Template
Template G — Stewardship-Only
Vermont LLC; Foundation-held; Methodology Foundation as primary steward.
Tier 1 — Vermont LLC + multi-sig treasury wallet + operating-agreement governance. No smart-contract DAO.
For properties held purely for conservation, with no human individual or institutional beneficiary other than the property’s own stewardship reserve.
When to use Template G
A property uses Template G when:
- The property is owned by a foundation or other charitable entity with no profit-distribution mandate
- Or: the property is held in a long-term restoration project with no defined human beneficiary
- All revenue (less protocol fee) accrues to property-specific stewardship work
- No revenue distribution to humans beyond Landseed protocol fee
Examples:
- Foundation-held conservation lands
- Properties in long-term restoration where revenue funds the restoration itself
- Memorial conservation properties (held in trust for future generations)
- Research stations operated under conservation mandates
Why Template G exists
Many philanthropic land holdings have no need for the revenue-distribution machinery and don’t want a beneficial-interest structure that could trigger tax or regulatory complications. Template G keeps these properties in the architecture (so they benefit from methodology-grounded credit issuance, audit-trail attestation, etc.) without imposing distribution mechanics that don’t fit.
Vehicle structure
Wrapper entity: Vermont LLC (standard) — single-member, with the foundation as the member.
Treasury: multi-sig wallet (Safe) with USDC. Signers: foundation treasurer + Landseed compliance officer + designated independent. 2-of-3 standard.
Operating agreement: simple — the foundation is the sole member; the LLC’s revenue accrues to a stewardship reserve drawable only for documented conservation work on the property.
Beneficiaries
| Seat | Holder | Voting weight | Distribution share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation primary | The foundation | All non-methodology decisions | None directly to foundation; all to stewardship reserve |
| Landseed steward | Landseed PBC | Methodology authority + guardian veto | 2–5% protocol fee |
Distribution profile
| Recipient | Share | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Property stewardship reserve | 95–98% | Drawable only for documented conservation work on the property; foundation approves disbursements |
| Landseed protocol fee | 2–5% | Per LLC operating agreement |
There is no individual beneficiary. The foundation may direct stewardship reserve disbursements but cannot use them for non-property purposes.
Governance — operating-agreement substance
Use decisions
- Foundation has authority over land use, subject to its own internal governance
- Standard foundation governance procedures apply
Methodology decisions
- Landseed proposes; foundation ratifies through institutional governance
- 60-day consideration period
Stewardship reserve disbursements
- Foundation approves; documented conservation work; Landseed compliance verification
Tax considerations
Template G is structured to avoid creating a beneficial interest that could trigger tax or regulatory complications:
- The foundation is the sole member of the LLC
- The LLC’s revenue is dedicated to conservation; foundation has no claim on it for general use
- The stewardship reserve is held for property purposes; foundation cannot redirect
This is similar to a charitable trust restriction. The foundation’s general counsel should review the operating agreement to confirm tax-status preservation.
Deployment
Simplest of any template:
| Phase | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation engagement + general-counsel review | 1–3 months | Foundation evaluates against existing tax-exempt-status preservation rules |
| Operating agreement | 2–4 weeks | Standard, with foundation-specific tax-preservation language |
| LLC formation | 2–3 weeks | Single-member |
| Multi-sig wallet | 1 week | Safe |
| NRD-lite drafted | 6–8 weeks | Per drafting strategy |
| NRD-lite recorded | 2–4 weeks | County recording office |
| Operational | Ongoing | Foundation operations |
Total: 3–6 months. As fast as Template A.
Risks specific to Template G
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Foundation tax-exempt status compromised by inappropriate revenue handling | Operating agreement preserves status; foundation general counsel reviews; treasury structure aligns with charitable-trust principles |
| Foundation dissolution; no successor for LLC membership | Operating agreement specifies successor selection per foundation procedures |
| Stewardship reserve accumulates beyond stewardship needs | Operating agreement may include cap; overflow procedure (donate to other conservation purposes, contribute to methodology stewardship, etc.) |
| Property donated/transferred to a different owner | Transfer covenants in NRD-lite; LLC structure persists or transfers per foundation procedures |
What Template G does NOT do
- Does not distribute revenue to individuals
- Does not allow the foundation to redirect stewardship reserve for general purposes
- Does not provide tax deductions to donors (the LLC isn’t a tax-exempt entity itself; the foundation is)
- Does not need the smart contract complexity that other templates might
Why Template G is in the library
Template G handles a real but small segment: foundation-held conservation lands. Without it, these properties would either:
- Be forced into Template A (with awkward “no human beneficiary” workarounds)
- Be excluded from the architecture entirely
Either failure leaves real conservation impact on the table. Template G’s minimal complexity makes inclusion easy.
Strategic note
Template G is unlikely to be a first-wave deployment. Foundations are sophisticated counterparties but typically slower to engage with novel structures. Recommendation: Template G is opportunistic — when a foundation contact wants to onboard, the template is ready; otherwise, focus on Templates A, B, and C.