JUNE 2012
The Metropolitan
Greenspaces
Alliance:
Charting a course for
urban conservation
PRESENTED TO:
The Metropolitan
Greenspaces Alliance
Introduction
The Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance (MGA) has a unique opportunity to be a national leader in
efforts to advance the goals of urban conservation. There is a growing recognition among policy makers
and the public that urban conservation – ensuring our cities are vibrant and healthy communities for
people and nature – is an important national priority. By implementing a new strategic plan that
capitalizes on momentum at both the national and regional levels, the members of MGA can build a
network that effectively shares knowledge and resources, both among themselves and with other urban
areas interested in developing a collaborative approach to conservation. In addition, by effectively
harnessing the voices of its members, MGA can influence policy and attract donors.
Arabella Advisors has developed a strategic plan that will help MGA seize this opportunity to catalyze
urban conservation around the United States. The strategic plan is informed by a series of conversations
with MGA members and key external stakeholders, designed to identify a set of unifying principles both
for structuring MGA and for leveraging opportunities to support urban conservation efforts on the
ground. The plan outlines a long-term vision and short-term priorities for MGA, but the members
recognize the need to continually adapt to changes in the urban conservation landscape and funding
realities. While some of the activities identified here can be implemented with the existing capacity of
MGA members, the Alliance will revisit its priorities if it is unable to raise sufficient funds in the next
year to fully implement the plan.
In the pages that follow, we identify those areas where we believe MGA can have the greatest impact on
urban conservation. The plan includes the following components:
1. Overview: reviews MGA’s mission and vision, as well as the defining characteristics of its
member organizations,
2. MGA Activities: outlines three sets of activities through which MGA can add the greatest value
to urban conservation efforts, including providing member services, providing a national voice
for conservation, and fundraising and communications,
3. Outreach to Stakeholders and New Members: identifies opportunities to engage new
metropolitan regions and national conservation organizations, and
4. Governance and Operating Structure: outlines the governance structure, as well as short- and
long-term goals for staffing.
We also include recommended next steps in each section to help MGA begin to implement the strategic
plan described. These recommendations include as a first step establishing working groups around each
of the priorities identified here, which will develop priorities for implementation.
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Updated July 2014 by Mike Wetter
Overview
What is Urban Conservation?
MGA members share a common definition of urban conservation and its practice, which includes the
following characteristics:
 Occurs in large metropolitan areas that include diverse human and natural communities and
that are both biologically and politically complex
 Involves science-based regional planning and conservation of large, sometimes fragmented
ecosystems
 Emphasizes quality of life and protecting natural areas that support human populations
 Engages people with nature
Who We Are
MGA is a national network of urban conservation coalitions whose members include over 600 private,
nonprofit, and public organizations from U.S. metropolitan regions that together are home to 30 million
people.
The MGA member organizations:
 Convene and coordinate non-partisan, diverse, and broad partnerships among public, private
and nonprofit organizations
 Focus on metropolitan areas
 Restore and protect healthy, functioning natural systems that support healthy human
communities
 Connect people with nature
 Attract and leverage diverse sources of funding
Current MGA member organizations include:
 Amigos De Los Ríos, East Los Angeles County
 Bay Area Open Space Council, San Francisco
 Chicago Wilderness, Chicago
 Houston Wilderness, Houston
 The Intertwine Alliance, Portland
 Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity (LEAP), Cleveland
 Sweet Water, Milwaukee
Mission Statement
The mission of the Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance (MGA) is to build a strong network of
conservation coalitions as a means to foster healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities in
metropolitan regions nationwide.
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Vision
MGA is a diverse and influential network of conservation coalitions working in metropolitan areas to
restore and protect natural ecosystems, improve the quality of life of metropolitan residents, and
connect all people with nature.
To achieve this vision, MGA seeks to:
 Provide a unified national voice for urban conservation and participate in national policy
conversations
 Serve as a resource for urban conservation coalitions around the country, sharing information
across a broad network and leveraging the unique strengths of Alliance members
 Leverage federal, state, local and private investments to strengthen regional urban conservation
efforts while attracting more private funding to support urban conservation
MGA Activities
Member Services
MGA will leverage the collective information, knowledge, and resources of its members to serve as a
national hub of expertise and tools for urban conservation and coalition building.
