Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc.

What Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. does

Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. (TDHP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that exists to preserve the state's historic dance halls. It serves historic Texas dance hall owners and operators through four primary lines of activity: (i) a 1:1 matching Preservation Fund Grant Program (up to $10,000 per grant, with the next cycle opening April 15, 2026); (ii) technical assistance and consulting on building condition, historic designations, state historic tax credit access, insurance, extreme weather preparedness, and vacant-hall stabilization; (iii) educational resources including a Mothball/Stabilization Toolkit, an Extreme Weather Preparedness Report, and a Texas Dance Hall Atlas GIS mapping tool built with UTSA's Center for Cultural Sustainability and hosted on ArcGIS; and (iv) community outreach via bus tours, an annual Two-Step Competition at Sagebrush, a newsletter, and social media. Since inception, TDHP has distributed over $380,000 in preservation and relief grants, directly assisted more than 40 halls, and documented over 400 halls statewide; during COVID-19 it raised $265,809 (anchored by a $250,000 anonymous donation) and distributed funds to 32 halls.

The organization's business model is a community-led, donations-and-grants nonprofit model. Revenue is sourced from individual donations, lifetime and tiered memberships, corporate sponsors (Central Market, Delaware North, McDoux, Wes Peoples Homes), and grants from preservation and arts foundations (Texas Historical Foundation, Summerlee Foundation, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Texas Commission on the Arts, Texas Preservation Trust Fund) plus the Texas Music Office and Texas Historical Commission as strategic partners. Distribution is direct-to-owner: TDHP works face-to-face with hall operators, runs applications through its website, and uses email, events, and earned media (New York Times, Texas Monthly, NPR, National Geographic, USA Today) to reach donors and the broader cultural-tourism audience. The operating geography is statewide Texas only, and the technology stack is intentionally minimal—ArcGIS mapping, NeonCRM for memberships/donations, and standard web/newsletter platforms—with no proprietary AI, software, or patented technology.

In 2025, TDHP transitioned leadership to a new Executive Director (Jean Spivey, appointed May 19, 2025) and expanded its board from three to seven members, drawing on a deep bench of state-preservation and venue-operations expertise (including a former Deputy SHPO now serving as Board President).

Name

Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc.

Legal name

Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc.

Website

https://texasdancehall.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Texas Dance Hall Preservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin that supports owners of historic Texas dance halls through preservation grants, technical assistance, education, and statewide community outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Preservation grant programs
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Nonprofit preservation consulting
• Historic building conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: TDHP receives support from individual donors, lifetime members, and corporate sponsors. They offer membership programs at various levels.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: TDHP is funded through grants from various organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Texas Historical Foundation, Summerlee Foundation, and Texas Commission on the Arts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. (TDHP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports owners and operators of historic Texas dance halls through preservation grants, technical assistance, educational resources, and community outreach. Its core offerings include the Preservation Fund Grant Program (1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 for critical repairs), hands-on technical consulting on building treatment and preservation strategy, and the Texas Dance Hall Atlas, a GIS-enabled mapping platform developed with UTSA's Center for Cultural Sustainability that catalogs every known dance hall in Texas.

