Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc. (OSILT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York, NY that operates as a supporting organization of Open Space Institute, Inc. Founded in 1980, OSILT is a national conservation leader focused on protecting and conserving land across the Eastern United States and Canada. The organization combines direct land acquisition, conservation easements, grants, and low-cost bridge loans to accelerate land protection efforts.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$448.3M
+6.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.6M
+5.3% YoY
Grant Count
36
-7.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$155K
+14.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
OSILT's mission centers on protecting land for:
- Clean drinking water access
- Wildlife habitat preservation
- Improved access to parks and nature for all communities
- Healthy communities
- Climate change mitigation
The organization's work is guided by science, with particular emphasis on protecting mature healthy forests, critical watersheds, and wildlife habitat.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,000 to $400,000 (depending on program)
Grant Types
How to Apply
** Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact OSILT field staff for their region before submitting proposals to discuss projects. Decision time typically ranges from 2-4 months depending on the program.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
OSILT operates throughout the Eastern United States and three Canadian provinces, with particular concentration in:
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
The organization has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million acres across the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $448,306,863
- Total Revenue: $73,114,837
- Total Expenses: $30,031,620
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $421,000,000
- Total Revenue: $74,800,000
- Total Expenses: $76,900,000
- Total Liabilities: $127,000,000
OSILT maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $448,306,863 | $421,472,001 | $331,677,388 |
| Revenue | $73,114,837 | $74,821,096 | $53,815,893 |
| Expenses | $30,031,620 | $76,852,095 | $35,366,206 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $17,915,055 | $6,522,094 | $19,319,571 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc
Appalachian Landscapes Project Capital Grant
OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE LAND TRUST INC
Amount
Up to US $4,600,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Appalachian Landscapes Project Catalyst Grant
OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE LAND TRUST INC
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards Grant
OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE LAND TRUST INC
Amount
Up to US $6,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMELIA SALZMAN | CO-CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD | 3 | — |
| ANSON FRELINGHUYSEN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CAROL ASH | VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD | 1 | — |
| CAROLYN NIEMCZYK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DALE S BRYK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DOUGLAS BATESON | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH BORDEN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GIGI MORTIMER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GIORGIOS VLAMIS | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| HOLLY HEGENER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| HUME R STEYER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JOHN ERNST | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JOHN H ADAMS | CO-CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD (OUTGOING) | 3 | — |
| JOHN P CAHILL | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JOSHUA GINSBERG PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JUDE WU ABEL | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KATHERINE O ROBERTS | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LEA PAINE HIGHET | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LEISLE LIN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARJORIE VAN DERCOOK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| NICOLE HYLTON-PATTERSON | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| PATRICIA F SULLIVAN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| RICHARD REMMER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SAMUEL G HUBER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SUSAN BABCOCK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| T JEFFERSON CUNNINGHAM III | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| THOMAS MCHENRY | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| YUKI MOORE LAURENTI | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ABIGAIL WEINBERG | VP OF SCIENCE & CONSERVATION POLICY | 2 | — |
| ALICE GLEASON | SVP FOR FINANCE & CFO | 2 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER J ELLIMAN | PRESIDENT & CEO (OUTGOING 05/24) | 2 | — |
| DAVID KIERAN-KAUFMAN | VICE PRESIDENT AND ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL | 2 | — |
| EILEEN LARABEE | CHIEF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OFFICER | 2 | — |
| IRENE LEE | VP OF LAND, NORTHEAST | 2 | — |
| JEFFREY LEJAVA | VP & ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL | 2 | — |
| JENNIE GREER | SVP OF PHILANTHROPY | 2 | — |
| JESSICA WATSON | VP OF CONSERVATION COMMUNITIES | 2 | — |
| KATHLEEN MOSER | CHIEF CONSERVATION/POLICY | 2 | — |
| LARS KULLESEID | PRESIDENT & CEO (INCOMING 04/24) | 2 | — |
| MARIA WHITEHEAD | VP OF LAND, SOUTHEAST | 2 | — |
| MAY MAY CHENG | VICE PRESIDENT, CONTROLLER | 2 | — |
| NATHAN BERRY | CHIEF LAND, PROTECTION OFFICER | 2 | — |
| NICK RICHARDSON | SVP, CAPITAL STRATEGIES | 2 | — |
| PETER KARIS | VP, PARKS AND STEWARDSHIP | 2 | — |
| ROBERT K ANDERBERG | SVP, GENERAL COUNSEL | 2 | — |
| SAMAYLA DEUTCH | SVP, GENERAL COUNSEL | 2 | — |
| TALLY BLUMBERG | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, OSILT protected 12,084 acres of land with a fair market value of $80.59 million through facilitated projects, direct acquisitions, and conservation easements, with the goal of conveying protected land to public agencies and conservation partners as permanent additions to public lands.
Recent grant announcements include support for the Appalachian Landscapes Project, Hudson River Valley conservation efforts, Tennessee's Savage Gulf State Park expansion, and climate-resilient forest protection in Pennsylvania.
Winnakee awarded $90,000 Grant from The Open Space Institute to Advance AppalachianSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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