By Madeline Bodin
When Kevin Gorman, executive director of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, stood before an audience gathered to hear an Oregon Symphony Orchestra quintet, he pointed out the surprising parallels between the two organizations: “The orchestra embraces us in the warmth of familiarity, but also pushes us to see the beauty in new forms.”
For the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, that means playing both classical works and new music from living composers. For the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, that means encouraging residents of the Portland region to support the conservation of familiar landmarks in the Columbia River Gorge.
Land trusts that partner with community organizations with missions very different from theirs — such as symphony orchestras, restaurants and libraries — can go beyond a simple swap of fundraising opportunities. Land trusts have found that these partnerships feed their success by providing diverse resources, reaching new audiences with new messages and renewing their own excitement about the work ahead....
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