Lijiang, Ancient Town, China

Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is a non-profit corporation established in 2002 in Palo Alto, California. Our mission is to save the earth’s most significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in developing countries and regions through scientific excellence and community involvement.

Since its founding, GHF has focused its work in developing countries and regions on preservation and responsible development of the most important and endangered World Heritage sites (inscribed, tentative or potential). GHF projects are selected using strict criteria developed by its Board of Trustees and Senior Advisory Board. GHF’s work on each project follows a methodology termed “Preservation by Design” TM.

Preservation by Design TM takes each selected heritage project through an integrated process of master planning, scientific excellence, community involvement, and building partnerships to provide enduring protection, management and financial support. GHF’s Senior Advisory Board (SAB) provides on-going scientific and technical advice throughout project selection and project implementation. GHF has twelve (12) currently active projects to save endangered sites.

GHF has completed its work in four (4) projects: Kars Historic District, Turkey; Lijiang Ancient Town, China; Izborsk Fortress, Russia; and My Son Sanctuary, Vietnam.

Over the next four years our challenge is to ensure that GHF will grow and establish itself firmly as an internationally respected organization that is one of a few leading forces in preserving the most important endangered heritage sites in developing countries and regions. We see GHF bringing dynamic, new leadership, securing private and public sector funding and offering an entrepreneurial, holistic approach to site conservation, management and community involvement. We will work to inspire global awareness of the threats facing global heritage sites, enable local communities to be involved and provide leadership for sustainable cultural and economic benefit to local residents.

Our Goals
• To preserve structures and physical evidence of cultural heritage.
• To advance education about, and protection of, endangered heritage sites.
• To advance community involvement and benefits from preservation.
• To build a major international conservancy to save global heritage.

Our Strategy
• To work on world-class conservation projects with community participation, selected through a disciplined selection process.

• To promote internationally GHF’s Preservation by Design methodology as a recognizable and replicable approach to project design, management, monitoring and evaluation.

• To build an internet database and technology platform for use by all GHF projects and international experts (Global Heritage Network- GHN).

• To engage the world’s leading archaeological conservation and community development experts (GHF Senior Advisory Board and GHN Experts) in planning, projects and programs.

• To develop a strong, stable and growing global network to support GHF through guidance and advice to management, generous and sustained funding, and advocacy, leadership and best practices in governance.

• To continue to build a committed and effective Board of Trustees and Senior Advisory Board with diverse expertise.

• To advocate on behalf of significant and endangered cultural heritage.

Our Program
Project Investigation and Selection
GHF will engage its Senior Advisory Board and other experts to investigate a range of potential projects. To be selected as a GHF project, a site must meet the following criteria:
• Involve an endangered World Heritage Site (Inscribed, Tentative List or Potential).
• Be located in a developing country or region.
• Offer a strong team of local and other partners.
• Have in place or support the development of effective conservation planning.
• Demonstrate significant potential for sustainability in conservation with community involvement.

Our Approach
Preservation by Design
GHF will continue to use its Preservation by Design methodology: Master Planning A master plan will be prepared for each project and will define the objectives, priorities and specific steps required for successful completion of the project. The plans will
: • Provide for immediate measures, before plan completion, to stabilize endangered structures and mitigate present key threats such as looting, encroachment, threat to nature, and poor conservation practices.

• Address scientific excellence, local community involvement, and formal partnerships for financial and management support (see below).

• Be developed in concert with local, national and international partners, and, with assistance from these partners as feasible, provide for environmental objectives as well as the cultural preservation objectives that are the focus of GHF.

• Incorporate adaptive management, risk assessment, quality assurance, progress assessment, and monitoring after project completion.

• Define measures of project success including long-term and short-term site preservation, enhanced legal protection, excellence in science, and transfer of responsibility. Adoption of the master plan itself is one measure of success.

Scientific Excellence
Drawing on its Senior Advisory Board for involvement and advice, the GHF will seek assistance from leading experts to assure appropriate scientific methodologies, timely sharing of data and results and compliance with highest international standards in conservation, technology, training and interpretation. This expertise will be a foundation for local community capacity building.

Community Involvement
GHF will work with local communities to increase awareness of site values and to train, invest and build local capacity for professional protection and conservation, education, and responsible business tourism at project sites. This will facilitate efficient use of resources for long-term site conservation and will also serve economic and social needs.

Partnerships for Management and Financial Support
GHF will secure in-country and international funding and in-kind support from partner programs for site infrastructure, community development and social programs. Areas for complementary in-country funding and programs will depend on each project’s unique situation. Local organizations will be established as needed for individual projects to oversee and advance long-term site protection, including funding needs, business development, enforcement, technical sophistication and training.

Deepening Resources for Global Preservation
Over the next four years, GHF will endeavor to increase by 100% the funds committed to its mission and to establish a $500,000 operating reserve. GHF expects to secure equal or greater in-country matching funding from local and international corporations, foundations and wealthy individuals. GHF will also help to secure major new investments by national and local governments for site conservation, infrastructure and regional development. In most cases, GHF seeks to multiply by several fold.