Landesa
Civic and Social OrganizationsWashington, United States51-200 Employees
Landesa is a nonprofit organization in the civic and social sector that partners with governments and local organizations to secure land rights for rural residents living in extreme poverty. Founded in 1981 as the Rural Development Institute and based in Seattle, Washington, the organization has helped more than 720 million people strengthen legal control over the land they depend on. Secure land rights enable households to invest in their land, sustainably increase harvests, and realize improvements in nutrition, health, education, resilience, and opportunity across generations. Its work focuses on rural communities, including women and men who rely on land for their livelihoods, and it operates through collaborations with public and civil society actors to address land tenure challenges. In early 2026, Landesa partnered with the International Development Law Organization to advance initiatives connected to the Commission on the Status of Women.