National Preservation Institute

What National Preservation Institute does

National Preservation Institute (NPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 by James C. Massey and Constance Werner Ramirez, headquartered at P.O. Box 1702, Alexandria, Virginia. It provides continuing education and professional training for individuals involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of cultural heritage in the United States, with curriculum spanning Section 106, NEPA, NAGPRA, cultural and natural resource management, curation and conservation, emergency preparedness, historic property management, identification and evaluation, and Native American cultural interests.

NPI delivers training through three core formats: (1) in-person professional seminars held across the country via a network of Cooperating Organizations (universities, historical societies, government agencies, and nonprofits); (2) online on-demand courses and webinars via the training.npi.org platform, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) customized on-site or online training tailored for specific organizations. The organization also operates the Department of War Legacy Resource Management Program Section 110 Surveys Project under a Cooperative Agreement covering 52 contracted projects across FY23-FY26. Supporting tools include Standard Stipulations for MOAs, Model Language for Title Restrictions, NEPA guidance, and the National Survey of Historic Sites.

Revenue is generated through training registration fees (per-course and bundled pricing), sponsorships, customized training contracts, individual donations, and workplace giving via Combined Federal Campaign, United Way, and membership in America's Best Charities. Customer segments span federal agencies (NPS, FEMA, BLM, Army), state Departments of Transportation, Native American tribes, educational institutions (Smithsonian, Stanford), and private-sector preservation professionals. The James C. Massey Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance for participants with demonstrated financial need.

Name

National Preservation Institute

Legal name

National Preservation Institute

Website

https://npi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Preservation Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that delivers continuing education and professional training in historic preservation and cultural resource management via in-person seminars, online courses, and customized training, serving federal agencies, military, tribes, state DOTs, and preservation professionals across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Historic preservation training
• Cultural resource management
• Professional development seminars
• NEPA compliance training
• Section 106 review

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Training Registration Fees: Revenue generated from registration fees for online on-demand courses, webinars, and in-person seminars. Fees vary by training type and are listed on each seminar page. Discounts available for bundling multiple courses.
2. Sponsorships: Sponsors support NPI through sponsorship packages, receiving recognition through name or logo identification on weekly emails and the website, plus complimentary training. This provides ongoing funding for programming and scholarships.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via credit/debit card, check, stock, or IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. Supports expansion of programming and the James C. Massey Scholarship Fund.
4. Workplace Giving Programs: Donations through Combined Federal Campaign, United Way campaigns, state employee campaigns, municipal, county, and university campaigns, and corporate campaigns via membership in America's Best Charities.
5. Customized Training Services: Organizations pay for tailored on-site or online training services created to meet specific organizational needs, including single or multiple-day seminars and webinars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NPI provides continuing education and professional training seminars for individuals and organizations involved in historic preservation and cultural resource management. Its offerings include in-person professional seminars, online on-demand courses and webinars, and customized on-site training, with curriculum covering federal preservation laws such as NEPA, Section 106, Section 110, and NAGPRA.

Product overview

The National Preservation Institute (NPI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that provides continuing education and professional training for those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of cultural heritage. NPI operates as a training platform offering three main delivery formats: in-person professional seminars held across the country through cooperating organizations, online on-demand courses and webinars available through training.npi.org, and customized training tailored to specific organizational needs. The organization's curriculum spans multiple topic areas including cultural resource management, curation and conservation, emergency preparedness, historic property management, laws and regulations, and Native American cultural interests. NPI also manages the DOW Legacy Resource Management Program Section 110 Surveys Project and provides tools for cultural resource managers including standard stipulations, model agreements, and NEPA guidance. The organization offers continuing education credits and certificates upon training completion, with scholarship funding available through the James C. Massey Scholarship Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Training Seminars

Quantifiable outcome

• One-day seminar provides 6 training hours, two-day provides 12 hours, three-day provides 18 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and historic.

• Department of War (DOW) Legacy Resource Management ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPI has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of War Legacy Resource Management Program to support the Nationwide Approach to National Historic Preservation Act Section 110 Surveys Project. This is a major partnership involving coordination of Section 110 surveys across military installations, with NPI managing contractor qualifications, project prioritization, and cooperative agreement cycles (FY23, FY24, FY25, FY26).
• Cooperating OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNPI works with Cooperating Organizations including universities, historical societies, government agencies, and nonprofits that provide training space and audiovisual equipment, and promotion through listservs, social media, and web listings. In return, staff and students receive educational opportunities.
• Southeastern Museum Conference - Historic House Museum Affinity Group (HHMAG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHHMAG members participated in the National Survey of Historic Sites project, with chairs Allyn Lord and Sara Harger providing assistance in developing the project concept.
• National Building MuseumhistoricStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Building Museum provided office space and a meeting room for NPI's early development, providing instant stature for the fledging organization founded in 1980.
• America's Best Charities (ABC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNPI is a member of America's Best Charities, an IRS-recognized nonprofit association, allowing participation in Combined Federal Campaign, United Way campaigns, and other workplace giving programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Docomomo US: National chapter focused on documentation and conservation of modern architecture, offering symposia, workshops, and specialized training. Comparable niche preservation training provider serving a defined professional community.
• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): National membership organization providing professional development, continuing education, and training to history practitioners and historic site staff. Closely mirrors NPI's training-focused delivery model and government/nonprofit audience.
• Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA): Professional society providing conferences, workshops, and training for historical archaeologists and cultural resource managers. Directly comparable as a continuing-education provider for a closely adjacent professional audience.
• American Institute for Conservation (AIC): Professional association offering continuing education, workshops, and credentialing in cultural heritage conservation. Comparable as a specialized training provider serving preservation and conservation professionals.
• Association for Preservation Technology (APT): International nonprofit providing professional training, publications, and conferences on preservation technology for built heritage. Directly comparable to NPI in mission—delivering technical and professional preservation training to practitioners.
• National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE): Nonprofit consortium advancing preservation education through conferences, publications, and curriculum support. Comparable in targeting preservation professionals with educational programming and continuing education.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT): National Park Service program providing preservation training, research, and technology transfer. A federally funded incumbent in the same preservation training space, operating at broader scale and with subsidization NPI does not have.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large national advocacy and membership organization that also funds preservation training and education initiatives. Operates at much greater scale with broader scope; overlaps NPI's domain and grant-giving role.
• US/ICOMOS: U.S. committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, providing international heritage training, symposia, and professional exchange. Comparable in preservation training mission but with global scope.

Regional players

• Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia: Regional nonprofit providing preservation advocacy, training, and workshops in the Greater Philadelphia area. Comparable as a heritage preservation training organization but confined to a single metro market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepod.link/1520172628
• Facebookfacebook.com/273102762795
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-preservation-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Preservation Institute