Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris

What Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris does

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 (incorporated October 2016) that serves as the official international fundraising vehicle for the restoration and preservation of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The organization operates from a mailing address in Etna, New Hampshire, and works in close coordination with the Archdiocese of Paris, Fondation Notre Dame, and the French government's Établissement Public, the public agency created within the French Ministry of Culture to lead reconstruction efforts following the April 15, 2019 fire that destroyed the cathedral's spire and most of its roof.

The organization's product suite is centered on donation collection mechanisms, including an online donation platform with one-time and recurring giving, the 1163 Society tiered donor recognition program ($250 to $10,000+ levels), the Pillars of Notre-Dame monthly giving program (starting at $25/month), the Guardians of Notre-Dame Legacy Challenge for planned gifts, and alternative giving vehicles including cryptocurrency, donor-advised funds, appreciated securities, and qualified charitable distributions. Supporting engagement products include a 360-degree virtual tour developed in partnership with Columbia University's Media Center for Art History (originally funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation) and documentary content partnerships such as CBS 60 Minutes. The organization does not develop proprietary technology beyond standard digital fundraising infrastructure and has no API, AI, or software product offering.

The business model is a direct-to-donor nonprofit fundraising model targeting individual donors worldwide via a digital-first GTM motion, supplemented by community-led engagement (e.g., Cardinal Timothy Dolan's role rallying American philanthropists) and event-driven major gift cultivation. Revenue is entirely donation-based and tax-deductible under US law. The organization raised $10.6 million from more than 10,500 donors across the US and over 50 countries in 2019 alone, has been awarded Candid Gold/Platinum Transparency Seals in 2023 and 2025, and is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors under President Michel Picaud.

Name

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris

Legal name

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris

Website

https://friendsofnotredamedeparis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that leads international fundraising for the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, collecting tax-deductible donations from global supporters through digital platforms, tiered recognition programs, and planned-giving vehicles in coordination with French partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cultural Heritage Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

Keywords

• Heritage preservation fundraising
• Cathedral restoration donations
• Cultural philanthropy services
• Nonprofit charitable giving
• Historical preservation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Etna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary contributions from individual donors worldwide. The organization accepts donations via online portal, monthly giving, and various giving vehicles including qualified charitable distributions, donor-advised funds, appreciated securities, checks, cryptocurrency, and planned bequests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris operates as the official US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization leading international fundraising for the reconstruction and restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral following the April 2019 fire. The organization collects tax-deductible donations through online giving, monthly recurring programs, tiered donor recognition societies, and planned giving vehicles, while providing educational content and donor engagement experiences to support the cathedral's preservation.

Product overview

Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose primary offering is a comprehensive fundraising platform supporting the reconstruction and restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral following the April 2019 fire. The organization's product suite centers on donation collection mechanisms (online platform, monthly giving, planned giving), supplemented by educational and engagement tools including a virtual tour experience developed with Columbia University, documentary content partnerships with CBS News, and tiered donor recognition programs (1163 Society and Pillars of Notre-Dame). The organization functions as a charitable fundraising entity rather than a technology product company, with no API or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Donation Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised $10.6 million from 10,500+ donors within months of the 2019 fire
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cardinal Timothy DolanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2019Retired Archbishop of New York who played a crucial role in rallying American philanthropists and donors following the 2019 fire, helping generate significant financial backing for the restoration.
• Archdiocese of PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership with the Archdiocese of Paris, the religious authority overseeing Notre-Dame Cathedral, to support restoration and preservation efforts.
• Fondation Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fondation Notre Dame in France, a key French organization involved in the cathedral's restoration.
• Établissement PubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks in close cooperation with the French government agency created after the fire to lead and manage the reconstruction works within the Ministry of Culture.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aga Khan Trust for Culture: Large, well-funded international heritage preservation organization with multi-site scope and major institutional backing. Adjacent cause (heritage preservation) but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Largest US private heritage preservation nonprofit. Same general cause (preservation of culturally significant structures) and same 501(c)(3) fundraising model, but US-domestic focus and broader programmatic scope make it a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Fondation Notre Dame: The French sister foundation supporting Notre-Dame Cathedral's restoration and ongoing mission. Closest comparable: same beneficiary, same cause-based fund structure, but operating under French law and primarily raising euros from French donors.
• World Monuments Fund: Leading US-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving global architectural and cultural heritage sites. Comparable mission (heritage preservation funding) and comparable donor development and grantmaking model, but operates across many sites rather than a single landmark.
• American Friends of the Louvre: US-based 501(c)(3) raising tax-deductible dollars from American donors to support the Louvre in Paris. Same 'American Friends of a French national museum/heritage site' model, same US tax wrapper, same international donor-acquisition challenge.
• Global Heritage Fund: US nonprofit that identifies and funds preservation of globally significant heritage sites. Comparable cause (international heritage preservation funding), comparable donor base and grantmaking model, with a portfolio approach rather than single-site focus.
• St Paul's Cathedral Foundation: Fundraising and stewardship vehicle for St Paul's Cathedral in London. Highly comparable: cathedral-specific 501(c)(3)-equivalent charity, planned-giving programs, visitor-driven donor acquisition, and similar annual-capital-campaign cadence.
• American Friends of Versailles: US 501(c)(3) mobilizing American philanthropy for the Palace of Versailles. Directly mirrors the 'Friends of' model for a French heritage landmark, with overlapping donor pools and similar partnership arrangements with the French host institution.
• Save Venice: US-based nonprofit funding preservation of art and architecture in Venice. Closely mirrors the model of American philanthropy routed to a foreign iconic cultural-heritage destination, with similar high-net-worth donor cultivation and restoration-project sponsorship.
• Westminster Abbey Trust: Charitable fund supporting conservation of Westminster Abbey in London. Same cathedral-specific heritage fundraising model, same tiered donor recognition and visitor-traffic-driven awareness, but operates in GBP/UK regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_NotreDameParis
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendsofNotreDamedeParis
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofnotredamedeparis

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris