Projects financed

In a West African State, twenty-four local guards were recruited and trained to protect a group of necropolises. In three years, looting there fell by sixty per cent. The project also created a crafts cooperative inspired by the site's motifs, which generates income for the village.

In a Latin American State, a digital inventory of eighty thousand objects from thirty regional museums was completed. This inventory made it possible to identify and recover forty-three stolen pieces within a few years.

In South-East Asia, a training programme enabled one hundred and twenty customs and police officers to recognise archaeological objects. Seizures rose by thirty per cent in the ports concerned and several objects were returned.

After a conflict, the emergency fund financed the moving to safety and digitisation of a national library's collection. The books were protected, copied and, in some cases, restored. The library reopened eighteen months later.

The most successful projects have three things in common: involvement of communities from the design stage, funding over several years rather than one-off aid, and a solid local partner. Conversely, projects that fail often lack continuity or political support.

Evaluation, carried out three years after the end of each project, makes it possible to verify sustainability. The lessons are shared with future project leaders and built into the selection criteria.

Donors receive a newsletter once a year presenting the projects, their results and the use of funds. They can also visit certain projects, in conditions of safety and respect for communities. These visits encourage direct dialogue with beneficiaries.

A group of volunteer donors takes part in the evaluation committee and makes recommendations. Involving donors in governance strengthens transparency and buy-in.