COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

CULTURAL HERITAGE FINANCE ALLIANCE INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 834438628 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A80 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · heritagefinance.org
revenue
$770K
expenses
$267K
net assets
$535K
employees
1
program ratio
81%
mission · from form 990

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE FINANCE ALLIANCE (CHIFA) PROMOTES HERITAGE-LED REGENERATION THROUGH COLLABORATIVE AND INNOVATIVE FINANCING SOLUTIONS. CHIFA AIMS TO BUILD A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE AND A SUPPORTIVE ECOSYSTEM OF EXPERTISE AND CIVIC INTERESTS PREMISED ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN HISTORIC PLACES. HERITAGE-LED REGENERATION STIMULATES LOCAL ECONOMIES AND STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES. AT A TIME WHEN ACCELERATING CLIMATE CHANGE, CATASTROPHIC NATURAL DISASTERS, SUSTAINED CONFLICTS AND A GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC ARE RAPIDLY CHANGING THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT, HISTORIC ENVIRONMENTS PROVIDE CULTURAL GROUNDING, REINFORCE WELL-BEING, AND FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMON HUMANITY AND COLLECTIVE IDENTITY. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HERITAGE PLACES TO SURVIVE AND PROSPER AND IT IS WITHIN OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITY TO SEE THAT THEY DO. CHIFA MAKES THE CASE THAT HISTORIC PLACES ARE UNIQUE ASSETS THAT EMBODY MANY OF THE VALUES THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SEEKS TO CAPTURE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Cultural Heritage Finance Alliance (CHiFA) promotes heritage-led regeneration through innovative financing solutions, aiming to position historic environments as anchors of social, economic, and environmental development. The organization works with local communities and public-private partners to catalyze investment in culturally significant places, particularly in World Heritage Cities. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York, CHiFA focuses on building financial frameworks and governance models to attract private capital to heritage regeneration projects.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Heritage Investment Research
Produces research reports and case studies on heritage regeneration, including "Impact and Identity: Investing in Heritage for Sustainable Development" and "Case Studies in Heritage Regeneration," to build evidence for heritage as an investable asset.
Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator
A nine-month program equipping stewards of World Heritage Cities with financial, strategic, and governance tools to advance heritage-led urban regeneration. Includes cohort-based learning, pilot project development, and investor showcases.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Economic and Financial Research 1 activity
    • Conducting research on heritage financing mechanisms
      Publishes research reports and conducts case studies on successful private financing models for cultural heritage regeneration, demonstrating how investment in heritage drives economic growth and urban renewal.
  • Impact Investing Knowledge & Technology Platforms 1 activity
    • Connecting heritage projects with private investors
      Builds a global marketplace for capital investment in historic places by linking heritage initiatives with mission-aligned investors and structuring blended finance vehicles to de-risk investments and demonstrate commercial viability.
  • Capital Infrastructure Funding 1 activity
    • Funding adaptive reuse of historic cultural sites
      Funds the transformation of historic buildings into functional cultural hubs, such as financing the adaptive reuse of the Majestic Cinema in Zanzibar’s Stone Town into a permanent space for three local cultural organizations.
  • Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 1 activity
    • Hosting investor showcases for heritage regeneration projects
      Organizes annual Final Showcases where city teams present heritage regeneration initiatives and investment strategies to international investors and funders; includes public dissemination of investment overview decks.
  • Small Business and Nonprofit Lending 1 activity
    • Providing working capital and planning support for heritage projects
      Offers low-cost, mission-driven working capital and planning assistance for heritage-led regeneration projects in partnership with local actors, focusing on making heritage sites bankable through diagnostic assessments, financial modeling, and strategic planning.
  • Uncategorized 4 activities
    • Building institutional capacity for heritage finance
      Strengthens the ability of municipalities, heritage entrepreneurs, and community organizations to attract and manage private investment in historic sites through training, technical assistance, and financial modeling.
    • Developing collaborative financing solutions for heritage-led regeneration
      Promotes heritage-led urban regeneration by creating innovative financing mechanisms and supporting capital investment in historic places, with a focus on at-risk communities and World Heritage Sites.
    • Managing a global portfolio of heritage investment projects
      Manages an active portfolio of heritage-led regeneration initiatives across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, including specific support for the Medina of Tunis, Lamu Old Town, and rural corridors like Ruta del Río Grande in Oaxaca, Mexico.