Product overview

Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. (TDHP) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that operates as a preservation services provider rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include the Preservation Fund Grant Program (1:1 matching grants for critical repairs), direct Technical Assistance to dance hall owners, and the Texas Dance Hall Atlas—a GIS mapping platform built with ArcGIS in partnership with UTSA. TDHP also provides educational resources including the Mothball/Stabilization Toolkit and Extreme Weather Preparedness Report, emergency relief through the Dance Hall Relief Fund, and organizes community events such as bus tours and the Two-Step Competition. The organization supports National Register nominations and tax credit access, functioning as a comprehensive preservation ecosystem serving Texas dance hall owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preservation Fund Grant Program 1:1 matching grant program offering up to $10,000 per award to historic Texas dance hall owners for critical repairs and preservation expertise; applications reviewed and awarded annually.
• Technical Assistance and Preservation Consulting Expert consulting services provided directly to dance hall owners, helping them make informed decisions about building treatment, preservation strategies, and historic designation processes.
• Texas Dance Hall Atlas Interactive GIS-enabled mapping tool built on ArcGIS in partnership with UTSA's Center for Cultural Sustainability, compiling research to map every known dance hall in Texas.
• Mothball/Stabilization Toolkit Resource toolkit to help weatherize, secure, and stabilize vacant or underused dance halls, protecting them from damage until a new owner or regular use can be found.
• Extreme Weather Preparedness Program Resources, surveys, and reports developed in partnership with Stantec exploring the impact of extreme weather, especially Hurricane Harvey, on historic dance halls, providing weatherization guidance for participating halls.
• Texas Dance Hall Relief Fund Emergency relief fund providing reimbursement for building-related expenses (insurance, utilities) to historic dance halls impacted by crises such as COVID-19 closures.
• Historic Designations Assistance Guidance and support for dance hall owners seeking historic designations, including assistance with National Register of Historic Places nominations.
• State Historic Tax Credit Program Guidance Assistance for dance hall owners in accessing Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credits for rehabilitation projects, established through a 2017 formal partnership with SPJST to document and help lodge halls access state tax credits.
• Insurance Appraisal Services Insurance appraisal project completed in partnership with Historic Appraisals Services to create an insurance appraisal comp group specifically for Texas dance halls.
• TDHP Membership Program Tiered membership program for individuals and supporters of historic Texas dance hall preservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded $380K+ in grants and relief funds to dance halls statewide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of Texas at San Antonio - Center for Cultural SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022TDHP entered into a formal agreement with UTSA's Center for Cultural Sustainability to develop a GIS-enabled database (Texas Dance Hall Atlas) mapping every known dance hall in Texas, led by William A. Dupont.
• SPJSTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017TDHP established a formal partnership with SPJST to document and help lodge halls access the new Texas state tax credits for historic rehabilitation.
• Texas Historical CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDHP partners with the THC on statewide music heritage tourism initiatives and dance hall documentation projects.
• Texas Music OfficesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDHP collaborated with the Texas Music Office on the Texas Music History Trail heritage tourism project.
• Texas FolklifesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDHP co-founded the Festival of Texas Fiddling with Texas Folklife in 2014-2015.
• Asleep at the WheelsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusical group that partnered with TDHP on multiple Texas Dance Hall Tours (2017, 2018, 2019) and events, including a video series hosted by Ray Benson on KLRN-TV.
• StantecsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEngineering firm that partnered with TDHP to explore the impact of extreme weather, especially Hurricane Harvey, on historic dance halls. Conducted surveys of 85 halls and completed 70 interviews with hall owners.
• Historic Appraisals ServicessupportingTechnology or IntegrationContracted by TDHP to create an insurance appraisal comp group for Texas dance halls and completed an insurance appraisal project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Preservation Texas: Texas-focused nonprofit dedicated to preserving the state's architectural and cultural heritage. Directly comparable as a state-level historic preservation advocacy and education organization with similar mission, scope, and stakeholder base.
• Heritage Conservancy: Pennsylvania-based regional historic preservation nonprofit offering grants, easements, and technical assistance to property owners. Comparable as a private, grantmaking preservation organization serving historic structure owners.
• Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina: Statewide preservation nonprofit serving North Carolina historic properties through grants, education, and advocacy. Highly comparable mission and operating model to TDHP, operating at a similar scale within a single state.
• Colorado Preservation, Inc. Statewide nonprofit focused on historic preservation advocacy, education, and grant programs in Colorado. Closely comparable organizational model to TDHP — a single-state preservation nonprofit offering grants, technical assistance, and outreach to property owners.

Regional players

• Preservation Austin: Local Austin-area historic preservation nonprofit, with overlapping leadership (Alyson McGee is a past board president). Comparable mission and city-level geographic focus, though narrower than TDHP's statewide scope.

Others

• Texas Historical Commission: State agency that administers historic preservation programs, including the State Historic Tax Credit. While a government entity rather than a nonprofit, it is a core strategic partner and the regulatory counterpart through which TDHP's mission is advanced.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The leading national private preservation organization and a direct funder of TDHP. Comparable as the umbrella preservation body, but operates at national scale across many property types rather than specializing in Texas dance halls.
• National Preservation Partners Network: National network of statewide and local preservation organizations. Comparable as the convening body for organizations like TDHP, providing peer benchmarking, capacity building, and policy advocacy at a national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-dance-hall-preservation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc.