Partnerships

WMF's work depends on a strong network of international partners as well as close collaboration with the local communities that are the ultimate stewards of cultural heritage sites. Our partners include government organizations and NGOs that share our commitment to rescuing endangered sites and protecting them for future generations.

Prominent among WMF's partners is Robert W. Wilson, who established the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage as a catalyst to encourage non-US donors and partners—from both the public and private sectors—to contribute matching funds for projects outside the United States. The Wilson Challenge has supported some of WMF's most ambitious projects including Saint George's Church, Bloomsbury, in London and has leveraged millions of dollars in matching support.

American Express has also been a significant WMF partner. Founding sponsor of the World Monuments Watch program, launched in 1995, American Express has worked closely with WMF ever since, helping support the conservation of cultural heritage sites around the world. Learn more by visiting the Partners in Preservation website.

Another long-time partnership, this one with the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, has been a cornerstone of WMF's work in Europe. The Kress Foundation European Preservation Program has helped launch conservation projects for significant art in an architectural context at many of Europe's most important cultural monuments, including the European Fine Interiors Program.