The American Friends Of Versailles

What The American Friends Of Versailles does

The American Friends of Versailles (AFV) is a 501(c)3 charitable corporation incorporated in Illinois in 1998 and headquartered at 875 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3100, Chicago. With a 1–10 employee footprint, it operates as the official American sister organization to Les Amis de Versailles (Société des Amis de Versailles), raising donations from U.S. supporters specifically for restoration, educational, and cultural-exchange projects at the Palace of Versailles and its gardens — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited landmarks in the world.

The organization's product set is portfolio-based rather than technology-based: it underwrites a pipeline of named restoration projects (Le Bosquet des Trois Fontaines, completed 2002–2004; Le Pavillon Frais, completed 2010; La Salle des Gardes de la Reine ceiling; Le Bosquet de la Reine; and the Le Salon de Diane ceiling), operates the biennial-to-triennial Le Grand Bal de Versailles benefit gala at the Palace, runs curated European benefit trips, and processes tax-deductible donations including planned-giving vehicles such as bequests, securities, and life insurance policies. AFV has no product technology, app, API, or proprietary software; its underlying capability is privileged access to private Versailles venues and a multi-tier governance network (Honorary Board, Board of Directors, French Board, International Council).

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions, with no earned-income lines. The go-to-market is event- and relationship-driven: a New York City gala edition was held in 2016, on-property galas were held in 2018 and 2023–2024, and a France benefit is scheduled for June 2026. Donor cultivation relies on a President's Gala Committee of approximately 20 named chairs and family foundations (including the Mays Family Foundation underwriting the fireworks finale and the CORA Foundation as a hosting member), direct-mail and online donations, ACH/wire and stock transfers, and ongoing press coverage in publications including Town & Country, House & Garden, The Economist, and the Chicago Tribune. AFV has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no institutional investors, and no public-ticker exposure.

Name

The American Friends Of Versailles

Legal name

The American Friends of Versailles

Website

https://americanfriendsofversailles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Friends of Versailles is a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1998 that serves as the American sister organization to Les Amis de Versailles, raising tax-deductible donations from American philanthropists to fund restoration projects, educational exchanges, and cultural programs at the Palace of Versailles and its gardens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: AFV raises funds through individual donations of varying sizes, which are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The organization is a 501(c)3 charitable corporation (EIN 36-4237214). Donations support restoration projects at the Palace of Versailles and its gardens.
2. Benefit Events and Gala Revenue: Proceeds from Le Grand Bal de Versailles and other exclusive benefit events support restoration projects including the Bosquet des Trois Fontaines, Pavillon Frais, Salle des Gardes de la Reine ceiling, Bosquet de la Reine, and Salon de Diane ceiling.
3. Benefit Trips: Exclusive travel experiences to European destinations including Italy, Vienna, Prague, Portugal, Sicily, Spain, and the French Riviera, with proceeds supporting Versailles restoration projects.
4. Planned Giving and Bequests: Accepts bequests in specified amounts, specific gifts of property, real estate, or other assets, and remainder of estates. Also accepts life insurance policies as planned gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Friends of Versailles is a 501(c)3 charitable corporation that raises funds from American donors to support restoration projects, educational exchanges, and Franco-American cultural initiatives tied to the Palace of Versailles and its gardens. Core activities include solicitation of tax-deductible donations and bequests, hosting the benefit gala Le Grand Bal de Versailles, organizing exclusive benefit trips to European cultural destinations, and underwriting the cost of specific named restoration milestones at the Palace and its park.

Product overview

The American Friends of Versailles is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that serves as a sister organization to Les Amis de Versailles, dedicated to maintaining American support and active interest in the Palace of Versailles as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The organization's portfolio consists of restoration project funding (supporting specific projects like Le Salon de Diane ceiling restoration, Le Bosquet des Trois Fontaines, Le Pavillon Frais, La Salle des Gardes de la Reine ceiling, and Le Bosquet de la Reine), benefit events including the annual Le Grand Bal de Versailles gala, exclusive benefit trips to cultural destinations, donation programs for tax-deductible contributions, planned giving/legacy programs, and funding for cultural seminars and educational exchanges. The organization connects American philanthropy with French cultural preservation through these interconnected programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restoration Project Funding Charitable fundraising grants directed to specific restoration projects at the Palace of Versailles and its gardens, including Le Salon de Diane ceiling, Le Bosquet des Trois Fontaines, Le Pavillon Frais, La Salle des Gardes de la Reine, and Le Bosquet de la Reine. Funds are solicited from American donors and transmitted to restoration initiatives at the Château de Versailles.
• Le Grand Bal de Versailles Annual benefit gala hosted at the Palace of Versailles (with select events in New York City) featuring private access to the palace, chateaux, gardens, and art collections, raising funds for AFV restoration projects. Targets high-net-worth donors, society leaders, and foundation underwriters.
• Benefit Trips Exclusive benefit trips organized to European cultural destinations with proceeds supporting Versailles restoration. Includes private gardens, chateaux, and curated cultural experiences for AFV donors and supporters.
• Donation Program Tax-deductible charitable donations accepted via mail (check, Mastercard, Visa, American Express), phone, ACH/wire transfer, and stock shares, supporting AFV restoration and preservation programs. EIN 36-4237214.
• Planned Giving Estate planning options allowing donors to leave bequests, specific gifts of property or assets, remainder of estates, or life insurance policies to AFV for ongoing Versailles preservation.
• Cultural Seminars and Educational Exchanges Educational programming funding international cultural seminars, educational exchanges, research centers, and traveling exhibitions of photographs and art from the Château de Versailles, in furtherance of AFV's stated mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Restoration of Le Bosquet des Trois Fontaines - had lain in ruin since the 18th century
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core and minor.

