VMF

What VMF does

VMF (Vieilles Maisons Françaises) is a French nonprofit association recognized as 'reconnue d'utilité publique' (public utility association), founded in 1958 and headquartered at 93 rue de l'Université, Paris. It operates as a heritage preservation membership association dedicated to protecting and transmitting French built and landscape heritage — ranging from châteaux, manor houses, and churches to gardens, bridges, wash houses, and villages, both protected and non-protected. The organization serves 17,000 members across 13 regional and 95 departmental delegations, supported by 267 employees and a volunteer network.

VMF's core products center on tiered annual memberships (ranging from €25 for VMF Jeunes ages 18-35 to €565 for the Cercle Anne de Amodio patron tier), the bimonthly VMF magazine published for 60 years across 326 issues, the Label VMF Patrimoine Historique (a heritage label created in 1967 with approximately 500 buildings labeled), and the national Prix VMF awards program (1,600 prizes awarded since 1980). Adjacent programs include VMF Crescendo (ages 35-55), VMF Education (200,000 children reached over 7 years), VMF Jeunes (8 regional antennas), the Fondation VMF (€5.5 million raised for 116+ projects over 11 years), and the online boutique selling books and heritage products. The underlying technology is a standard web platform hosted on Microsoft Azure (with data stored exclusively in metropolitan France), maintained by Nexton Consulting.

The business model is a hybrid of subscription membership, magazine subscriptions, donations, and retail. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and field-based delegations, with no app presence. The GTM motion is community-driven: members join through subscriptions, support through donations and legacies, and engage through departmental delegations and events like the annual General Assembly. The 2026 General Assembly was held in Dijon on the theme 'l'énergie créatrice du patrimoine.' Key partnerships include Départements de France (signed June 2026), Éditions de l'Esplanade (publishing), the French Heritage Society (international funding), and Microsoft Azure (hosting). Leadership comprises President Xavier Marin, Vice President Frédéric Didier (Architecte en chef des monuments historiques), and communications lead Caroline de Sagazan.

Name

VMF

Legal name

Association Vieilles Maisons Françaises

Website

https://vmfpatrimoine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

VMF (Vieilles Maisons Françaises) is a French heritage preservation nonprofit association serving 17,000 members across 108 regional and departmental delegations through membership subscriptions, a bimonthly magazine, restoration awards, and the Label VMF Patrimoine Historique program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees with tiered options ranging from €25 (VMF Jeunes) to €565 (Cercle Anne de Amodio), valid for one fiscal year with optional SEPA direct debit renewal.
2. Magazine subscriptions and sales: Bimonthly VMF magazine and P.A.J. (Patrimoine Architecture Jardins) sold through Découverte (€55/year, 6 issues) and Passion (€100/2 years, 12 issues) plans, plus single issue purchases.
3. Donations and patronage: Donations from members and supporters, with integrated donations within certain membership tiers. The Fondation VMF has collected €5.5 million to support 116+ projects over 11 years.
4. Book and product sales: Sale of books and heritage-related products through the VMF boutique, including publications from Editions de l'Esplanade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VMF is a French heritage preservation nonprofit association that offers tiered annual memberships, a bimonthly heritage magazine (VMF), and the P.A.J. digital magazine, alongside professional recognition programs including the Label VMF Patrimoine Historique and Prix VMF national restoration awards. It also operates the Fondation VMF for project funding, VMF Crescendo for heritage enthusiasts aged 35-55, VMF Education for youth, and an online boutique selling heritage publications and products.

Product overview

VMF (Vieilles Maisons Françaises) is a French heritage preservation association offering a membership-based platform with multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include annual memberships (Adhésion) with various tiers, a bimonthly VMF Magazine published since 60 years, the Label VMF Patrimoine Historique for recognizing quality heritage buildings, and the Prix VMF national awards program for restoration excellence. Additional programs include VMF Crescendo for ages 35-55, VMF Education reaching 200,000 children, the Fondation VMF supporting projects with 5.5M€ collected, VMF Jeunes for young members with 8 regional antenna networks, and an online boutique. The organization operates through 13 regional and 95 departmental delegations serving 17,000 members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VMF Education: Educational programs for youth about heritage, including the operation 'Le Patrimoine, toute une histoire!'
• VMF Crescendo
• VMF Jeunes
• Fondation VMF
• Éditions VMF
• Label VMF Patrimoine historique

