The Antiquities Coalition

What The Antiquities Coalition does

The Antiquities Coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization founded in March 2011 (per its own materials) by Deborah Lehr, operating with 1–10 employees. Its mission is to lead the international campaign against "cultural racketeering"—the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts—by developing policy, convening stakeholders, closing U.S. markets to illicit antiquities, and encouraging responsible trade. The organization does not sell products; instead, it operates a portfolio of advocacy programs and initiatives including the Ten Most Wanted Antiquities public awareness campaign (launched 2020), the annual Looks vs. Loot fashion-and-repatriation campaign (launched 2023), the G20 Task Force, the Financial Crimes Task Force, and the #CultureUnderThreat Task Force, plus a Think Tank publishing research.

The technical footprint consists of interactive digital resources—Story Maps of Cultural Racketeering, Interactive Timelines, infographics, and digital databases—delivered through a content-driven website and active social channels on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Bluesky. There are no AI/ML capabilities, no API or SDK, no patents, and no proprietary software product; the stack is presentation- and content-oriented rather than platform- or infrastructure-oriented.

The business model is nonprofit: revenue comes from donations, grants from foundations, and government program funding (USAID is referenced for Iraq and Syriac Heritage Museum work; the US Embassy in Algiers funded a museum digitization lab). Distribution is non-commercial: the organization engages governments, museums, law enforcement, and international bodies (UNESCO, UNIDROIT, G20, NATO, UNODC) directly through convening, policy advocacy, training programs, and coalition-building (membership in UNCAC Coalition and FACT Coalition). Quantifiable outputs include 30 Cambodian treasures repatriated (including the Koh Ker Ganesha from the Ten Most Wanted list), 1,631 Yemeni artifacts documented, and over 1,100 registrants for Arabic-language cultural-heritage training.

Name

The Antiquities Coalition

Legal name

The Antiquities Coalition

Website

https://theantiquitiescoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Antiquities Coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2011 that combats cultural racketeering through policy advocacy, public awareness campaigns, training programs, and convening governments, museums, law enforcement, and international organizations such as UNESCO, UNIDROIT, and the G20.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Protection and Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage protection
• Antiquities trafficking policy
• Nonprofit advocacy services
• Art market integrity
• Cultural property repatriation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Donations and Grants: The Antiquities Coalition operates as a non-profit organization funded through charitable donations, grants from foundations, and government funding for specific programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Antiquities Coalition is a nonprofit organization that combats cultural racketeering — the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts — through policy advocacy, capacity-building training, research, and public awareness campaigns. Its core offerings include advocacy for stronger cultural property laws, task forces (G20, Financial Crimes, #CultureUnderThreat) that develop policy frameworks, awareness campaigns (Ten Most Wanted Antiquities, Looks vs. Loot), training programs for museums and law enforcement, and interactive multimedia resources documenting looted artifacts.

Product overview

The Antiquities Coalition is a nonprofit organization leading the international campaign against cultural racketeering—the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization offers a portfolio of advocacy programs and initiatives: the Ten Most Wanted Antiquities campaign (an illustrated alert system for missing artifacts), the Looks vs. Loot awareness campaign (pairing fashion with repatriated artifacts), interactive Story Maps and Timelines documenting cultural racketeering, infographics for education, and three specialized Task Forces (G20, Financial Crimes, and #CultureUnderThreat) that develop policy recommendations and engage governments. The organization also operates a Think Tank that produces research and recommendations for combating illicit antiquities trade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ten Most Wanted Antiquities: Campaign modeled after the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Criminals list to identify and recover significant looted, stolen, and missing artifacts from around the world
• Looks vs. Loot
• Financial Crimes Task Force
• G20 Task Force
• #CultureUnderThreat Task Force

