Helping local sportsmen and nature clubs around the MN lakes area to increase their impact through conservation activities and public outreach.
It’s time to start a legacy of conservation.
You love the lakes area. We have an abundance of open spaces, lakes, fishing, hunting, and wildlife. But we all know those resources can dwindle if we are not thoughtful about how we collectively use them.
Let’s work together
Lakes Area Outdoor Initiative (LAOI) leverages like-minded outdoor groups like yours to leave the lakes area better for the next generation.
Conservation Opportunities
Get your group involved in meaningful conservation work right here in our area.
Partial- to Fully-Funded Work
We engage groups in short-term contracts that cover some or all of your expenses.
Increased Exposure
Leverage your conservation work by sharing your activities and the impact you’re making.
We understand how difficult it can be to take on land donations when your group is lacking a nonprofit status.
Lakes Area Outdoor Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3) partnering with local outdoor groups and individual donors to manage land donations for conservation purposes and increase opportunities for outdoor education and recreation.
Curious about donating your land, but not sure if it's the right plan for you?
How to Further Your Impact
01.
Partner with us
02.
you help with land management activities your group is interested in
03.
your group has a greater impact on local conservation
At Lakes Area Outdoor Initiative, we know you are the kind of person who wants to take part in meaningful work. So when it comes to your love of the outdoors and our lakes area, you want to further your group’s impact in our area. The problem is, your group is lacking an official 501(c)(3) status, so you’re unable to take on land donations and offer tax benefits to donors. We understand how difficult it can be to take on land donations when your group is lacking a nonprofit status. Lakes Area Outdoor Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3) partnering with local outdoor groups and individual donors to manage land donations for conservation purposes and increase opportunities for outdoor education and recreation. Our capable team has experience securing large land donations for conservation use and leverages partnerships with local outdoor organizations to manage properties according to the donor’s wishes. So here’s how it works: first, let us know you want to partner with us; then, you help with land management activities your group is interested in; and finally, your group has a greater impact on local conservation efforts. So partner with us today so you can stop having to turn away potential land donors and start furthering your group’s impact.
Services
What We Do
Together with donors and partners, we ensure future generations can enjoy our outdoor resources.
Own & Conserve Land
We offer donors valuable tax benefits for the donation of their land, real estate, assets, and money. Together with our partner organizations and other contracted specialists, we conserve the donated land to protect and improve habitats and natural resources in our area.
Foster Outdoor Opportunities
Because of our local, independent management, we are able to honor donor requests for land usage, such as opportunities for youth education, veteran hunts, pollinator habitats, and so much more. Our local sportsmen and outdoor clubs help bring these visions to life.
Testimonial
"I hope that if there are other landowners who are interested in donating land, just like Leo did, that they consider the LAOI. To preserve more acreage and create more outdoor opportunities for local people would be wonderful.”
- Jack Bjerk, Volunteer and outdoorsman
Leo's Legacy
View the successful outcomes of a local land donation + conservation
SOMETHING
Have Questions about LAOI?
Why should we partner with LAOI?
LAOI makes it easy for your group to have an active involvement in land conservation in our area, without the legal headache of owning and managing the land on your own. We’ve heard from many groups that have had to turn away the offer of a land donation because they lack the experience or the correct nonprofit status to be able to accept it. By allowing LAOI to handle the legalities of ownership, your group is able to be involved in the hands-on management and outreach activities that are important to your mission (such as increased habitats, wetlands protection, youth education, veteran hunts, or so much more).
Is LAOI a competitor to our organization?
We are committed to being a partner with existing outdoor, hunting, and conservation groups in our area, not competition. Because of this, we are not a membership or event-driven organization. The land we own and manage will be available to groups like yours to host activities that further your mission and impact.
What does a partnership look like?
We envision our partnership working two ways: either we present your group with a piece of donated land that you may be interested in, or your group approaches us with a potential land donor who you want to partner with. If your group is interested in assisting with management activities on a certain piece of land, we initially enter into a short-term contract that will include partial to full funding for your conservation work.
How can our group leverage this partnership to further benefit us?
Your participation in critical conservation work in our area is worth celebrating! We recommend highlighting the work you do by taking pictures of your group in action and sharing them on your newsletter, social pages, website, and more. These outreach activities are something you can share in your group’s story, on grant applications, and in your yearly recap (think metrics such as acres preserved, trees planted, number of youth involved, etc.).
What types of groups should partner with LAOI?
If your group meets the following criteria, we’d love to connect with you:
- Focused on conservation, wildlife, nature, hunting, outdoor sports
- Lacking an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS
- Located within in the lakes area of Minnesota, specifically within 30 miles of Perham, MN
- Interested in expanding your impact with conservation activities and organizing outdoor opportunities in our area