Knowledge exchange: MGA will serve as a forum for information and knowledge exchange for both its
members and external stakeholders. MGA member organizations collectively possess a wealth of
information about a variety of topics that will be valuable for those working in metropolitan areas. Most
importantly, MGA members have extensive experience convening and coordinating diverse and
extensive partnerships and can share important lessons learned from years of coalition building. Other
examples of information members might share include: biodiversity and green infrastructure planning,
restoration, citizen science, utilizing social media, fundraising, engaging diverse communities,
technologies that support collaboration, and strategic planning.
To facilitate this exchange, members will need to establish a variety of effective communication
platforms. Platforms that MGA might use to share information include:
 In-person meetings: members agree that meeting in person is ideal and plan to convene at least
once a year. There is significant value in convening MGA members in member host cities, which
allows regional coalition members to engage in conversations with and learn from the national
alliance. MGA has also hosted a national urban conservation conference in conjunction with its
annual retreat.
 Participation in conferences: MGA members will identify opportunities to present on topics
related to urban conservation at conferences, sharing information with external stakeholders
and increasing MGA’s visibility.
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Conference calls: MGA’s monthly conference calls help facilitate idea exchange. Members will
also explore the possibility of facilitating peer-to-peer calls and meetings across organizations
based on role or position type.
Webinars: MGA utilizes webinars on topics of importance to its members and external
audiences.
Online resource center: an online resource center or intranet can be utilized to share specific
information and documents on conservation strategy, messaging, best practices for governance,
and other resources.
Staff Exchanges / Fellowships: staff with knowledge of particular issues relevant to other
member regions can be a valuable resource. Such exchanges would be rewarding for both the
expert and the region that benefits from the expertise.
Shared services: MGA members will explore opportunities to share services and tools that benefit the
Alliance as a whole. Members have identified some examples of services the network might share or coinvest in, including information management technology, mapping software/GIS services, storm water
calculators, and shared vendors (e.g. communications and marketing support). There may be
opportunities for a fee-for-service model, by which members purchase the time of experts from other
member organizations with strength in particular areas (e.g. a GIS expert).
Recommended next steps: The “Member Services” working group should identify a list of
priorities for the year, and determine which priorities can be implemented with existing
member capacity and which will require additional funding.
Providing a National Voice for Urban Conservation
MGA will enable its diverse membership to speak with a unified and non-partisan voice in order to
elevate awareness of urban conservation among policy makers and in the American consciousness.
Advocating for national policy: MGA is well-positioned to engage in policy conversations related to
urban conservation, enabling members with limited capacity or political strength to influence federal
decision-making. MGA can bring its collective voice to bear on state, regional, and national policy and
spending measures, targeting key committees and agencies with oversight over important urban
conservation issues.
MGA seeks to lead the national conversation on urban conservation, prioritizing advocacy efforts and
tracking national legislation. MGA will explore the following options to help set the urban conservation
policy agenda:
 Establish a national advisory committee on urban conservation
 Offer policy panels and workshops at national and regional conferences
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Establish an annual or biennial national conference on urban conservation in Washington, D.C.
with an associated legislative day
Consider advocating for a National Conservation Act that includes provisions for urban
conservation
Examples of specific federal initiatives and policy discussions that MGA has or may participate in include:
 The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a 21st-Century conservation and recreation
agenda
 US Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry program to steward urban natural resources
 EPA’s Urban Water program and federal investment in green infrastructure
 Federal funding for national parks and conservation programs
Partnering with federal agencies: In addition to advocating for national policy, MGA will seek to build
strong partnerships with federal agencies which will build legitimacy and trust over time. Key partner
agencies may include the Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, National Parks Service
and US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Alliance can effectively engage these agencies by identifying
opportunities to align its goals with those of federal agencies and initiatives, while being careful to
remain true to MGA’s mission. MGA members’ collective knowledge and broad representation will
make MGA a valuable partner for agencies with a stake in urban conservation issues, ranging from
connecting people with the outdoors to investing in green infrastructure and clean water. The Alliance
can help partner agencies prioritize needs, and MGA’s diverse group of stakeholders offers agencies an
opportunity to easily tap into varied constituencies’ interests and support. Through such partnerships,
MGA can play an important role in helping leverage federal investments in urban conservation, enabling
federal agencies to make more strategic investments. MGA can help federal agencies identify,
coordinate, and integrate on-the-ground projects in member regions. For example, by helping guide
investment in “green” versus “grey” infrastructure, MGA can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of
public investments to create a higher impact per dollar invested.