Products and services

• Ten Most Wanted Antiquities Campaign A public awareness campaign modeled after the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Criminals list that identifies and spotlights significant looted, stolen, and missing artifacts from around the world. Features wanted posters with snapshots of significance, theft information, and last known whereabouts to aid in recovery efforts. The first success was the recovery of the Koh Ker Ganesha and 34 other Cambodian antiquities.
• Looks vs. Loot Campaign An annual awareness campaign that pairs red-carpet fashion looks with repatriated antiquities from major museums (notably The Met), highlighting the connection between cultural heritage and the illicit antiquities trade.
• Interactive Story Maps of Cultural Racketeering Digital storytelling tools that document the journey of looted antiquities from original sites through trafficking networks to their current locations. The story maps feature interviews with experts and document cultural treasures' histories.
• Interactive Timelines Tracking Progress Multimedia resources tracking progress in the fight against cultural racketeering, documenting recoveries, policy milestones, and key events in the movement to protect cultural heritage.
• G20 Task Force A specialized task force focused on engaging G20 countries to prioritize and take action on cultural heritage protection. Delivered five recommendations to the G20 and published a Roadmap for G20 countries to combat the illicit antiquities trade.
• Financial Crimes Task Force A task force examining how the art market can serve as a vehicle for money laundering, sanctions evasion, and terrorist financing. Published the Financial Crimes Task Force Report on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones.
• #CultureUnderThreat Task Force A task force addressing cultural heritage under threat from conflict, war, and other crises worldwide. Includes the Ten Most Wanted campaign targeting artifacts from conflict zones like Ukraine.
• Think Tank (Policy Research Division) Policy research and advocacy division that develops recommendations and frameworks for governments and international organizations to combat cultural racketeering.
• Arabic-Language Museum Digitization Training Program Online training program on digitization, documentation, and preservation strategies for museums in Arabic-speaking regions, delivered in partnership with the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation. Attracted over 1,100 registrants.
• Bardo Museum Digitization Laboratory Project A museum digitization laboratory introduced at the Bardo Museum in Algeria — the first in the country — with five additional Algerian museums participating in training. Funded in part by the US Embassy in Algiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 cultural treasures worth tens of millions of dollars repatriated to Cambodia
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UNIDROITcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law) hosted a gathering on balancing cultural heritage protection and financial crime prevention. Executive Director Tess Davis contributed to workshops resulting in the 'Rome Statement on Art Market Integrity.'
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO is the foremost global organization working to combat threats to world heritage, and the Antiquities Coalition shares this mission. The organization has long urged Washington to engage with UNESCO, and praised the US decision to rejoin in 2023.
• China-Europe-America Global InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on global dialogues exploring the vital responsibility of museums in the fight against cultural racketeering, featuring international leaders in government, arts, business, and more.
• Egyptian Heritage Rescue FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Arabic-language training on digitization, documentation, and preservation strategies for museums. EHRF Chairman Abdelhamid Salah designed and led instruction with the EHRF team.
• Algerian Ministry of Culture and the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed international team introducing digitization lab at the Bardo Museum, the first in Algeria, with five additional Algerian museums participating in training.
• US Embassy in AlgierssupportingOthersUS Embassy provided funding for the digitization laboratory project at the Bardo Museum in Algeria, demonstrating government support for cultural heritage preservation.
• ManchesterCFsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to offer FIU Connect training program on Art & Antiquities, providing online course on how art and antiquities are intertwined with financial crimes.
• UNCAC CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the UNCAC Coalition, a leading anti-corruption network with over 350 civil society organizations in over 100 countries committed to promoting the UN Convention Against Corruption.
• FACT CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed Helena Arose, Director of Programs, to their list of anti-money laundering experts. Collaboration on advocacy for financial transparency in the art market.
• YazdasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to document and preserve Yazidi cultural heritage in Iraq, including training in video production and intangible cultural heritage documentation, funded by USAID.
• Syriac Heritage MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched new website for the Syriac Heritage Museum with digital database of the collection, a two-year digitization project funded by USAID.
• Atlantic CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the announcement of the Mariupol Bull Figurine addition to Ten Most Wanted list, highlighting continued Russian threat to Ukrainian cultural heritage.
• Raphael Lemkin SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help NATO counter the weaponization of cultural heritage, supporting Ukrainian partners in heritage protection efforts.
• Routledge (Handbook of Heritage Destruction)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAC Director of Programs Helena Arose published a chapter in The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Destruction; hosted book launch webinar with editors.
• US-India PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Tess Davis attended White House events during Prime Minister Modi visit where President Biden and PM Modi committed to Cultural Property Agreement.
• Royal Commission for AlUlasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed Chairman and Founder Deborah Lehr to Advisory Board for World Archaeology Summit, launched in 2023 to advance archaeology and cultural heritage management.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted session 'Cultural Racketeering & Corruption—Recommendations for UNCAC' with Italian Republic, United Mexican States, and UNODC at UNCAC Conference of State Parties.
• Heritage Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-facilitated training on combating illicit trade of cultural objects with Heritage Commission, partnering with Institute of International Education (IIE).
• G20 Culture Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe only non-governmental organization to participate in G20 Culture Working Group thematic webinar; Executive Director Tess Davis delivered five recommendations for the G20.
• International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)supportingOthersICIJ investigations including Pandora Papers exposed antiquities trafficking networks, with the Antiquities Coalition referenced in coverage of Cambodian antiquities linked to Douglas Latchford.
• Transparency International U.S.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on ENABLERS Act advocacy, joining 22 organizations in voicing support for anti-money laundering legislation affecting the art market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• World Monuments Fund: Private nonprofit that preserves heritage sites worldwide through advocacy, direct preservation, and public engagement. Similar nonprofit advocacy model with comparable cultural heritage mission and global operating footprint.
• TRAFFIC: Wildlife trade monitoring network that works with governments and NGOs to disrupt illegal trade. Highly comparable anti-trafficking advocacy model applied to wildlife rather than antiquities, with similar monitoring and policy advocacy functions.
• Blue Shield International: International organization dedicated to protecting cultural property during armed conflict under the 1954 Hague Convention. Directly comparable in mission focus on heritage protection in conflict zones, particularly relevant to AC's Ukraine work.
• Transparency International: Global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption. Comparable governance and policy-advocacy model with similar international coalition-building approach through UNCAC engagement.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): Global NGO advisory to UNESCO on cultural heritage sites conservation. Highly comparable mission focused on protecting monuments, sites, and cultural heritage, with similar international advocacy and policy engagement model.
• Basel Institute on Governance: International not-for-profit that works on anti-money laundering, asset recovery, and illicit financial flows. Comparable policy research and capacity building focus with direct overlap on art market AML work.
• Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative: Program safeguarding cultural heritage in crisis regions through emergency response, training, and advocacy. Closely comparable in training-and-capacity-building approach to cultural heritage protection in conflict and emergency contexts.
• FACT Coalition: Anti-money laundering and financial transparency advocacy coalition of which AC is a member. Directly comparable in policy advocacy on financial transparency and AML regulation affecting art markets.
• Global Financial Integrity: Think tank producing research and policy advocacy on illicit financial flows, including those tied to natural resources and cultural property. Highly comparable policy-advocacy nonprofit model with similar multilateral engagement and AML focus.

Emerging players

• Heritage Watch: Nonprofit that monitors, documents, and raises awareness about threats to cultural heritage sites globally. Comparable advocacy and documentation model with similar mission focus on heritage protection, smaller in scale than AC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CombatLooting
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/antiquitiescoalition
• Facebookfacebook.com/combatlooting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/antiquities-coalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/antiquitiescoalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Antiquities Coalition