Land Economics Foundation (LEF)

Make a Donation to the Land Economics Foundation

FOUNDATION OVERVIEW

The Land Economics Foundation (LEF) is a not-for-profit charitable foundation organized to administer an investment fund providing grants to advance the application of land economics to the mutual goals of Lambda Alpha International (LAI) and the Foundation:

Connecting professionals.   Sharing knowledge.   Advancing best practices.

Since 1965 the Land Economics Foundation has supported a range of research, case study and community efforts applying land economics to human problems for a better future. For the latest grant announcement please click on the Research Priorities tab.

For a short video featuring three of the recent grantees please Click Here

The Foundation is funded largely by voluntary annual contributions from LAI Members, but contributions by others are welcomed. To make a contribution, Click Here

Grant applications can be submitted by schools, municipalities, researchers, community organizations, and other non-profit entities as well as LAI members or Chapters. Applications can be submitted anytime. The Board of Directors of LEF reviews the applications and submits qualified applications to the LEF Board of Trustees for approval at the spring and fall meetings.

Many factors go into the review process: amount requested, availability of matching funds, quality of research methodologies, credibility of principals, school credentials, relevance of proposal to pressing problems, community support, innovative planning, etc. See Funded Research for a comprehensive listing of grantees, amounts and grant purposes to date.
 

FOUNDATION PURPOSES

The general purpose of this charitable foundation is to create and administer a research and education Investment fund to be held in perpetuity or until such fund is terminated pursuant to law. The purposes of this Investment fund are:

  • To support the study of land economics and the highest ideals of scholarship and integrity in fields where practiced: professional, business, governmental and academic;
  • To expand the knowledge and understanding of the principles of land economics and to support the application of such principles to both public policy and private endeavor;
  • To provide grants for research, community, and chapter projects relating to land economics which are approved by the Board of Trustees; and
  • To perform or facilitate such other projects and activities as will carry out the mutual goals of LAI and LEF and the purposes enumerated above.