    • Operating the Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator program
      Runs a nine-month accelerator program for World Heritage Cities that builds institutional capacity, develops financial models, and supports the creation of capital strategies and pilot projects for heritage-led regeneration; implemented in cities including Tunis, Lamu, Cuenca, and Baeza.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$770K
Contributions & grants$765K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$5K1%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$267K
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$38K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$650K
Cash$394K
Investments$0
Liabilities$115K
Net assets$535K
Liquid reserves17.7 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +472.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 4
  • BONNIE BURNHAM — PRESIDENT
  • GARY HATTEM — TREASURER
  • KEITH WRIGHT — DIRECTOR
  • LAURIE BECKELMAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • American Express Foundation Funder — Provides funding for CHiFA’s demonstration projects linking heritage to community regeneration.
  • Busara Productions Partner — Partner organization operating its music festival from the Majestic Cinema Cultural Hub in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
  • Foundation of Jewish Camps Partner — Partner in supporting heritage finance initiatives.
  • Friends of Lamu Cultural Heritage Partner — Represented in collaboration with CHiFA at the OWHC Africa Regional Meeting.
  • Getty Conservation Institute Partner — Team member has professional experience in research and program support at Getty Conservation Institute.
  • ICCROM Partner — Team member has professional experience supporting heritage programs at ICCROM, indicating a collaborative relationship.
  • Inter-American Development Bank Government — Dr. Eduardo Rojas, a mentor for CHiFA’s Urban Heritage Accelerator, previously worked at the Inter-American Development Bank.
  • Inter-American Development Bank Partner — Partners on knowledge-sharing initiatives about investing in heritage for sustainable development.
  • J.M. Kaplan Fund Funder — Provides financial support for CHiFA’s programs.
  • NYU Grunin Center for Law & Social Entrepreneurship Partner — Collaborates on legal and social entrepreneurship aspects of heritage-led regeneration.
  • NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Partner — Partners on real estate and finance components of heritage investment projects.
  • OVPM / OWHC / OCPM Partner — Partnered with CHiFA to launch the Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator.
  • Organisation of World Heritage Cities Partner — Cooperates with CHiFA to deliver the Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator program.
  • Organization of World Heritage Cities Partner — Collaborates on initiatives related to world heritage cities.
  • Organization of World Heritage Cities Partner — Partnership to deliver the Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator program.
  • Reclaim Womens Space Partner — Partner organization based in the Majestic Cinema Cultural Hub in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
  • TUNISTORIC Partner — Collaborates with CHiFA through participation in the Urban Heritage Accelerator program.
  • The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Funder — Provides financial support for CHiFA’s programs.
  • UNESCO Government — Works with UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Medina of Tunis and Lamu Old Town.
  • UNESCO Government — Works with UNESCO on World Heritage-related projects.
  • UNESCO Partner — Collaborates on events and initiatives related to heritage regeneration, including the launch of the Majestic Cinema Rehabilitation in Zanzibar.
  • University of Pennsylvania Partner — Dr. Eduardo Rojas, a mentor for CHiFA’s Urban Heritage Accelerator, lectures at the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • World Bank Government — Dr. Guido Licciardi, a mentor for CHiFA’s Urban Heritage Accelerator, is a Senior Operations Officer at the World Bank and supports the program personally.
  • World Monuments Fund Partner — Multiple team members have held leadership and program roles at World Monuments Fund, indicating an ongoing professional and operational relationship.
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival Partner — Partner organization using the Majestic Cinema Cultural Hub in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Blended Finance to De-Risk Heritage Investment
    methodology: blended_finance
    By using blended finance vehicles and mission-driven capital to absorb early-stage risk, the organization enables private investors to enter heritage regeneration projects because demonstrated financial viability attracts market-rate funding at scale.
  • Heritage-Led Regeneration as Integrated Development Strategy
    methodology: heritage-led_regeneration
    By positioning historic environments as anchors for development through collaborative financing, the organization produces social, economic, and environmental benefits because heritage assets embody sustainable values and stabilize community identity, enabling broader regeneration outcomes.
  • Intersectional Practitioner Approach to Implementation
    methodology: intersectional_practitioner_approach
    By integrating impact finance, preservation, and community development expertise in practitioner-led teams, the organization achieves more viable and grounded outcomes because cross-sector technical experience ensures solutions are both financially sound and contextually appropriate.
  • Research-Based Frameworks to Guide Regeneration
    methodology: research-based_planning
    By applying research-based success factors and assessment frameworks to urban contexts, the organization increases the likelihood of project success because evidence-informed planning aligns interventions with local conditions and proven drivers of sustainability.
  • Treat Cultural Heritage as an Investable Asset Class
    methodology: cultural_heritage_as_asset_class
    By transforming cultural heritage sites into bankable projects with measurable financial returns and community impact, the organization unlocks private investment because framing heritage as infrastructure or asset class aligns it with capital market logics and de-risks participation.