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Texas Advocacy Project (TAP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending power-based abuse in Texas. TAP provides free legal and social services to victims of dating and domestic violence; sexual assault; child abuse; stalking; and human trafficking, leading them to safety and independence. TAP’s vision is a future where all Texans live free from abuse. In 2024, the organization helped 11,705 clients and their children across Texas through free legal services.
Legal remedies keep families safe. In fact, a survivor with a protective order is up to 80 percent less likely to be re-victimized (Journal of American Medical Association). Additionally, survivors with attorneys are significantly more likely to obtain protective orders, with one study showing that 83 percent of survivors with attorneys obtained a protective order, compared to only 32 percent of survivors without an attorney (Rosenberg & Grab, 2015).
TAP’s services are completely free to their clients. As you know, it takes resources to provide those services. That is why they are hosting the Black & White Ball – a glamorous black-tie event featuring a plated dinner, live music, dancing, Mystery Gifts, Live Auction, and the presentation of the annual Courage Award honoring a former client who embodies the exceptional courage TAP sees in its clients every day. Sponsorships and individual tickets are available to support this fundraising effort and help TAP bring safety and healing to survivors who need it most.
In 2024, the Ball raised $1,160,000 to fund FREE legal and social services for victims of abuse across the state. Thanks to this funding, TAP’s legal team is able to obtain legal remedies that keep survivors and their families safe, including: Protective Orders, Custody Orders, Termination of abusers’ parental rights, and Divorces.
While TAP serves all survivors of abuse, most clients are low-income women with children. Many clients are also facing homelessness as they escape their abuser and countless victims endure economic abuse with limited access to finances. Additionally, 60 percent of clients are people of color, and 87 percent are living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. By providing legal services for no cost, TAP is increasing access, power, and knowledge for under-resourced survivors of abuse.
Statistically, one in three women will experience intimate partner violence, and one in five will be a victim of sexual assault in her lifetime. One in three girls in the U.S. is a victim of dating abuse, and young women ages 16-24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, almost triple the national average. Furthermore, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for U.S. women and their children.
Statewide, TAP works with 140+ survivor-serving organizations. Fewer than 5 percent of the shelters and crisis centers in Texas have attorneys on staff. Collectively, TAP’s partner agencies had only 13 staff attorneys available in 2024. Partnership with TAP provides a key referral source and helps fill the gap in attorney access for survivors.
In 2024 TAP closed 1,957 legal cases in the Central Texas area. This included:
• 714 Legal Line sessions providing attorney advice and counsel
• 1,033 Crisis Consultations to offer assistance with obtaining emergency protective orders
• 204 Assisted Pro Se cases
• 6 Direct Representation cases
In Central Texas alone, TAP reached 3,205 survivors (primary + household members), 80 percent of whom were women. Secondary victims included 1,195 children and 91 percent of households were living below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
TAP also has a key partnership with Austin Police Department, wherein attorneys provide crisis consultations for survivors immediately after the arrest of an abuser and offer support with obtaining an emergency protective order. The vast majority of family violence-related homicides occur during or directly after separation, so protective support during this time is absolutely critical.
Texas Advocacy Project serves clients like Marisa* (name has been changed), a resilient mother of two who faced harrowing abuse during a pregnancy, which her son tragically witnessed. Marisa has an intellectual disability and has had little exposure to healthy relationships throughout her life. She turned to TAP for help to keep herself and her son safe.
Having an interdisciplinary team was crucial for Marisa’s success. Her social worker provided trauma-informed interviewing to obtain her history of abuse, engaged Marisa in safety planning, and connected her to ongoing mental health resources. The team also helped Marisa prepare coping strategies so that she could confidently testify in court.
TAP’s attorneys represented Marisa in court and obtained a lifetime protective order, ensuring that she and her son are shielded from further violence. Marisa can now begin to rebuild her life, equipped with the safety and resources she needs for a bright, healthy future.
TAP helps survivors regain control of their lives. Whether it’s filing for a protective order, fighting for custody, or navigating a divorce, they provide the legal guidance, safety planning, and support that survivors need as they break free from abuse.
The Black & White Ball is a heart-warming, memorable evening filled with live entertainment, inspiring stories, and the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a difference. Join TAP On September 20 at the JW Marriott, in Austin, to help raise $1.25 million to support the mission and bring victims of abuse one step closer to safety and healing. Purchase your tickets today! Go to: https://www.texasadvocacyproject.org/black-white-ball