The Community Preservation Coalition Transitions to a New Fiscal Sponsor - Third Sector New England

The Community Preservation Coalition is pleased to announce that our organization will enter into a partnership with Third Sector New England (TSNE) as its new fiscal sponsor beginning on July 1st, 2023. This move comes as part of the Coalition’s multi-year development of a new strategic plan and provides the Coalition with an opportunity to align with a non-profit headquartered in Massachusetts for first time since its inception.

Prior to this move, the Coalition was housed within The Trust for Public Land (TPL), one of five non-profit organizations that pioneered the passage of the original CPA legislation. Since 2001, the Coalition’s work on the Community Preservation Act program has benefited from TPL’s nationwide mission to expand public access to parks and open space, protect land for people, and ensure healthy, livable communities for generations to come. The partnership between TPL and the Coalition has been an unqualified success, and this relationship will continue into the future: TPL will maintain a seat on the Coalition's 21-member Steering Committee, and the Coalition's staff will continue its work as a tenant in TPL's Boston office.

“The Community Preservation Coalition has been a project of the Trust for Public Land since its very inception, as part of our Conservation Finance Program,” said Will Abberger, Vice President at Trust For Public Land. “The Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, and the resulting Community Preservation Coalition, is a hallmark of TPL’s Conservation Finance program and one of our greatest successes - and now, TPL feels that for the Community Preservation Coalition to achieve its full potential, it would be best for it to operate on its own, as an independent organization.”

Beginning on July 1st, 2023, Third Sector New England will take on the role of Fiscal Sponsor for the Coalition, providing fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services. Originally founded in 1959 by thought-leaders in both government and academia, TSNE endeavors to work towards a just and equitable society by supporting non-profits and the communities that they serve. With decades of experience in supporting investments in non-profit innovation, TSNE is a perfect fit for the Coalition and our efforts to ensure the ongoing success of the CPA program.

“We feel very strongly that this is a good move for the Coalition,” said Tom Callahan, Executive Director for the Partnership for Financial Equity and Chair of the Coalition’s Steering Committee. “Third Sector New England will be a good home for the next stage of our work - TSNE is an experienced fiscal sponsor for many other organizations and non-profits, and they recognize what we aim to accomplish in the coming years. The Coalition’s Steering Committee is confident that this new partnership will enable us continue our work to promote the Community Preservation Act as a vital tool for local affordable housing, open space, outdoor recreation, and historic preservation efforts throughout Massachusetts.”