International alliance for the protection of heritage

What International alliance for the protection of heritage does

ALIPH (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas) is a Swiss private foundation with international organization status, headquartered in Geneva and founded in March 2017 on the joint initiative of France and the United Arab Emirates following the December 2016 Abu Dhabi conference on heritage in danger. Its mission is to protect and rehabilitate cultural heritage impacted by war, climate change, and natural disasters. ALIPH operates as the world's primary dedicated fund for conflict-area heritage, deploying grants across three mechanisms: Emergency Relief Grants (up to USD 75,000, decided in 1–2 months), Action Plans (USD 1–5 million envelopes for crisis contexts with simplified approval), and Annual Calls for Projects (competitive selection from hundreds of applications).

Its business model is grant-making, not commercial. Revenue consists of donations from sovereign states (France, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, China, Morocco, Cyprus, Switzerland, Monaco, Romania), the European Union, and private philanthropists and foundations (Getty, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, TotalEnergies Foundation, Fondation Gandur pour l'Art, Leon Levy Foundation, and individuals such as Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan and Lionel Sauvage). Distribution is executed through a digital grants portal (aliph.smartsimple.ie) and through implementing partners including UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOM, ICOMOS, the Louvre Museum, and the World Monuments Fund. To date ALIPH has supported 600 projects across 64 countries with 187+ implementing operators, deploying a cumulative budget of approximately USD 130 million.

Technically, ALIPH is not a technology company; its core platform is grant administration plus a growing AI capability through HeritageWatch.AI, a partnership with Iconem, Microsoft, and Planet that applies AI and satellite imagery to monitor at-risk heritage sites. The foundation operates with a small secretariat of approximately 25 staff (11–50 range), structured as a start-up, and is governed by a multi-stakeholder Foundation Board chaired by Bariza Khiari (representing France) since November 2023, with Vice-Chair H.E. Mohamed Al Mubarak (Abu Dhabi DCT) and Executive Director Valéry Freland leading operations since September 2018.

Name

International alliance for the protection of heritage

Legal name

International alliance for the protection of heritage

Website

https://aliph-foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ALIPH is a Geneva-based Swiss foundation with international organization status that funds the protection and rehabilitation of cultural heritage in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis zones. It distributes grants via Emergency Relief, Action Plans, and competitive Calls for Projects to heritage operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Protection Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage protection
• Heritage grant funding
• Emergency heritage relief
• Conflict zone preservation
• Nonprofit foundation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Foundation Grants and Donations: ALIPH receives funding from private donors and philanthropists including Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, Jean-Claude Gandur (through Fondation Gandur pour l'Art), The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Getty. The foundation operates as a private foundation with international organization status.
2. Government and Public Donations: Funding from sovereign governments including France, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, China, Morocco, Cyprus, Switzerland (host country), and the Principality of Monaco. Additional support from the European Union and Romania.
3. Donations from Individuals: Individual donations accepted through the website with various currencies and payment options, including Transnational Giving Europe platform for Europe/USA donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ALIPH is a grant-making foundation that funds the protection, stabilization, and rehabilitation of cultural heritage in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis zones through three core mechanisms: Emergency Relief Grants (capped at USD 75,000, processed year-round with 1–2 month decisions), Action Plans (USD 1–5 million targeted envelopes for priority crises with simplified rapid approval), and Annual Calls for Projects (competitive selection from hundreds of applications). The foundation channels donations from sovereign states and private philanthropists to vetted heritage operators and institutions across 64 countries.

