Declaration of Trust

In 1970, the founders of the Orleans Conservation Trust (OCT or the Trust) adopted a “Declaration of Trust” (DOT) that is OCT’s governing document and has served the organization well for decades. The DOT was last amended in 2021 to accommodate OCT's expanded operations and conservation holdings. At that time, OCT also adopted its first set of Bylaws, which accompany the DOT and provide more specifics on organizational operations.

 

Strategic Plan

In early 2022 a small task force was established to update OCT's strategic plan. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of constituents, including, donors/members, town officials, peer organizations (Mass Audubon, Orleans Conservation Commission, Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, etc.), current and former trustees, and OCT staff. A summary of those interviews was organized into Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT). Staff and trustees conducted two off-site meetings with an outside facilitator to develop the new strategic plan. The final 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees on May 24, 2022; a summary can be found here. Importantly, the Trust also updated our mission statement to better communicate our work.

Policies and Procedures

Additional documents, listed below, provide further guidelines by which the Trust operates.

 

Committee Charters

Committee charters outline the purpose, authority, and responsibilities of each of OCT's standing committees.