) will be considered.
Project Selection
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of community volunteers, and grantees will be selected based on the following:
- The property is part of a larger conservation initiative or adjacent to existing protected land: Adjacency or larger conservation initiatives lead to long term conservation successes for species protection and reduced buffer landscape fragmentation.
- The project will contribute to important conservation goals: The project has excellent conservation potential with valuable conservation impact. Its benefits include water quality, habitat value, public access and recreation, local food or forest production.
- The project will provide important community benefits: The application articulates the community goals that the project’s conservation will fulfill. The project was identified in a conservation or community plan or through stated community goals and objectives. The project’s conservation will provide measurable public benefits.
- The project conserves unique and important conservation values: Significant natural heritage areas, natural heritage element occurrences, state significant soils, high quality waters, impaired waterways, public access
- Resources and feasibility: The organization has appropriately allocated resources toward the project, and the project’s goals and objectives seem feasible.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2FwupEL
