DELAWARE HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
Conserving our natural heritage and quality of life in partnership with landowners and the communities of the Upper Delaware River region.
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is an accredited land trust dedicated to conserving the natural heritage and quality of life in the Upper Delaware River region in partnership with the region’s landowners and communities. For the Conservancy, the phrase natural heritage is vital. It implies much more than nature as “resource.” Nature as our heritage communicates the multi-generational tradition of our region’s people living in and from special relationships with our lands and waters—our farmers and foresters, hikers, hunters, fishermen, and families who love living where they have room to roam, and where they can share space with deer, bear, and eagles. Our natural heritage is as much the farm and forest products that support our local economies, as it is our pristine waters and healthy woodlands. Protecting and sustaining our natural heritage now and for future generations is the responsibility of all the citizens of our region.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Educational Outreach
A series of educational programs, direct mail and web-based information to provide information on the benefits of conservation and the options available to individual landowners.
Land Protection
We work with willing landowners and communities to protect working farms and forests, clean waters, and wildlife habitat.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Conservancy is committed to protecting our natural heritage and sustaining our rural quality of life by focusing on the connections between people, healthy lands and waters, and strong local economies. Through our land protection efforts and community outreach, the Conservancy connects our region’s local communities to the importance of actively supporting and sustaining our farms, forests, and waters. With the support of our members and strong core of citizen volunteers, we conserve the precious agricultural and forest lands vital to healthy local foods, clean drinking water, biological diversity, outdoor recreation, and to the overall beauty and quality of life we enjoy in the Upper Delaware River region.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Conservancy achieves its mission by working with our partners in the community, including other businesses and organizations; private landowners and municipalities; and by offering educational programming year-round to engage people of all ages in our conservation mission and encourage stewardship of the land.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Conservancy has a staff of seven full- and part-time employees; an experienced Board of Directors; and a dedicated group of more than 50 volunteers that assist all year with our programming.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Although the Conservancy has protected nearly 15,000 acres in our region, there is always more to do, and we continue to engage with landowners and communities to protect the lands and waters that sustain us, and work with our partners to develop new educational programming to continue to engage the community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
DELAWARE HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY
Board of directorsas of 06/29/2023
Mary Sue Price
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/27/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.