The Notre-Dame fire had not yet been extinguished on Monday, April 15, when reconstruction financing initiatives for the cathedral had already begun. In the wake of a large international reaction and pledges from companies and wealthy French people, several groups are mobilizing to raise funds to restore the Parisian cathedral. This list will be updated as we learn of more.
The French Heritage Society (FHS)
Based in the United States, this group, which works to preserve French heritage in France and on American soil, launched a special fund on Monday dedicated to the restoration of the cathedral. According to Jennifer Herlein, director of FHS’s New York branch, “300 people from all over the world” had made a donation on Tuesday morning. “It shows the importance that Notre-Dame has all over the world,” she says. “I was absolutely devastated. It is a place that means something to so many people, whether they have been there or not.” The donations will be paid directly to Notre-Dame. It is also possible to send a check to: French Heritage Society, Inc. Notre-Dame Fire Restoration Fund, 14 East 60th Street, Suite 605. New York, NY 10022. To donate by phone, contact Benjamin Wells, Program and Membership Manager, at 212-759-6846, ext. 201.
Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris
Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris was created in 2016 to raise funds in the United States to restore the cathedral. Donations can be sent to the following address: Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, PNC Bank, 800 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20006. ABA: 03100000053. SWIFT: PNCCUS33 (for international transfers). Account number: 536027222299.
Les Monuments Nationaux
Emmanuel Macron has launched a national sign-up to enable the French who wish to participate in the reconstruction effort to do so. It is possible to make your donation on the website of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.
La Fondation du Patrimoine
The organisation specializing in the safeguarding of heritage and architecture launched an international appeal for donations on Monday, which has raised some €2 million as of Tuesday morning. No management fees will be charged on the donated amount, notes the foundation. To make a donation, go to the Foundation’s website.
Other initiatives
In Washington, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, or the National Shrine, the capital’s main Catholic place of worship, has set up a page to collect donations for Notre Dame.
Business leader Fabrice Sergent, administrator of the Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF), whose objective is to facilitate financial giving to associations, invites you to make a donation of $10 via your cellphone, by texting “REBUILD” to 20222. The donation will appear directly on your phone bill. It’s an initiative carried out in partnership with the Fondation de France.
About fifty pages have also been published on the Go Fund Me crowd financing site, according to Reuters. Beware of false pages.