• Les Amis de Versailles (Société des Amis de Versailles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFV serves as the official American sister organization to Les Amis de Versailles, the long-established French friends of Versailles society. The two organizations work together on restoration projects, with Les Amis de Versailles committing alongside AFV to complete financing for room restorations including marbles, wood panels, wall paintings, and architectural carvings at the Salle des Gardes de la Reine.
• Château de VersaillescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFV raises funds specifically for the Palace of Versailles and its magnificent gardens. The organization works directly with Château de Versailles President Christophe Leribault and curators such as Beatrice Sarrazin on restoration projects.
• French Board of DirectorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistinguished French nobility and cultural leaders including Princesse Béatrice de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles, Madame Anne-Marie de Ganay, Comte et Comtesse Philippe de Montmort, Madame Caroline Sarkozy, Monsieur Didier Wirth, and Monsieur Jérôme Fouan serve on the French Board of Directors.
• Union des Parcs et Jardins de Basse-NormandieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDidier Wirth, who serves on AFV's French Board, created this organization and later became Président of the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France, which preserves and promotes remarkable French gardens. His expertise on gardens has been shared with AFV.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• World Monuments Fund: Leading US-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving cultural heritage sites worldwide through grants, advocacy, and project funding. Comparable in raising private capital for architectural restoration globally; broader scope but same fundraising-and-grantmaking model as AFV.
• American Academy in Rome: American nonprofit supporting Italian cultural heritage through fellowships, conservation, and preservation programs. Comparable to AFV in bridging American philanthropy with European cultural heritage, though broader in mission (arts/research as well as preservation).
• Preservation Society of Newport County: US nonprofit that funds restoration and operation of historic Newport mansions. Comparable in funding specific, named historic restoration projects through donor events, memberships, and gala-style benefits — a useful analog for AFV's per-project restoration fundraising model.
• Société des Amis de Versailles (Les Amis de Versailles): AFV's formal French sister organization and the most directly comparable peer. Operates the same mission — raising private funds for restoration at the Palace of Versailles — but from the French side and with a 100+ year operating history, co-financing the same restoration projects (e.g., Salle des Gardes de la Reine) that AFV funds.
• Save Venice Inc. American nonprofit dedicated to preserving art and architecture in Venice. Same structural model as AFV: US-registered 501(c)3 raising American philanthropic dollars for restoration of historic works at a foreign cultural institution, sustained by donor events and galas.
• The French Heritage Society: American nonprofit (501(c)3) dedicated to preserving French heritage in France, funding restoration grants for chateaux, gardens, and cultural sites. Closely comparable mission to AFV but with a broader French-heritage scope and a grantmaking model.
• The American Friends of the Louvre: Operates the exact same 'American Friends of [French national museum]' model as AFV, channeling US philanthropy to the Musée du Louvre for acquisitions, restorations, and programming. Directly comparable in structure, donor base, and cross-border fundraising mechanics.

Emerging players

• American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet: American nonprofit supporting the Opéra national de Paris. Same 'American Friends of [French cultural institution]' model as AFV, but focused on performing arts and opera productions rather than physical heritage restoration.

Broad incumbents

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large, established US preservation nonprofit focused on saving historic places domestically. Overlapping capability set (advocacy, fundraising, project funding) but US-focused rather than supporting a single foreign cultural site like AFV does.
• The J. Paul Getty Trust: Major US foundation supporting art conservation, museum programming, and heritage research globally. Overlaps with AFV's mission of funding heritage conservation but at vastly larger scale and broader remit (conservation science, museum operations, scholarships).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-american-friends-of-versailles

Compliance1 record

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 The American Friends Of Versailles