In 2005, the Kohlberg Foundation launched the 13-grant Western Massachusetts Conservation Strategy. Through the strategy, the Foundation funded efforts across a number of themes with the ultimate aim of advancing the state of land conservation in the region. This past fall the Foundation sought to reflect upon the experience of the initiative to date; the result is the report prepared by Bloomingdale Management Advisors, completed in February 2008 and now available on this web site.

Bloomingdale Management Advisors reviewed grant reports and other documents related to each grant, held some 40 discussions with grantees, funders, stakeholders, and observers, and completed site visits with nine grantees.

The overall finding of this assessment is that the initiative has been successful in yielding advances in conservation in Western Massachusetts. Most all the objectives of every grant were met, and resulted in productive impacts in the context of the themes of the initiative. In some cases the results were truly outstanding, in nearly all others, they were solid.