MGA should also consider building strong relationships with agencies beyond the core group interested
in conservation. The Departments of Energy and Transportation, the US Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration all have a stake in issues
important to MGA members and can be important partners in the Alliance’s work. Building strong
relationships with regional offices of federal agencies will also be important (e.g. urban forest councils at
the municipal level or regional EPA offices).
Recommended next steps: The “Providing a National Voice for Urban Conservation” working
group should identify a list of priorities for the year, and determine which priorities can be
implemented with existing member capacity and which will require additional funding. In
addition, we recommend MGA prepare a letter to the Urban Waters program, as well as other
key potential federal partners (like Michael Rains at the Forest Service), that provides an
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introduction to MGA and a few ideas about how the Alliance might partner with them.
Developing close relationships with key federal agencies will be a crucial first step to positioning
MGA as a significant voice in the national urban conservation policy conservation. Both Surhabi
Shah, EPA Program Lead for the Urban Waters initiative and Michael Rains of the USDA Forest
Service have indicated that now is a good time for MGA to engage federal agencies, and have
expressed an interest in working with the Alliance. MGA will also need to continue its
conversations with national conservation NGOs to identify where MGA’s policy priorities fit
within other efforts in the field, looking for where its priorities align with those of other
organizations.
Fundraising and Communications
MGA is well positioned to attract regional and national funding from public and private sources, securing
support both for MGA’s work and for the work of its members. Coming together under one umbrella
will enable member organizations to tap into national funding streams that individual regions may
struggle to access. A variety of revenue streams could provide ongoing support for MGA and its
members, including: federal, state, and local governments; national foundations; individuals and
families; corporations; and NGO partners. Accessing these revenue streams and building broad support
for urban conservation will require compelling messaging in order to tell the MGA story.
Start-up funding: Individuals and families are most likely to provide funding during the early stages of
MGA’s development. These donors are most likely to be attracted to MGA’s national vision and
potential impact. Foundations and corporations are often regional in focus, and are less likely to provide
funding for an unproven national effort during its start-up phase. Corporations, and to a lesser extent
foundations, should be approached as MGA solidifies and builds momentum. A company with a
national footprint may well be interested in linking its brand to MGA. National conservation
organizations may also be an important source of early support. A national NGO might be interested in
“owning” a piece of MGA’s work – for example, planning and advocacy around green infrastructure.
Early conversations with The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Fund were promising and other
national organizations such as the Trust for Public Land, Natural Resources Defense Council, American
Rivers, and others are also good partner prospects.
Messaging and constituency building: For MGA to successfully raise substantial funds, it will need to
build a broad base of support for urban conservation among diverse constituencies. This will require
effective regional and national communication strategies. MGA will need to elevate the importance of
urban conservation first within the conservation community and then within the broader public.
Members will need a common set of targeted messages to effectively communicate and build
connections with diverse national constituencies including federal agencies, national conservation
NGOs, funders, and other stakeholders interested in quality of life, health, employment, and economic
development.
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Recommended next steps: The “Fundraising and Communications” working group should
establish a set of fundraising targets for the next two years, including an ideal goal and smaller
targets that will enable MGA to implement key pieces of its work. We recommend setting an
ideal target of approximately $600,000 ($300,000/year for two years). This will provide
sufficient start up funding to support a senior staff person and administrative support,
associated expenses, and travel funding that will enable MGA members to convene in person
over the next two years.
MGA will need to hire staff to capitalize on its long-term fundraising potential. In the meantime,
MGA should support the local fundraising efforts of its members, which can help identify
individuals and families that are attracted to the Alliance’s national vision. In addition, members
should consider including funds for MGA activities as a portion of their own fundraising
requests. Some members have already begun to do this.