Product overview

ALIPH is a private foundation with international organization status, functioning as the world's primary fund exclusively dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating cultural heritage impacted by war, climate change, and natural disasters. The organization operates a grant-based model comprising three core mechanisms: Emergency Relief Grants (capped at USD 75,000 for urgent interventions), Action Plans (larger funding envelopes of USD 1-5 million for crisis contexts), and Annual Calls for Projects (competitive selection processes). ALIPH works in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis areas, focusing on preventive protection, emergency measures, and post-conflict rehabilitation. The foundation connects international donors with local heritage organizations through a network of operational partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Relief Grants Emergency financial assistance for rapid protection, stabilization, or rehabilitation of threatened or deteriorated cultural heritage. Emergency requests are processed year-round with a ceiling of USD 75,000 and typically receive decisions within one to two months. Targeted at heritage operators, governments, and cultural institutions facing acute threats.
• Action Plans Targeted funding envelopes between USD 1 million and USD 5 million with simplified approval procedures for priority heritage protection needs during or after crises. Currently includes plans for Middle East conflicts, Ukraine, Morocco earthquake recovery, and Gaza conflict. Designed for governments and large implementing partners.
• Annual Call for Projects Competitive annual grant programs inviting project proposals for cultural heritage protection. Projects are selected through competitive review processes from submitted applications (e.g., 233 applications received for the Central Asia program with 29 selected). Open to heritage organizations globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 projects completed or ongoing across 64 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. ALIPH and UNESCO reinforce cooperation for protection of heritage at risk. Collaborate on heritage documentation, conservation standards, and joint initiatives.
• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Alliance for cultural first aid, peace and resilience. ICCROM contributes technical expertise in heritage conservation and training.
• ICOM (International Council of Museums)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Joint support for museums at risk, particularly in West and Central Africa during COVID-19 pandemic and conflict areas.
• ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Expert missions to heritage sites, technical guidance on monument protection and rehabilitation.
• World Monuments FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Collaboration on heritage site protection and shared expertise in endangered monument preservation.
• Swiss Foundation for Mine ActionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Collaboration on heritage protection in post-conflict areas affected by landmines.
• Europa NostrasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. European heritage network collaboration on cultural heritage protection.
• The National Geographic SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Documentation and communication support for heritage preservation projects.
• United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. UN body focused on cultural dialogue and intercultural understanding.
• Expertise FrancesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMoU partner. French international technical expertise platform for project implementation support.
• Institut National du Patrimoine (INP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. French national heritage institute providing expertise for heritage professionals.
• IconemsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner. Jointly launched HeritageWatch.AI with Microsoft and Planet to harness AI for heritage site protection worldwide.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner. HeritageWatch.AI collaboration for AI-powered heritage site monitoring and protection.
• PlanetsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner. Satellite imagery provider for HeritageWatch.AI initiative.
• Hungary Helps AgencysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Hungarian government agency for humanitarian assistance including heritage protection.
• Cyprus Institute (CYL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Academic institution providing research and technical expertise.
• Politecnico di Milano UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Academic partnership for heritage conservation research.
• The Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Organization focused on heritage management and sustainability.
• Università di PadovasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Italian university with heritage studies programs.
• Louvre MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobilized alongside Direction Générale des Antiquités du Liban to rehabilitate the National Museum of Beirut. President-Director Jean-Luc Martinez originally drafted ALIPH concept in 2015 Fifty Proposals.
• Saudi Ministry of CulturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark partnership agreement signed for heritage protection collaboration.
• Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Strategic CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner to establish Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund (UCHF) for long-term heritage protection.
• Government of the Hellenic RepublicsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner. Collaboration on heritage protection initiatives.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cultural heritage restoration contributing to intercultural dialogue and trust building between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prince Claus Fund: A Dutch-based grantmaking foundation that supports culture and heritage in developing countries, particularly under threat or in post-conflict contexts. Operates with a similar grant cycle and target beneficiary profile to ALIPH.
• Aga Khan Trust for Culture: A Geneva-based foundation that funds cultural heritage restoration, primarily across the Islamic world, including in post-conflict areas. Operates with a similar grantmaking-plus-direct-implementation model and an explicit cultural-development mandate that overlaps with ALIPH's.
• World Monuments Fund: A New York-based nonprofit that identifies and funds preservation of imperiled cultural heritage sites worldwide. Directly comparable to ALIPH as both are grantmaking organizations focused on protecting endangered heritage, and WMF is a current MoU partner of ALIPH.
• Global Heritage Fund: A nonprofit that funds heritage preservation in less-developed regions, with an explicit focus on community-driven conservation in conflict-adjacent areas. Comparable in scale, mission, and grantmaking mechanics to ALIPH.
• Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative: The Smithsonian's program dedicated to protecting cultural heritage in crisis zones, providing training, emergency response, and capacity building. Comparable in focus on heritage emergency response and conflict-area support.

Broad incumbents

• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: One of the largest US private foundations, with significant cultural heritage grantmaking programs and an ALIPH donor. Operates at much larger scale and broader cultural remit but is a key benchmarking incumbent in heritage philanthropy.
• UNESCO (Culture Sector): The UN agency with a normative and convening role for cultural heritage protection worldwide and an ALIPH MoU partner. Comparable as a heritage funder/coordinator but at much larger scale and intergovernmental rather than grantmaking mandate.
• Arcadia Fund: A UK-registered private fund supporting heritage preservation and environmental causes globally, including in conflict contexts. Comparable as a private grantmaking foundation focused on endangered cultural heritage.
• J. Paul Getty Trust (Getty Foundation): A major arts and heritage grantmaker that funds conservation, training, and international cultural projects, including ALIPH itself. Comparable as a foundation operating internationally on cultural heritage preservation at much broader scale.

Regional players

• Europa Nostra: The pan-European heritage network and advocacy organization, an ALIPH MoU partner. Comparable as a heritage protection advocate and grantmaking intermediary, but with a Europe-only geographic remit versus ALIPH's global mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aliphfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ALIPHFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALIPHFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aliphfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/aliph_foundation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International alliance for the protection of heritage