Record Keeping Toolkit

Date of Publication: 07/29/2020

Resources to help you improve your land trust's record keeping practices.

Summary sheet and description

  1. Background Narrative to Practice 9G1
    General guidelines, including the “how’s” and “why’s” of creating a records policy.
  2. Background Narrative to Practice 9G2
    Introduction to types of files to be saved. Includes tips on digital and paper storage.
  3. Background Narrative to Practice 9G3
    Guidelines on which documents to duplicate, and how to ensure that originals and copies are not destroyed in a single calamity.
  4. Practice 9G1 – Sample 1 Records Policy - PDF
  5. Practice 9G1 – Sample 2 Records Policy - PDF
  6. Sample 3 Records Policy – Word document
  7. Template - Easement Property– Word document
    A checklist/cover sheet created by consultant Holly Lippert to evaluate and track the state of records for each easement property.
  8. Template - Fee Property– Word document
    A checklist/cover sheet created by consultant Holly Lippert to evaluate and track the state of records for each fee property.
  9. Practical Pointers: Recordkeeping—Purging Conservation Easement Files
    Points to consider when deciding which documents to keep.
  10. Practical Pointers: Recordkeeping Risk Assessment
    Guidelines on assessing risk and identifying records to retain.
  11. “Tales of Records, Redundancy and Renewal”
    An article from the Alliance’s Saving Land magazine, providing an overview of recordkeeping for land trusts of all sizes.
  12. File Audit for Land and Stewardship Records – Word document
    An adaptable spreadsheet to review the records in your land and stewardship files. Download by clicking here or find at https://www.landtrustalliance.org/topics/land-trust-standards-and-practices.
  13. Keys to Good Record Management
    Presented at Mass Land Conservation Conference in 2017 by Rebecca Washburn, Land Trust Alliance.
    Presentation | Cloud Storage Pros & Cons | Record Keeping Guidelines

The Land Trust Alliance and the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition created this toolkit as part of the statewide Massachusetts Record Keeping Initiative, which is made possible by the generous support of the Fields Pond Foundation, the Fieldstone Foundation and other generous supporters.