MGA should also begin to identify target audiences and key messages for communicating its
priorities and the work of its members. As part of this effort, MGA will consider whether its
current name – the Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance – best communicates its mission. MGA
should plan a formal public launch and target key audiences with clear and compelling messages
about MGA and the impact it can have.
Measuring Success
To ensure that MGA works effectively to realize its mission and vision, each working group should
develop metrics around two interrelated goals: the success of MGA, and the success of its members. It
can use these metrics to track progress toward two key outcomes:
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MGA is a trusted national coalition that provides valuable services for its member
organizations: Metrics that track MGA’s success might include: dollars raised for MGA and MGA
member projects; implementation of technology, meetings or other strategies to share
information; effective export of conservation or coalition-building strategies from one region to
another; national policy or funding that is influenced by MGA; and the number of new member
organizations added.
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MGA member organizations are making significant progress towards their goals: The success
of MGA will be inexorably linked to the success of its members. Metrics we might track for each
Alliance member include: number of acres conserved, number of partners, number of people
engaged in outdoor activities, stormwater runoff reductions, amount of funds raised for urban
conservation at the local level, etc.
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Recommended next steps: The working groups established around each of MGA’s activities
should develop goals and metrics to track progress around both the success of MGA and the
success of its member organizations.
Outreach to Stakeholders and New Members
As MGA grows, it will need to include more-diverse political representation and stakeholders. There are
a number of metropolitan areas where MGA might engage established or fledgling urban conservation
alliances in order to expand its reach and diversity while at the same time supporting those alliances.
While expansion is a necessary component of MGA’s overall growth, MGA must ensure that its mission
and larger goals are well-established, and that members agree on a set of membership criteria and
strategy for outreach before approaching potential new members.
Potential areas for expansion: MGA members and stakeholders have identified a number of areas
where MGA might expand, including:
 Seattle (attended spring 2014 conference and retreat)
 St. Louis (attended spring 2014 conference and retreat)
 Kansas City (attended spring 2014 conference and retreat)
 Denver (attended spring 2014 conference and retreat)
 Nashville (unable to attend 2014 retreat but is interested)
 Atlanta
 Philadelphia
MGA will help cultivate coalitions in those regions that can bring diverse political voices to national
urban conservation efforts.
Recommended next steps: The Steering Committee should develop a formal
Memorandum of Understanding that new constituent groups will sign that
affirms their membership and what that membership entails. MGA members
should help cultivate urban conservation coalitions in more conservative regions
and help prepare them for membership. At the same time, groups from any
region that are well-developed and currently match MGA criteria should be
considered for membership.
Building relationships with national NGOs: National conservation NGOs will play a key role in MGA’s
development and effectiveness. Building relationships with one or more national NGOs will help to
engage those organizations at the regional level while bringing heightened visibility and additional
resources at the national level. Organizations that could play an important role in MGA include:
 The Nature Conservancy
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Conservation Fund
National Audubon Society
American Rivers
Sierra Club
Natural Resources Defense Council
Land Trust Alliance
Rails to Trails Conservancy
Trust for Public Land
Alliance for Community Trees
National Forest Foundation
Student Conservation Association
Interviewees suggested MGA should also engage a broader group of stakeholder organizations beyond
urban coalitions. Some examples include: health- and faith-based organizations; organizations working
on a variety of issues related to quality of life, energy, and transportation; and professional associations
(e.g. the Society of American Forestors).
Several large national nonprofit organizations have an increasing interest in urban-based conservation.
These organizations could provide critical human and financial resources for MGA’s work and may also
serve as valuable additions to MGA. To be most effective when approaching national NGOs for
partnership, members should develop a uniform set of messages for outreach to both regional NGO
representatives and national leadership. During outreach, MGA should be aware of the existing
priorities and relationships of conservation organizations working on urban conservation, and avoid
creating competition between those working in this space. In addition, when building relationships with
individual NGOs, MGA should recognize that each organization has its own agenda that will not precisely
coincide with the goals of MGA.
