VCLT Structure

The Valley Community Land Trust is a non-profit organization. Our articles of incorporation set out the land trust purposes and our bylaws determine our basic rules of operation.

Membership

The VCLT is a membership organization. The members are the ultimate decision makers in that they elect from among themselves the Board of Directors and the Standing Committees (except the Nelson Fund Committee).

The membership meets twice a year - once in the spring and once in the fall. New members must wait 60 days before they are allowed to make decisions at a membership meeting.

Board of Directors

The Board is the most active body and its members and staff run the day to day operations of the organization. The Bylaws require the Board to meet six times a year but normally it meets about once a month.

The members of the Board are drawn from the membership. In nominating and electing Board members, we should seek a mix of lessees and non-lessees and diversity in gender, race, class, etc.

Officers

Officers are elected by the Board from the members of the Board and take on extra responsibilities beyond those of other Board members. There are at least three officers at all times: a Chairperson, a Clerk and a Treasurer. There may also be Vice-Chairs, Assistant Secretaries, and Assistant Treasurers, as needed and appointed by the Board.

IRS 990 Corporate Filings

Standing Committees

There are five standing committees that members are encourage to join. These committees have significant independence of action but their decisions are subject to Board review.

The Membership Committee is responsible for outreach to and education of the wider community, for recruiting new members and keeping track of existing members.

The Lease Committee is responsible for developing suitable leases for long term land tenure and stewardship of the land, negotiating leases with new lessees, and handling defaults of the lease agreement.

The Land Use Committee works with lessees to develop land use plans and monitors lessees’ implementation of their plans.

The Housing Committee works with the Lease Committee to develop lease terms related to the construction, use, and sale of lessee’s homes and buildings and helps implement terms of the lease related to such sales.

The Nelson Fund Committee is responsible for raising funds for land acquisition through the solicitation of donations and low or no interest loans to the organization. It also monitors the repayment of loans and advises the Board on management of repayment funds.