The New Jersey Conservation Loan Program serves as a source of both technical assistance and low-interest bridge financing to non-profit land conservation organizations, thereby providing greater leverage of scarce resources needed to close critical land acquisition projects on a timely basis.  Loan funds have been provided by program related investments from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the William Penn Foundation.

Conservation Resources Inc is a consultant to the Open Space Institute and helps them administer the New Jersey Conservation Loan Program. CRI’s role in helping to administer this program is to:

Watchung Mountains
© Dwight Hiscano

• Maintain regular contact with land trusts across the State;
  
  
• Help solicit, develop and assess potential loan proposals against the program’s criteria;

• Provide technical assistance to applicants in structuring land acquisition projects;

• Develop funding recommendations for review by NJ Conservation Loan Fund Advisory Committee and for approval by trustees of Open Space Institute;

• Communicate with and provide assistance, as appropriate, to program consultants on financial due diligence for loans;

• Recommend how grant funds, if available, can best be meshed with loan funds to maximize conservation outcomes, as appropriate; and

• Help to review program goals, funding criteria and application process, as appropriate.