Advancing Conservancy Excellence ACE
The Advancing Conservancy Excellence (ACE) program is a partnership project between Heart of the Lakes and the Land Trust Alliance with a goal to strategically transform Michigan’s land conservancies into a high-performing, sustainable and cohesive conservation community.
Michigan ACE II applications accepted through February 29, 2012
Heart of the Lakes and its partner, the Land Trust Alliance, are pleased to announce that applications to receive advancement services under the Advancing Conservancy Excellence (ACE) program are now being accepted from Michigan land conservancies through February 29, 2012. This program will provide: Guided Standards and Practices Assessments, implementation planning, mentoring, and small grants for land conservancies preparing to apply for accreditation within the next three years. For more information and to download the application, which includes eligibility information, click here.
About the ACE Program
The Advancing Conservancy Excellence program, which started as one of only three pilots in the country, is making significant strides to increase the technical knowledge and organizational strength of participating conservancies.
In its first three years, ACE helped a select group of 18 conservancies conduct intensive assessments of their organizations, develop detailed action plans to position them for an accreditation application, and tackle plan priorities with Advancement Grants. Concurrently, the program provided services, such as technical training, to all land conservancies in the state.
National Accreditation
One of the drivers behind ACE is to assist Michigan’s land conservancies achieve national accreditation. Accreditation means that a conservancy has gone through a rigorous independent review and can demonstrate that it meets national standards of excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that they can met the promise that their conservation efforts to protect important natural places and working lands are permanent. Conservancies must renew every five years to sustain their accredited status.
To date, five land conservancies in Michigan have successfully applied for and received accreditation with several more now prepared to take that step, thanks in part to the ACE program. (Chikaming Open Lands, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Leelanau Conservancy, Legacy Land Conservancy, Little Forks Conservancy)
Moving Forward
As ACE moves forward in 2011, a greater focus will be placed on helping the next eight to ten conservancies achieve national accreditation and assisting those that will be eligible to apply for re-accreditation. Services for these groups will include updated assessments; mentoring and technical assistance; advancement grants; board training and leadership development. If fully funded, ACE will continue to provide universal services to all Michigan land conservancies, including a Peer Mentoring program, technical training, board training, and advancement grants.
Participating Conservancies:
Conservancies in bold are nationally accredited.
Cadillac Area Land Conservancy
Chikaming Open Lands
Chippewa Watershed Conservancy
Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Keweenaw Land Trust
Land Conservancy of West Michigan
Leelanau Land Conservancy
Legacy Land Conservancy
Little Forks Conservancy
Little Traverse Conservancy
Livingston Land Conservancy
Michigan Nature Association
Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy
North Oakland Headwaters Conservancy
Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy
Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy
Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Thank you!
The ACE partnership is especially grateful to the funders of the program, our success would not have been possible without them: The Carls Foundation, the Frey Foundation, the Wege Foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
