Trust for Public Land Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Trust for Public Land

Pros – While I didn't get paid, the experience, the environment, and the staff more than made up for it. They were always helpful, patient, and truly wanted to help me learn.

Cons – As an intern, I wasn't paid.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Trust for Public Land

Pros – Work with talented, smart people who are incredibly passionate. There is much flexibility, and co-workers care. The work you'll do will be rewarding.

Cons – Internal communication borders on awful. Ongoing skill development can be tough to make happen. Number of strong egos. Lack of hierarchical and organizational structure that makes sense, and seems to be based on ego.

Advice to Senior Management – Communicate with staff more frequently and get to know those who are working in your department. Listen and trust expertise from your staff.

Current Employee – been working at Trust for Public Land

Pros – Great PTO benefits - 15 vacation days, 12 sick days
Great location - Financial District, San Francisco
Lots of communication across departments, senior management, field offices
Open door policy - Sr. Management are always readily accessible
Opportunity to implement change - Don't agree with a current policy or process? Suggest a new idea and brainstorm an implementation strategy
Accomplishment recognition
Donor and Mission-centric

Cons – Almost too laid-back. Unless you're in Finance or another department operating on a strict fiscal-year calendar, deadlines and meetings are easily pushed back. I've worked for other non-profits where meetings and deadlines were way more firm. There is a very lenient attitude towards completion.

Advice to Senior Management – Don't be afraid to enfore more of a top-down management style. Although TPL is a non-profit organization, don't hesitate to inflict consequences for unfinished or delayed work.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Trust for Public Land

Pros – The work environment is very pleasant. Everyone seems passionate about their job. The Trust for Public Land offer employees a very liberal vacation package and is extremely understaning about family needs. The health benefits are solid. The people at thet Trust for Public Land are dedicated to the cause of preserving open space.

Cons – As with most non-profit the pay level in not up to par with private sector, thought the Trust for Public Land does pay more than comperable non-profits. There seems to be a large personel turnover.

Advice to Senior Management – Try to keep the current employees on staff.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Trust for Public Land full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – The organization's mission speaks for itself.

Highly motivated and talented staff.

Diversity in the organization.

Flexibility in work hours or locations, depending on supervisor.

Market-savvy approach makes conservation mission accessible and easier to "sell" to skeptics.

Cons – Dead wood in the upper levels of State and Regional management.

Pressure to obtain a certain quota/level of charitible contributions from land transactions every year. This results in some important projects not being undertaken because of the limited or lower level of support it might bring. This is different from state to state or region to region. It depends on the leadership you have in your particular location of employment.

Reactive business structure. Way behind the curve of other conservation nonprofits. This is evidenced by TPL's difficulty weathering the real estate meltdown.

Advice to Senior Management – Carefully sift through the ranks and cull the dead wood! Just because folks have been in the organization for years does not make them effective at their current leadership position! Also, provide training to those in leadership positions (and all for that matter) to ensure that they are properly prepared to fulfill such a leadership role.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Trust for Public Land full-time

Pros – great people, projects and give back to the community. Good sense of community within company in local and national offices. Headquarters in SF brings in people from all other areas.

Cons – Non-profit budgets and salary
overworked support staff
poor project load planning

Advice to Senior Management – Develop long range plans for growth and change and communicate clearly to staff.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Trust for Public Land full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Great place to work. Innovative, friendly, and hard working staff with diverse areas of expertise. Staff are driven by the mission, passionate about their work and often work, long hard hours to achieve success. Strong ability for career growth and career development, salaries are competitive to other non-profits in the field, great benefits, and strong support from upper management.

Cons – Financial challenges are pretty consistent as are layoffs.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Trust for Public Land

Pros – Good benefits; smart and passionate staff; good work-life balance. And the mission, what's not to like about protecting open space and creating parks.

Cons – There exists a chronic lack of leadership at TPL. The organization's strategy is highly reactive; internal communications are very poor, and there is a clear divide between an "elite" executive team and the rest of the staff. Board oversite appears to be non-existent at times, and at others, meddling to the point of distraction. There is a pervasive lack of respect for employees' expertise, and decisions often are overruled by an executive's personal opinion.

Former Employee – worked at Trust for Public Land

Pros – - Great benefits, smart colleagues, time spent saving beautiful places. It's a nice way to make a difference in your community.

Cons – - Downsizing and reorganization, little opportunities for advancement.