Colorado Open Lands
Helpful Links
Helpful Links are sites we commonly use to access information, find out about grant opportunities, or to do research. We welcome any relevant additions you might have.
National & Statewide Land Trust Resources
Conservation Law and Tax Issues
Development and Donor Information
Potential Funders
Fundraising Newsletters
Colorado Informative News sites
General Environmental Websites
National & Statewide Land Trust Resources
Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts – Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts’ mission is to promote and support land conservation excellence in Colorado through leadership, advocacy, education and outreach.
Colorado Department of Natural Resources – http://www.dnr.state.co.us/
Land Trust Alliance – The Land Trust Alliance promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural systems. They are the national convener, strategist and representative of more than 1,500 land trusts across America.
Conservation Law and Tax Issues
Colorado Statutes – This is a searchable database of the Colorado Law Statutes.
Conservation Law, PC – Tax Articles – Conservation Law articles on tax credits and conservation easements.
IRS Tax Code Sec. 1.170A-14 – What are qualified conservation contributions? This is the actual language the IRS uses to gauge what is considered a qualified conservation contribution.
Isaacson Rosenbaum, PC – Tax Updates – Isaacson Rosenbaum’s directory of articles relating to tax and tax credit laws on conservation.
Stephen J. Small, Attorney – Stephen J. Small is recognized as the nation's leading authority on private land protection options and strategies. Before authoring the Federal Tax Law of Conservation Easements and Preserving Family Lands: Book I, Book II, and Book III, he wrote the Federal Income Tax Regulations on Conservation Easements as attorney-advisor in the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service.
Development and Donor Information
Colorado's Community Resource Center – They provide technical assistance, training and consulting services to individuals, nonprofit organizations and community-based coalitions throughout Colorado and nationally.
Council on Foundations – For over 50 years, the Council on Foundations has helped foundation staff, trustees and board members in their day-to-day grant making activities. Through one-to-one technical assistance, research, publications, conferences and workshops, legal services, and a wide array of other services, the Council addresses the important issues and challenges that face foundations and corporate funders. Gives interesting information on trends in foundation and corporate grant giving as well as links to all their member organizations.
Foundation Center's finding private funders’ site – The Foundation Center's mission is to support and improve institutional philanthropy by promoting public understanding of the field and helping grant seekers succeed. They are a great source for foundation research!
GuideStar – The GuideStar web site is produced by Philanthropic Research, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994. GuideStar's mission is to revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice with information. This site has copies of all 990's posted. Each nonprofit has the ability to go in and add information about their issues, mission, etc. There are lots of valuable resources for both donors and nonprofits on this site.
IRS Charitable Organizations Search Engine – This search engine allows users to quickly verify the tax-exempt status of an organization by searching IRS Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, January 7. The search engine gives users a variety of search options, allowing for more accurate results. Users can request name searches with results that “include,” “begin with,” or “exactly match” the search text. Searchers can narrow the results by specifying the organization’s city, state or country. In addition, search results include the organization’s type of exemption, and the ending date of the advance ruling period, when applicable.
Network for Good – Network for Good is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the Web to help people get more involved in their communities - from volunteering and donating money, to speaking out on issues you care about. They are linked with GuideStar and provide a way for nonprofits to accept donations online. Visit them through our "Donate Now" icon.
Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York – While most of this site doesn't apply to Colorado, they do have a great review of how to read a 990 and what it means - very helpful in doing research on a foundation or even a nonprofit!
Potential Funders
Colorado Conservation Trust – Colorado Conservation Trust is a statewide non-profit organization passionate about keeping the very special places of Colorado special forever. They attract new funding to preserve Colorado’s most special places. They help individuals, families and foundations direct their conservation investments to projects that achieve their goals and accomplish important conservation outcomes, while leveraging additional public and private funding.
Community Shares – Community Shares is a Colorado nonprofit cooperative that provides funding, creates resources and builds awareness about the wide diversity of charities around the state and how individuals can support them in a simple, painless manner. Community Shares provides environmental, health care, social justice, animal welfare, cultural, and human resource charities a tremendous opportunity to introduce themselves as automatic payroll deduction options for each employee.
Farm and Ranchland Protection Program – The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranch lands in agricultural use. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the fair market easement value.
Great Outdoors Colorado – In 1992, Coloradans took a major step toward preserving their state's outdoor heritage by voting to create the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Trust Fund, which now forms Article XXVII of the Colorado Constitution. The GOCO Amendment dedicates a portion of state lottery proceeds to projects that preserve, protect, and enhance Colorado's wildlife, parks, rivers, trails, and open spaces. Since it began awarding grants in 1994, GOCO has awarded almost $489 million for 2,100 projects throughout the state.
Groundspring – They were founded in 1999 by the Tides Foundation, and are an "Internet foundation" that has helped over 900 nonprofits raise more than $4.5 million online.
Fundraising Newsletters
Board Source – formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, they are the premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide. Through our highly acclaimed programs and services, Board Source enables organizations to fulfill their missions by helping build strong and effective nonprofit boards.
Charity Channel – Charity Channel is a resource that connects you to your nonprofit colleagues across town, across the country, and around the world. There is a very modest subscriber fee.
Chronicle of Philanthropy – The Chronicle of Philanthropy is the newspaper of the nonprofit world. It is the No. 1 news source, in print and online, for charity leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise. Much of the site is only available to subscribers, but it is worth subscribing if you haven't.
Grassroots Fundraising Journal – Published every other month for more than 20 years, the Journal produces much-needed information on how to build successful organizations. Each issue offers practical, how-to instruction on fundraising strategies such as direct mail, special events, major gift campaigns, and online fundraising. They also offer tools to help you build a board of directors that is willing to raise money, choose a database to track donors, manage your time effectively, and ultimately develop a successful fundraising program.
The Nonprofit Quarterly – The Nonprofit Quarterly is a unique print magazine that leaders count on to provide them with values based management information and proven practices. Each issue focuses on a theme of critical importance and provides you with the cutting edge, relevant and useful information you need to manage more effectively and advance your mission. They also have a free e-newsletter that you can sign up for.
Colorado Informative News sites
Headwaters News – Headwaters News seeks to create an informed and active citizenry in the Rocky Mountain West by providing an on-line, free, premier daily news service that features the region’s top stories on the most relevant issues. They offer summaries of and links to the region’s best stories and commentary on environmental, political, economic, growth and tribal issues, and delivers them to your desktop.
High Country News – High Country News is a bi-weekly newspaper that reports on the West's natural resources, public lands, and changing communities. Covering 11 western states, from the Great Plains to the Northwest, and from the Northern Rockies to the desert Southwest, High Country News is a respected source for environmental news, analysis and commentary on water, logging, wildlife, grazing, wilderness, growth and other issues changing the face of the West.
Environmental Websites (General)
http://www.webdirectory.com/ - Lists websites that are devoted to the environment.
Worldwatch Institute – The Worldwatch Institute offers a unique blend of interdisciplinary research, global focus, and accessible writing that has made it a leading source of information on the interactions among key environmental, social, and economic trends. Their work revolves around the transition to an environmentally sustainable and socially just society—and how to achieve it.