Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.
Since 1984, we've been presenting, preserving, and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Lone Star State.
Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.
EIN: 74-2360058
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Performance, Exhibit and Media
Since 1984, our award-winning programs have been presented nationwide from the Paramount Theatre in Austin and the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston to National Public Radio, PBS, the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. Texas Folklife’s programs encourage the preservation of folk traditions, support the work of traditional artists, and educate the public about the cultural richness of the state.
Texas Folklife promotes, presents and documents the state’s rich cultural legacy through a vibrant mix of exhibitions, performances, community residencies, apprenticeships, and educational programs. Texas Folklife is committed to preserving the diverse living heritage of Texans, while exploring the vital role of tradition in contemporary society. Dubbed “one of the state’s true cultural treasures” by the Austin American-Statesman, Texas Folklife is widely viewed as a model for public folk arts programming for the joyful experiences we make possible. Programs such as the “Big Squeeze” statewide youth accordion contest and the “Accordion Kings & Queens” concert bring together diverse audiences to share and experience Texas traditions. We have produced national multi-media projects supported by National Public Radio and PBS, including The Border Radio Show and The Big Squeeze documentary. We are now in the post-production phase of a short documentary film about Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint with a growing presence in Texas.
Texas Folklife benefits from a strong reputation among regional and national peers and colleagues in the arts. The American Folklife Center in Washington, D.C. has invited us multiple years to present Texas artists such as blues legend Barbara Lynn, trio Los Tres Reyes, conjunto Los Texmaniacs, and Western Swing and Texas fiddle band The Quebe Sisters at The Library of Congress’ Coolidge Auditorium and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in their “Home Grown: The Music of America” series. The National Endowment for the Arts has consistently funded a number of programs, including our youth media program “Stories from Deep in the Heart”, “A Place at the Table,” a statewide study of regional food traditions, and our longstanding “Apprenticeships in the Folk & Traditional Arts” program, with the support of a State Arts Partnership Award with TCA. Recently, the Grammy Museum Foundation granted Texas Folklife a major award for our Archival Preservation Project, helping us to digitize, catalog, and share archival audio holdings that represent a slice of Texas music culture and history.
Education
Texas Folklife’s Apprenticeship and K-12 Folklore in Education programs connect young Texans to the artists, craftspeople, storytellers and musicians who can pass along their traditions to new generations. Texas Folklife community residencies with esteemed traditional artists have reached more than 140 rural Texas towns. Our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) aligned curriculum materials help teachers integrate high-quality arts programs into their classroom teaching. Texas Folklife collects and archives oral histories, photographs and video and audio files on Texas tradition-bearers, used in research, media and exhibition projects.
Stories from Deep in the Heart is our award-winning youth radio program that teaches high school students and teachers how to document their family and community traditions through audio documentaries.
Audio pieces from this program are also available to public radio stations via our Public Radio Exchange channel.
Archive Preservation Project
Texas Folklife preserves the state’s rich cultural heritage by collecting and archiving oral histories, photographs, video and audio files on Texas tradition bearers, collected for use in research, media and exhibition projects. The Texas Folklife Archive continues to grow in size and depth with each new program, performance, and exhibition.
Where we work
Awards
Presenter/Homegrown Concert Series 2009
Amercan Folklife Center/ Library of Congress
Affiliations & memberships
National Endowment for the Arts 2013
Mid America Arts Alliance 2023
External reviews
Photos
Videos
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
0.47
Months of cash in 2021 info
3.9
Fringe rate in 2021 info
10%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $114,993 | -$1,509 | $28,095 | $109,251 | $82,646 |
As % of expenses | 26.1% | -0.3% | 5.5% | 24.7% | 12.9% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $99,633 | -$17,010 | $12,454 | $95,531 | $80,725 |
As % of expenses | 21.8% | -3.4% | 2.4% | 20.9% | 12.6% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
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Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $569,629 | $480,767 | $501,077 | $531,607 | $653,773 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | 21.8% | -15.6% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 23.0% |
Program services revenue | 2.4% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 1.4% | 3.5% |
Membership dues | 2.9% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 3.4% |
Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Government grants | 37.8% | 48.2% | 51.2% | 50.4% | 51.9% |
All other grants and contributions | 12.2% | 14.7% | 10.5% | 16.8% | 19.7% |
Other revenue | 44.8% | 30.2% | 30.6% | 26.9% | 21.5% |
Expense composition info | |||||
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Total expenses before depreciation | $441,399 | $478,080 | $509,736 | $442,633 | $639,886 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | -5.7% | 8.3% | 6.6% | -13.2% | 44.6% |
Personnel | 24.3% | 25.2% | 35.4% | 42.6% | 37.2% |
Professional fees | 4.0% | 5.0% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 6.7% |
Occupancy | 14.0% | 13.2% | 12.6% | 14.2% | 10.1% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 2.0% | 5.0% |
All other expenses | 57.7% | 55.7% | 47.2% | 36.4% | 40.3% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Total expenses (after depreciation) | $456,759 | $493,581 | $525,377 | $456,353 | $641,807 |
One month of savings | $36,783 | $39,840 | $42,478 | $36,886 | $53,324 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $19,329 | $35,536 | $37,333 | $0 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $493,542 | $552,750 | $603,391 | $530,572 | $695,131 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Months of cash | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
Months of cash and investments | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | -0.7 | -1.0 | -0.7 | 1.7 | 2.8 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Cash | $138,109 | $89,234 | $68,408 | $156,283 | $210,560 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Receivables | $155,125 | $163,499 | $144,125 | $104,153 | $92,913 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $523,277 | $534,542 | $534,542 | $534,542 | $508,024 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 28.6% | 31.0% | 33.9% | 36.5% | 35.9% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 76.7% | 77.1% | 79.1% | 69.4% | 68.8% |
Unrestricted net assets | -$24,213 | -$41,182 | -$28,728 | $66,803 | $147,528 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $180,627 | $184,823 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $180,627 | $184,823 | $148,069 | $127,792 | $59,033 |
Total net assets | $156,414 | $143,641 | $119,341 | $194,595 | $206,561 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
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Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Elisha Oliver PhD
Dr. Elisha Oliver is a Biocultural Anthropologist, Folklorist, and Visual Ethnographer. Elisha earned her Ph.D. in anthropology, with specializations in Health and Human Biology and Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. Her research explored the intersections of space and place, food, music, and storytelling with health and wellbeing.
Elisha has over twenty-years of non-profit leadership and management experience. From her earliest days at Head Start, The Boys and Girls Club, Portfolio Resident Services, Leadership Wichita Falls and now, Texas Folklife, Elisha's Servant Leadership style has led and leads organizations to operate, deliver programs, and provide services at optimal levels.
Elisha adheres to the "service above self" principle, and invites you to a coffee chat to learn how this shows up in her work, and can show up in yours.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Texas Folklife Resources, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 10/27/2023
Board of directors data
Jeff Jackson
Linda Peche
Vietnamese in the Diaspora Digital Archive
Sean Hale
Nydia Tapia – Gonzales
Journalist
Lisa Marie Avendano
Tom Ellis
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/07/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.