Westchester Land Trust Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Westchester Land Trust (WLT) is a regional conservation organization that conserves and cares for land in urban, suburban, and rural communities located in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties of New York. Its land preservation efforts serve the public by protecting drinking water supplies, climate-resilient lands, trails for passive recreation and scenic enjoyment, wildlife habitats, farmland, and urban green spaces, such as community gardens and pocket parks. - continued on Schedule O -Since 1988 WLT has preserved more than 9,300 acres of open space, and 20 miles of hiking trails in 29 communities. WLT has protected parcels of land ranging from a quarter of an acre to over 600 acres. In 2024, WLT preserved an additional 85 acres across two projects. Community members enjoyed thousands of visits to WLT's preserves in 2024. Fourteen WLT nature preserves are open to the public year-round and free of charge. The remaining preserves serve as wildlife sanctuaries that are not open to the public. WLT partners with the State of New York, Westchester and Putnam counties, private landowners, and municipalities to acquire and care for land.WLT is committed to community education about the protection of natural resources, wildlife habitats, and sustainable agriculture. WLT collaborates with dozens of national, regional, and local organizations on programming and projects to help advance its mission. WLT's mobile education program, the Pollinator Pop-Up, appeared at 21 events in 2024, allowing WLT to connect with more than 1,600 community members about environmental topics. WLT's headquarters, Sugar Hill Farm, is the site of a half-acre organic garden, where vegetables are grown and distributed to local food pantries. Since its founding, more than 84,500 servings of fresh produce have been donated to families in need of food. Volunteers are the backbone of WLT's work. In 2024 volunteers donated more than 940 hours of their time to support WLT's land protection and community engagement programs. WLT's protected lands are home to more than 1,300 species of native plants and animals. In addition to proactive land protection, land stewardship is an important component of WLT's mission. WLT regularly conducts land management and habitat restoration projects on publically accessible lands that it owns or holds conservation easements on. In 2024, WLT contracted with youth conservationists to help launch a landscape-scale forest health project spanning all its preserves. WLT also employs summer conservation apprentices as part of its conservation career development program.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.1%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 73.5%; rating input score 73
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 11.8%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.21; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings