World Monuments Fund Raises $62 Million, Tripling Its Endowment Early

The World Monuments Fund has raised $62 million for its endowment, beating its fundraising target 18 months ahead of schedule. The campaign, announced Wednesday, has tripled the organization's endowment net assets. Those assets are expected to pass $100 million by 2028.

The New York-based preservation organization launched the drive publicly less than a year ago, as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. A $20 million matching challenge anchored the effort. The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust pledged to match 50 cents for every dollar raised, up to $40 million in donations.

"Cultural heritage is being lost to conflict, climate change, neglect, and urbanization faster than the world can respond," WMF president and CEO Bénédicte de Montlaur said in a statement. "This campaign gives WMF the long-term resources to act with greater urgency and ambition."

In plain terms: the organization now holds three dollars in endowment assets for every one it held before the campaign.

Who gave the money?

Philanthropist Suzanne Deal Booth gave $10 million toward a new institute for heritage preservation that bears her name. Virginia James contributed between $5 million and $10 million. The donor list also includes familiar art-world figures:

• Susan de Menil
• Stephen Lash
• Annabelle Selldorf
• Christian Louboutin

The Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation has secured $21 million in endowed funds. That money will expand conservation training, research, and professional development.

Where does the new money go?

Beyond the institute, the campaign channels funds into several programs:

• $1 million from the Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust for the Crisis Response Program, which protects cultural heritage after war and natural disasters
• $4 million for preservation projects in the field
• A $2 million endowed fund supporting the World Monuments Watch, the biennial program identifying heritage sites facing serious threats

The funding supports work spanning conservation training to emergency efforts protecting cultural heritage threatened by war, climate change, and natural disasters.

What is the WMF's track record?

Founded in 1965, WMF has worked to preserve more than 700 sites across 114 countries — an average of roughly 11 sites per year over six decades. Its projects range from conserving historic buildings and archaeological sites to training local craftspeople and helping communities protect cultural landmarks after disasters.

The takeaway: sixty years of fieldwork now rests on a significantly larger financial base.

What comes next?

The fundraising success coincides with a new five-year strategic plan. WMF says the plan aims to expand its international reach and make historic preservation a greater global priority.

The organization's work often involves racing against time — to save a historic building from demolition or shield an archaeological site from conflict. For that kind of work, the expanded endowment offers something concrete: a more reliable source of funding for the years ahead.

By Elena Vasquez