American Express
Historic preservation has long been the hallmark of American Express' involvement in the community, reflecting its recognition of the contribution of sites and monuments to a sense of national and local identity and the role that their preservation can play in attracting visitors and revitalizing neighborhoods. As early as 1983, American Express launched a cause-related marketing effort that raised $1.7 million for the preservation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. From 1996 to 2005, American Express contributed more than $10 million to help preserve 126 historic sites in 62 countries from the World Monuments Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites. In June 2006, the company announced the American Express Partners in Preservation initiative, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation as its partner in the U.S. and the World Monuments Fund as its partner internationally.
American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are pleased to announce the 2010 Partners in Preservation Seattle-Puget Sound initiative.
Partners in Preservation 2010
About the Seattle-Puget Sound area initiative:
The Seattle-Puget Sound area's pivotal role in the history and development of the Pacific Northwest , and its leadership in historic preservation and sustainability makes it a perfect setting for the Partners in Preservation program. American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Trust's Western Office in San Francisco, have identified projects that preserve and enhance historic places throughout the Puget Sound region that reflect the area's diverse heritage. The public is invited to vote online from April 14 – May 12 for the places they would like to receive preservation funding. The winner of the public vote is guaranteed to receive a grant. The remainder of the $1 million in available funding will be distributed among a yet to be determined number of projects by American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and an advisory committee comprised of Seattle-Puget Sound area civic and preservation leaders taking into account the results of the public vote. The final grant decisions will be announced on June 15.
About the Partners in Preservation Program:
The Seattle-Puget Sound area is the fifth region to receive funding from American Express under the program. Launched in 2006, Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pledged $5.5 million over a five-year period toward preserving historic places throughout the United States. American Express has already given away $3.4 million in preservation grants to sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicagoland, New Orleans and Greater Boston, as well as $1.1 million to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Past Partners in Preservation Program Information:
- 2009 Greater Boston Partners in Preservation initiative
- 2008 New Orleans Partners in Preservation initiative
- 2007 Chicagoland Partners in Preservation initiative
- 2006 San Francisco Partners in Preservation initiative
Updates from Past Partners in Preservation Grant Winners
(from the PreservationNation blog 
)
Help Us Give Away One Million Dollars!
The Seattle-Puget Sound area has been chosen as the next region to benefit from the community-based Partners in Preservation program.
Partners in Preservation Grant Protects an American Icon
Written by Ed Pignone
The work of protecting the steeple of the Old North Church against wind damage is now complete, made possible entirely by a generous grant from the 2009 Greater Boston Partners in Preservation initiative.
After an engineering inspection in 2008, the steeple of Old North was deemed vulnerable to high winds. Without the [...]
Restoration of Sullivan-Designed Church Reinvigorates Chicago Congregation
Written by Francis L. Butterfield
As an intern for the Midwest Office this summer, I assisted Illinois Program Officer Chris Morris on a site visit to Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral, a Chicago landmark designed by Louis Sullivan. This church is Sullivan’s only surviving ecclesiastical structure in the world, and one of only a few Sullivan [...]
