Stewarding the Mountain | Inspiring the Community | Preparing for the Future

Executive Summary

The Mount Nittany Conservancy (MNC) enters its next chapter with a renewed commitment to its founding mission: to steward the lands and legacy of Mount Nittany for the benefit of all. This three-year strategic plan (2025-2028) outlines our path to reintroduce MNC to the community, reactivate our supporter base, and reaffirm the Mountain's place in the heart of the Nittany Valley. Our goals are ambitious yet achievable, grounded in the ethos of public-spirited volunteerism that has defined our mission since its inception.

This plan focuses on three strategic pillars: leadership and conservation, communications and engagement, and fundraising and support. Each pillar includes specific objectives designed to build public awareness, restore programmatic momentum, and ensure long-term organizational resilience.

Guiding Principles

Strategic Pillars

  1. Leadership & Conservation

    1. Mount Nittany Trailhead Easement: Aim to secure an easement from an existing property owner for a newly-located Mount Nittany Trailhead, closer to the College Township trailhead parking lot. (Lead: Stephen Spoonamore)
    2. Mount Nittany Trails & Work Parties: Continue the preservation of trails, overlooks, and access points and explore a partnership with Penn State officials or students on a paid or voluntary basis. (Lead: Leon Kolankiewicz)
    3. Penn State “Mount Nittany” Lecture: Establish an endowment with Penn State that funds an annual “Mount Nittany Conservancy” Lecture ($25,000 or more) as a new and permanent way of engaging the Penn State campus around our mission through a timely and relevant speaker/topic. (Lead: Chris Buchignani)
    4. Right of First Offers: Establish relationship with key Mount Nittany trailhead-adjacent landowners and, wherever possible, execute “right of first offer” agreements to make future property acquisitions a possibility. (Lead: Kevin Horne)
    5. Mount Nittany Trailhead: Refresh/replace existing trailhead sign for a new generation, including possible “selfie” and donation stations. (Lead: Derek Kalp)

  2. Communications & Engagement

    1. Brand, Marketing, and Mountain Improvements: Execute comprehensive brand and marketing plan with the aim to make the Mount Nittany logo easily identifiable on campus and locally, cultivating affection, loyalty, and support.
      1. Brand and Marketing: Create a comprehensive brand/identity guide, including refresh of existing logo and collateral, covering the deployment of our brand and its ethos in print (billboards, brochures, postcards, letterhead, etc.) and digital (website and social platforms). (Lead: Tom Shakely)
      2. Mount Nittany Videos: Commission 5-6 MNC videos (2-5 minutes per video) on the following: general introduction to our mission, “how to” responsibly hike the Mountain, introduction to Nittany Valley Press, promotional trailer for “Conserving Mount Nittany” book, Ben Novak Fellows/founder interview, and volunteering/how to help. (Lead: Tom Shakely)
      3. Observational Signage: Work with Penn State and local partners to refresh aging/outdated observational signage, particularly near Bryce Jordan Center. (Lead: Chris Buchignani)
      4. Trails/Wayfinding Signs: Update Blue/White Trails with new wayfinding signage and stately polls to mirror campus aesthetic. (Lead: Jodi Berkebile)
    2. Ben Novak Fellows: Establish process for identifying annual fellow, including project specifics, deliverable(s), and recap. (Lead: Chris Buchignani)
    3. Mount Nittany Guardians & Content: Establish content plan for nittany.org posts that provide an email marketing member benefit to “Mount Nittany Guardians” and the public, with one post or more per month. (Lead: David Abruzzese)
    4. Nittany Valley Press: Explore availability of NVP books through Penn State or local partnerships, grow the collection, and explore commissioning a children’s book on Mount Nittany. (Lead: Chris Buchignani)
    5. Direct Mail: Explore direct mail fundraising campaign targeting Penn Staters across the Commonwealth/nation. (Lead: TBA)

  3. Fundraising & Support

    1. Centre Gives: Grow our Centre Gives fundraising totals, achieving $20,000 or more annually. (Lead: TBA)
    2. Mount Nittany Square Inch Markers: Double existing sales per year and maintain or grow from there. (Lead: TBA)
    3. New Endowment: Establish a new named endowment for MNC with Centre Foundation of $30,000 or more to support our programs/operations (paid over 3-5 years), with MNC matching the first $15,000. (Lead: Tom Shakely)
    4. Happy Valley Adventure Bureau Annual Grant: Apply for annual grant funding in January of each year to facilitate new/growing programs. (Lead: Executive Committee)
    5. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR): Apply for grant at the start of the next grant cycle for MNC Trailhead/Trails redevelopment and/or other projects. (Lead: Executive Committee)
    6. Corporate Archives: Improve Board Portal website with greater security and more comprehensive corporate, governance, and historical archives. (Lead: Blake Gall)

Key Audiences