Recommended next steps: MGA will need to develop a thoughtful and
coordinated outreach strategy to national NGOs. A first step should be to
convene a conference call to prioritize areas for expansion and to consider how
best to approach national NGOs.
Governance and Operating Structure
Governance Structure
Member Council: The Member Council will oversee MGA’s broad strategic direction, determine
organizational priorities, and make final decisions on funding allocation. The Member Council will
support working groups overseeing each of MGA’s activities while also leading outreach, fundraising,
and partnership discussions. The Member Council will be representative of MGA’s membership,
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including at least one representative from each organization with one vote per organization. The
Member Council will select a Chair and two Vice Chairs of the Member Council. They will also be the
members of the Steering Committee.
Steering Committee: Individuals serving in these positions will serve two-year, staggered terms and will
be limited to two terms of service. The Steering Committee will coordinate day-to-day activities and the
implementation of MGA’s short-term priorities, including meetings, start-up fundraising, and outreach.
Working Groups: The Member Council will establish working groups around each of MGA’s priorities,
including 1) providing member services, 2) providing a national voice for urban conservation, and 3)
fundraising and communications. These working groups will be responsible for developing priorities
within their respective areas and creating implementation plans, in coordination with the Steering
Committee, around each priority. The Steering Committee may also establish working groups to address
issues such as membership expansion.
Recommended next steps: As a first step, we recommend that MGA’s members vote on
formally adopting the governance structure outlined here. Once the strategic plan is approved,
MGA members should hold a conference call to collectively define actions for the year and
finalize decision-making responsibilities for the Member Council, Steering Committee, and
working groups. In addition, each working group should develop a list of priorities and an
implementation plan and identify potential working group members.
At the strategic planning retreat, the following individuals volunteered to serve as Officers:
 Chair: Melinda Pruett-Jones, Chicago Wilderness
 Vice Chair: Claire Robinson, Amigos de los Rios
 Vice Chair: Jeff Martinka, Sweet Water (tentative)
In addition, the following individuals volunteered to chair three working groups:
 Providing a national voice for urban conservation: Richard Cron, Houston Wilderness
 Fundraising and communications: Johnny Cronin, Houston Wilderness
 Providing member services: Mike Wetter, Intertwine Alliance
Initial Staffing Structure
MGA’s short-term goal is to hire an executive director and an administrative staff person. The executive
director will be crucial to implementing MGA’s strategic priorities – including facilitating opportunities
for knowledge exchange, providing a public face for MGA, maintaining a presence in Washington, DC,
and fundraising. The leader should have experience building and working with coalitions.
Longer-term MGA staffing goals include the following:
 A lobbyist focused on policy efforts
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A member services staff person to facilitate information-sharing
A grants/fundraising staff person to identify public/private opportunities at a national level
A communications/web person to assist with messaging and establishing the MGA brand
Recommended next steps: MGA should seek 2-3 years of start-up funding to
support the hiring of a senior staff member and administrative support. In the
near term, current member organizations will assess their own staff capacities
and abilities to contribute to MGA activities.
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Appendix A: Recommendations
MGA Activities
1. The “Member Services” working group should identify a list of priorities for the year, and
determine which priorities can be implemented with existing member capacity and which will
require additional funding.
2. The “Providing a National Voice for Urban Conservation” working group should identify a list of
priorities for the year, and determine which priorities can be implemented with existing
member capacity and which will require additional funding. In addition, we recommend MGA
prepare a letter to the Urban Waters program, as well as other key potential federal partners
(like Michael Rains at the Forest Service), that provides an introduction to MGA and a few ideas
about how the Alliance might partner with them. Developing close relationships with key federal
agencies will be a crucial first step to positioning MGA as a significant voice in the national urban
conservation policy conservation. Both Surhabi Shah, EPA Program Lead for the Urban Waters
initiative and Michael Rains of the USDA Forest Service have indicated that now is a good time
for MGA to engage federal agencies, and have expressed an interest in working with the
Alliance. MGA will also need to continue its conversations with national conservation NGOs to
identify where MGA’s policy priorities fit within other efforts in the field, looking for where its
priorities align with those of other organizations.
