American Express and the World Monuments Fund recently announced a $1 million grant to support the World Monuments Watch. The credit card company is the founding sponsor of the Watch program, demonstrating its commitment to protecting locations that will provide cultural value to future communities, said Ed Gilligan, the vice chairman of American Express.

This initiative will provide funding for the preservation of six historic sites that are considered at-risk as of 2012.

"Over the years, the company's steadfast support has helped to preserve 138 sites in 62 countries, benefiting both the local populations and the many people from across the globe who visit them for their beauty and to learn about history and culture," said Bonnie Burnham, president of the World Monuments Fund. 

Sites set to receive awards this year include the Canterbury Provincial Government buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand; the Ruta de la Amistad in Mexico City, Mexico; the town of Sawara in Japan; the ruins of the former Cathedral of Saint Michael in Coventry, United Kingdom; Balaji Ghat in Varanasi, India and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

Projects that received awards might benefit from grant management software to track their efforts so they can provide charitable contributors with regular updates about the initiative's progress.