Giving a powerful voice to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

The Arc captures its spirit of inclusion and opportunity with a dynamic new brand

The Arc is the nation’s oldest and largest charitable organizations dedicated to the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). With a 60-year history of advocacy promoting inclusion and opportunity, The Arc plays a key role in the lives of people with I/DD.

While The Arc has earned an enviable spot as one of the United States’ 10 largest charitable organizations, it is, at its heart, a community-based movement. It started as a small group of parents and concerned individuals, some of them with I/DD, coming together to change mindsets at a time when little was known about intellectual disability and institutionalization was common. In the years since, the organization has grown significantly and today is made up of more than 720 state and local chapters.

The power of a unifying idea

The Arc’s structure is one of its great strengths. Its focus on grassroots initiatives highlights the efforts and energy of members on the front lines – many of whom are family members personally touched by I/DD. With chapters being staunchly independent, the unplanned tradeoff was the absence of a core identity around which to rally the membership and build awareness with the general public.

The Arc called on Tenet Partners to craft a new brand that would help communicate the organization’s message more clearly and realize its full potential for societal change. Tenet brand strategists and designers worked with The Arc’s leaders to develop a new logo and tagline, along with brand guidelines. The team’s work yielded a dynamic brand expression reflective of The Arc’s embracing nature and passionate history. At the same time, the new brand brings a burst of energy that symbolizes independence and the spark of individuality.

Communicating the combined energy of The Arc

For an organization as widespread and diverse as The Arc, it was essential to involve chapters and members everywhere in the brand launch. To capture their spirit and promote the work they do at the local level, Tenet created a series of video testimonials featuring advocates and families affected by I/DD. The network of chapters was also invited to participate in an extensive series of webinars, national conferences and seminars, all designed to reaffirm the organization’s mission and bring people together around shared values.

Today, the entire organization has come together under one umbrella, building a strong presence nationwide. The broad adoption of the new, single identity unifies all of the chapters, amplifying their voice to communicate The Arc’s societal mission with more lasting impact than ever before.

Celebrating our partnership

In recognition of our support of their rebranding efforts, Tenet Partners was honored with The Arc’s President’s Award. This award, granted annually by the The Arc, allows the national charity to express its gratitude to those whose work made a positive impact upon the organization and its future.