Products and services

• VMF Membership (Adhésion) Annual membership program offering tiered options (Soutien at €235, Cercle Anne de Amodio at €565, Classique at €65/€123, and VMF Jeunes for ages 18-35 at €25/€83) with access to regional activities, publications, and discounts.
• VMF Magazine Bimonthly magazine published for 60 years covering heritage topics across French departments. Available as part of membership or through separate subscriptions (Découverte €55/year for 6 issues, Passion €100/2 years for 12 issues).
• Label VMF Patrimoine Historique Heritage label awarded to non-protected buildings of historical and architectural interest. Approximately 500 buildings have received this label since its creation in 1967.
• Prix VMF (Awards Program) National awards program rewarding exemplary restoration projects and heritage preservation efforts, with over 1,600 awards distributed since 1980. Categories include built heritage, gardens, religious heritage, 20th century heritage, and mobile objects.
• VMF Crescendo Program for heritage enthusiasts aged 35-55 in their professional prime, offering activities and organized trips throughout the year. No separate VMF membership required and no additional cost.
• Fondation VMF Foundation arm of VMF that has collected €5.5 million to support over 116 heritage projects over 11 years, providing grants including €50,000 in aid to 5 projects in 2026.
• VMF Boutique Online shop offering magazines, books published by Editions de l'Esplanade, and other heritage-related products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600 restoration prizes awarded since 1980
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Départements de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Convention of partnership signed between Départements de France and VMF, representing a common will to strengthen cooperation for heritage preservation and enhancement across the entire French territory. François Sauvadet, president of Départements de France and Côte-d'Or Departmental Council, participated in the signing at the VMF General Assembly in Dijon.
• Editions de l'EsplanadecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Editions de l'Esplanade, a SARL with capital of €28,500 located at 93 rue de l'Université, Paris, which publishes the VMF magazine and the digital magazine Patrimoine Architecture Jardins (P.A.J.). The editions also publish books sold through the VMF boutique.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationWeb hosting provider for the VMF website, with data stored exclusively in metropolitan France.
• Ketil MediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertising agency managing VMF's advertising space, contactable at 01 78 90 11 47.
• Fondation VMFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fondation VMF has collected €5.5 million over 11 years to support more than 116 heritage projects, providing €50,000 in aid to 5 projects in 2026.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maisons Paysannes de France: Federation dedicated to preserving rural French heritage — vernacular houses, farms, small-scale built heritage. Directly comparable to VMF's broader scope of non-monumental historic buildings, with similar volunteer-driven regional structure.
• Société pour la Protection des Paysages et de l'Esthétique de la France (Sites & Monuments): One of France's oldest heritage protection associations (since 1901), focused on landscapes, sites, and built heritage advocacy. Highly comparable as a membership-based heritage advocacy nonprofit with departmental delegate networks.
• Fondation du Patrimoine: France's largest private heritage preservation foundation, awarding grants and labels to historic building owners. Directly comparable to VMF in mission, French geography, and reliance on membership/donations, though with a broader statutory scope and larger budget.
• La Demeure Historique: French association of owners of historic residences (châteaux, manor houses) advocating for their protection and restoration. Closely overlaps with VMF's heritage property owner segment and operates a similar membership and award model.
• La Sauvegarde de l'Art Français: French nonprofit that supports preservation of historic monuments and decorative arts through grants and advocacy. Comparable in mission (heritage grant-giving, awareness) and French nonprofit membership model, with partial overlap with VMF's religious and decorative heritage remit.
• Historic Houses (UK): UK membership association representing owners of historic houses, castles, and gardens. Closely parallels VMF's core customer segment of heritage property owners and its advocacy/lobbying model, although in a UK regulatory context.

Emerging players

• French Heritage Society: US-based nonprofit with international chapters (Houston, California, Chicago, Paris, Philadelphia) funding French heritage preservation. Directly comparable as a grant-making partner to VMF, with overlap in restoration funding (e.g., the $69,000 Prix VMF–FHS award) but operating transatlantically.

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Foundation: Large US heritage/preservation organization with extensive donor membership and policy influence. Broadly comparable as a heritage-focused nonprofit membership model with strong brand recognition, though operating in a US policy context.
• The National Trust: UK's largest heritage conservation charity with millions of members, operating historic properties and running membership, retail, and grant programs. Strongly comparable membership-driven heritage preservation model, though much larger and operating rather than just labeling sites.
• Fondation de France: France's largest philanthropic network, supporting cultural heritage among many other causes through labeled sub-funds (e.g., Fondation VMF-style shelters). Comparable as a French philanthropic infrastructure layer that heritage projects, including VMF's, can leverage for fundraising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vmfpatrimoine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNjB6-LiTRLZgZjo8qrgpIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/vmfpatrimoine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vieilles-maisons-fran-aises
• Instagraminstagram.com/vmf_patrimoine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VMF