How land trusts get items donated

For letter structure and follow-up, see how to get silent auction donations and the donation request letter template.

Two conversations before soliciting

Stewardship staff and the ecologist, on which properties can take visitors, how many items, when, and where the answer is no for ecological reasons.

Landowner relations, on which easement donors may be approached, which are mid-negotiation and should not be, and who asks them.

The order

1. Inside the organization

Ecologists, stewardship staff, foresters, the education team. Walks, ride-alongs, assessments, talks — the largest part of the catalogue by value.

2. Easement donors and conserved landowners

Access, produce, hosting, and their own networks. Ask lightly, spread it across the roster, and never approach anybody mid-negotiation.

3. Other conservation groups

Trade access items rather than asking. You donate a walk on your preserve, they donate one on theirs, and both catalogues improve at no cost. The easiest yes available.

4. Land-adjacent businesses

Surveyors, foresters, arborists, native plant nurseries, farm and ranch suppliers, equipment dealers, land-specialist attorneys and appraisers. They work with the same landowners and understand the trust's purpose immediately.

5. Outdoor businesses and outfitters

Outdoor retailers, optics dealers, guides and outfitters. Their customers are your members.

6. Neighbours of protected properties

The under-asked group. People living beside conserved land benefit from it daily and are frequently unaware the trust is why.

7. Members and local business

Standard, and last.

What to offer

The item listing, a mention to a membership of landowners and outdoor people, recognition at the event, and a receipt. For a surveyor, forester or nursery, the membership mention is a genuine placement to their exact market.

Timing

• Ten weeks — staff and ecologist agree the access list and its cap; landowner relations flags who may be approached
• Eight weeks — easement donors and conserved landowners; reciprocal trades with other groups
• Six weeks — land-adjacent and outdoor businesses
• Four weeks — neighbours, members, local business
• Two weeks — catalogue closed; every access item carries its property, group size, season, difficulty and alternative

Work around the season. Access items sell on the promise of spring, and a campaign during nesting season or hunting season may find half the properties unavailable.

General information, not legal or tax advice for your trust. Easement donation, appraisal and substantiation rules are technical and consequential — your own counsel and the landowner's advisers decide how any of this applies.

Committee structure: committee and volunteer roles.