What Preserving Legacies does

Preserving Legacies is a global initiative that equips communities to adapt cultural heritage sites and practices to climate change, operating since 2023 as a National Geographic project under Executive Director Dr. Victoria Herrmann. The organization runs the Climate Custodian Cohort Program, a structured three-year engagement that welcomes 10 heritage sites per year into a Learn-Assess-Adapt curriculum combining climate literacy training, values-based climate risk assessments, and locally-led adaptation implementation. Cohort operations are supported by an in-house Climate Data Hub that surfaces localized climate projections for use in risk assessments, and by a Climate Literacy Training product co-developed with ICOMOS for delivery to heritage organizations.

The flagship platform is Heritage Adapts!, launched in June 2026 as a public Community of Action (built on Circle) with a guided Action Journey (27 lessons in Stage A, 20 lessons in Stage B, plus Stage C), multilingual discussion boards, a Service Provider Directory, and a pledge system tied to the UN Global Goal on Adaptation. The initiative also co-convenes the Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance (HACA) with the Climate Heritage Network to engage policymakers, and operates a coalition of 100+ partner organizations including World Monuments Fund, IFLA, Europa Nostra, and the European Heritage Hub. As of mid-2026, the organization reports 41 cohort sites across 38 countries, 86 trained Climate Custodians, 473 Changemakers, and 1,214+ pledged sites and practices.

The organization is privately funded, primarily through National Geographic Society grants, with secondary revenue from custom Climate Literacy Training engagements and a forthcoming $100/year Service Provider Directory listing fee for for-profit organizations (free until July 2026). It targets heritage site custodians, climate-heritage researchers, partner NGOs and cultural institutions, government agencies, and climate service providers across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, with an operational base in Washington, DC and a globally distributed team.

Name

Preserving Legacies

Legal name

Preserving Legacies

Website

https://heritageadapts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Preserving Legacies is a National Geographic-affiliated initiative that helps heritage site custodians worldwide adapt cultural places and practices to climate change through cohort programs, training, and the Heritage Adapts! community platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Climate Adaptation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Climate adaptation training
• Cultural heritage conservation
• Community climate resilience
• Heritage risk assessment
• Climate literacy education

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding (National Geographic Society): Preserving Legacies operates as a National Geographic project, primarily funded through grants and institutional support from the National Geographic Society.
2. Service Provider Directory Fees: For-profit organizations can list services in the Heritage Adapts! Service Provider Directory free until July 2026; after July 13, a $100 listing fee applies. Not-for-profit organizations list for free.
3. Custom Training Programs: Climate Literacy Training offered to organizations, delivered either remotely or in person over two days. Revenue generated through professional services contracts with heritage organizations, funding agencies, and academic institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Preserving Legacies delivers climate adaptation training, values-based risk assessment methodologies, and capacity-building programs to heritage site custodians and cultural organizations worldwide. Through its proprietary three-stage Learn-Assess-Adapt methodology, the organization equips communities with climate literacy education, localized climate risk assessments, and implementation support for locally-led adaptation actions. The Heritage Adapts! Community of Action platform connects 1,214+ pledged heritage stewards globally with training, climate data tools, and a network of Climate Custodians.

