We work with local communities around the world to safeguard irreplaceable cultural heritage.
This year, World Monuments Fund (WMF) is celebrating 60 years of leading the way in conserving architectural and cultural sites that span the history of human civilization.
Our Work
Since 1965, our global team of experts has preserved the world's diverse cultural heritage using the highest international standards at more than 700 sites in 112 countries.
Partnering with local communities, funders, and governments, WMF draws on heritage to address some of today’s most pressing challenges: climate change, underrepresentation, imbalanced tourism, and post-crisis recovery.
With a commitment to the people who bring places to life, WMF embraces the potential of the past to create a more resilient and inclusive society.
Celebrating 60 Years
2025 marks World Monuments Fund's 60th anniversary.
Our 60th anniversary celebrations kicked off with the announcement of the 2025 World Monuments Watch. A full program of events can be found here.
A centerpiece of WMF’s 60th anniversary, Around the World in 60 Nights, is a year-long series of dinners, cocktails, and other gatherings hosted by WMF Anniversary Ambassadors at iconic historic places such as Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom, the Alhambra in Spain, and the Rink at Rockefeller Center, New York.
Our History
Explore World Monuments Fund's work over the past six decades.
This includes our initial work conserving sites damaged by the 1966 Venice floods, the launch of our signature World Monuments Watch advocacy program, and our ongoing work at sites including Angkor Archaeological Park.
Founded by Colonel James A. Gray in 1965, World Monuments Fund (WMF), then called International Fund for Monuments (IFM), mobilizes to safeguard Venetian heritage following the worst floods in the city's history.
Our Global Network
With affiliate offices in France, India, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom—along with our network of professionals in China, Japan, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Ukraine—WMF oversees projects around the globe.
In addition to hands-on management, WMF affiliates identify, develop, and manage projects, negotiate local partnerships, and attract local support to complement funds provided by U.S. donors.
The International Council is a global community of supporters that includes WMF’s Board of Trustees and affiliate Trustees, as well as the Junior Board.