3. The “Fundraising and Communications” working group should establish a set of fundraising
targets for the next two years, including an ideal goal and smaller targets that will enable MGA
to implement key pieces of its work. We recommend setting an ideal target of approximately
$600,000 ($300,000/year for two years). This will provide sufficient start up funding to support a
senior staff person and administrative support, associated expenses, and travel funding that will
enable MGA members to convene in person over the next two years.
MGA will need to hire staff to capitalize on its long-term fundraising potential. In the meantime,
MGA should support the local fundraising efforts of its members, which can help identify
individuals and families that are attracted to the Alliance’s national vision. In addition, members
should consider including funds for MGA activities as a portion of their own fundraising
requests. Some members have already begun to do this.
MGA should also begin to identify target audiences and key messages for communicating its
priorities and the work of its members. As part of this effort, MGA will consider whether its
current name – the Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance – best communicates its mission. MGA
should plan a formal public launch and target key audiences with clear and compelling messages
about MGA and the impact it can have.
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4. The working groups established around each of MGA’s activities should develop goals and
metrics to track progress around both the success of MGA and the success of its member
organizations.
Outreach to Stakeholders and New Members
1. The Steering Committee should develop a formal Memorandum of
Understanding that new constituent groups will sign that affirms their
membership and what that membership entails. MGA members should help
cultivate urban conservation coalitions in more conservative regions and help
prepare them for membership. At the same time, groups from any region that
are well-developed and currently match MGA criteria should be considered for
membership.
2. MGA will need to develop a thoughtful and coordinated outreach strategy to
national NGOs. A first step should be to convene a conference call to prioritize
areas for expansion and to consider how best to approach national NGOs.
Governance and Operating Structure
1. As a first step, we recommend that MGA’s members vote on formally adopting the governance
structure outlined here. Once the strategic plan is approved, MGA members should hold a
conference call to collectively define actions for the year and finalize decision-making
responsibilities for the Member Council, Steering Committee, and working groups. In addition,
each working group should develop a list of priorities and an implementation plan and identify
potential working group members.
2. MGA should seek 2-3 years of start-up funding to support the hiring of a senior staff member
and administrative support. In the near term, current member organizations will assess their
own staff capacities and abilities to contribute to MGA activities.
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Appendix B: Interview List
Member Organizations
Member Organization
Amigos de los Rios
Bay Area Open Space Council
Chicago Wilderness
Houston Wilderness
Intertwine Alliance
LEAP
Sweet Water
Interview Participants
Claire Robinson, Alma Martinez, and Belinda
Faustinos
Bettina Ring, Ryan Branciforte, and Annie
Burke
Melinda Pruett-Jones, Laurel Ross, John
Rogner, and Aaron Durnbaugh
Johnny Cronin, Richard Cron, Victoria Herrin
and Holly Eaton
Mike Wetter and Mike Houck
Carol Thaler, Renee Boronka, Julia Mitchell,
and Cathi Lehn
Jeff Martinka and Nancy Frank
External Interviews
Affiliation
The Conservation Fund
The Nature Conservancy
USDA Forest Service
EPA Urban Waters Program
Interviewee
Erik Meyers
Mark Burget
Michael Rains
Surabhi Shah
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Appendix C: Additional People/Organizations for Outreach
The following is a list of people and organizations that interviewees suggested MGA might engage in its
work:
Individual
Adam Cramer
Tony Ferguson
Simeon Hahn
Chuck Myers
Lisa Pelstring
Jack Reed
Dylan Richmond
Hal Rogers
Mike Simpson
Affiliation
Outdoor Alliance
Director, Northeastern Area - State and
Private Forestry at US Forest Service
Coastal Resource Coordinator, NOAA Coastal
Protection & Restoration Division
Regional Forester of the Eastern Region
Special Assistant, Urban Waters and the
Anacostia River, DOI Office of the Deputy
Secretary
Senator, Rhode Island
National Academies
Congressman, Kentucky
Congressman, Idaho
Additional Organizations
American Rivers
Hudson River Keepers
Land Trust Alliance
National Association of State Floodplain Managers
Natural Resources Defense Council
Rails to Trails
Triangle Greenways
Trust for Public Land
Student Conservation Association
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