Product overview

Preserving Legacies operates as a global climate adaptation initiative for cultural heritage, consisting of multiple interconnected programs and platforms. The core offerings include the Climate Custodian Cohort Program (a 3-year annual cohort of 10 heritage places) and the Heritage Adapts! Community of Action (an online platform). The Heritage Adapts! platform provides the Action Journey with three guided stages (Learn, Assess, Act), the Commons for community collaboration, and a Service Provider Directory. Supporting offerings include the Climate Heritage Resource Collection, Climate Literacy Training (delivered in partnership with ICOMOS), and the Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance (HACA) for policy engagement. The initiative aims to reach 3,000 heritage sites and cultural practices with locally led adaptation actions by 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Climate Custodian Cohort Program A 3-year program that guides an annual cohort of 10 heritage places on a climate adaptation journey from education to action. Designed for heritage site custodians and managers seeking to transform into climate custodians through training, values-based risk assessments, and locally-led adaptation implementation support.
• Heritage Adapts! Community of Action An online hub and digital platform for climate adaptation providing a collaborative space for heritage stewards to connect, access practical training, step-by-step guidance, climate data tools, multilingual discussion boards, and resources. Serves heritage site custodians and cultural practitioners globally who join the Heritage Adapts! pledge to take locally-led adaptation action by 2030.
• Action Journey A guided self-paced roadmap for locally-led adaptation organized into three stages: Stage A (Deepen Climate and Heritage Understanding with 3 sections and 27 lessons), Stage B (Complete Community-Led Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan with 6 sections and 20 lessons), and Stage C (Take Adaptation Action, Monitor and Evaluate with 5 sections). Designed for heritage stewards at any starting point in their climate adaptation journey.
• Climate Literacy Training A two-day training course designed in collaboration with ICOMOS for heritage organizations and professional teams, providing a solid foundation in climate science and its intersection with cultural heritage. Delivered either remotely or in person. Targets heritage organizations, funding agencies, sites, and academic institutions seeking to build internal climate adaptation capacity.
• Service Provider Directory An online directory listing climate and heritage service providers offering training, guidance, climate modeling, storytelling, risk assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring support. Connects heritage stewards seeking technical climate adaptation expertise with qualified service providers. Not-for-profit organizations list for free; for-profit organizations pay $100 annual listing fee from July 2026.
• Climate Heritage Resource Collection A curated collection of resources, insights, and tools designed to enhance the climate heritage adaptation journey and elevate the work of heritage stewards. Includes lessons learned, risk assessment frameworks, and climate heritage tools developed through actual site implementations across the cohort program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41 heritage sites supported across 38 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Geographic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Preserving Legacies is a National Geographic project, operating as 'Preserving Legacies: A Future for Our Past.' National Geographic provides primary funding, institutional support, and brand credibility. Dr. Victoria Herrmann serves as Director of this National Geographic initiative.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreserving Legacies collaborated with ICOMOS to design the first-ever climate literacy course for heritage organizations and professional teams. ICOMOS provides professional heritage network access and credibility in the cultural heritage sector.
• Climate Heritage NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreserving Legacies and Climate Heritage Network jointly launched the Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance (HACA), a volunteer community of practice for heritage and climate advocates to engage in Global Goal on Adaptation implementation.
• World Monuments Fund (WMF)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerWMF is listed as a Leadership Partner in the Heritage Adapts! coalition, supporting the campaign to protect culture and heritage from climate change.
• IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerIFLA is listed as a Leadership Partner supporting the Heritage Adapts! campaign and its goal of 3,000 heritage sites taking adaptation action by 2030.
• European Heritage HubmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean Heritage Hub is a Leadership Partner supporting the Heritage Adapts! campaign, bringing European heritage network connections to the coalition.
• Europa NostramajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropa Nostra, Europe's leading heritage organization, is a Leadership Partner supporting the Heritage Adapts! campaign.
• Julies BicyclemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerJulies Bicycle, an organization focused on environmental sustainability in the arts, is a Leadership Partner in the Heritage Adapts! coalition.
• Heritage Management OrganizationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Heritage Management Organization is a Leadership Partner supporting the Heritage Adapts! campaign.
• ICH NGO ForummajorGTM or Marketing PartnerICH NGO Forum (Intangible Cultural Heritage) is a Leadership Partner in the Heritage Adapts! coalition.
• CIPRED (Center for Indigenous Peoples' Research and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIPRED is a Leadership Partner and Founding Partner of Heritage Adapts!, bringing expertise in Indigenous peoples' rights and traditional knowledge to the climate adaptation framework.
• SadhanamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSadhana, an Indian nonprofit, is a Leadership Partner supporting the Heritage Adapts! campaign.
• Georgetown UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Victoria Herrmann serves as Assistant Research Professor at Georgetown University, where she conducts climate change research and academic work.
• The Arctic InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Victoria Herrmann previously served as President and Managing Director of The Arctic Institute and currently serves as Senior Fellow, contributing to Arctic climate policy research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Climate Heritage Network: Global network of heritage and climate organizations; Preserving Legacies co-initiated the Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance (HACA) with CHN, making it the closest operating peer in the climate-and-cultural-heritage space.
• Europa Nostra: Pan-European federation advocating for cultural heritage and recognized by the European Commission; a Leadership Partner in Heritage Adapts! serving the same constituency of heritage stewards and policymakers.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): Leading global professional body for cultural heritage conservation; collaborated with Preserving Legacies on the first-ever climate literacy course for heritage organizations and shares the same audience of heritage stewards needing climate adaptation support.
• World Monuments Fund: Independent organization that preserves heritage sites globally through advocacy and direct conservation work; listed as a Leadership Partner in Heritage Adapts! and is a directly comparable site-based heritage preservation nonprofit.
• Global Heritage Fund: Nonprofit focused on saving endangered heritage sites in developing regions, with a model combining local partnership, training, and risk assessment — directly comparable to Preserving Legacies' site-custodian cohort approach.

Broad incumbents

• Getty Conservation Institute: Research and education arm of the Getty Trust working on conservation science; shares the heritage-stewardship audience and intersects at training/research, but is a broader conservation institution rather than a climate-adaptation specialist.
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: UN body that designates and monitors World Heritage Sites, including commissioning climate impact studies; a broader institutional incumbent overlapping in mandate and constituency with Preserving Legacies' site work.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large US-based heritage preservation nonprofit with national scope and significant endowment; overlaps in mission but operates primarily in the US and does not specialize in climate adaptation as Preserving Legacies does.

Emerging players

• Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative: Smithsonian-led program focused on protecting cultural heritage from disasters and conflict; partially overlaps with Preserving Legacies on heritage-risk response but has a narrower climate-adaptation methodology.
• Julie's Bicycle: UK nonprofit supporting environmental sustainability in the cultural and creative sectors; a Leadership Partner in Heritage Adapts! with comparable training and advocacy products for cultural organizations facing climate impacts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Future4past
• Facebookfacebook.com/heritageadapts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preserving-legacies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Preserving Legacies