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Let the Voting Begin!

Who will be the winner of The Arc’s Achieve with us contest? That’s up to you.

For the past month, we have been receiving entries from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities competing for a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. and have their story of achievement featured in ABILITY Magazine. We’re narrowing the field to a set of 10 finalists – that’s where you come in. Visit www.facebook.com/thearcus between July 15 and August 15 and vote for your favorite story. The Arc will choose the grand prize winner from among the top 10 vote getters.

If you or someone you know entered, plan to vote before August 15. If you don’t have a favorite yet, view all of the inspiring stories of achievement on our Facebook fan page and tell us who should win with your vote! There are 100+ amazing stories and every one of them deserves to be checked out. It may be really difficult to decide a winner. You can get the full contest details and rules at www.facebook.com/thearcus and be sure to encourage everyone you know to vote! Thanks for helping to make this contest a success.

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The Arc’s New Brand Is Sweeping the Country

The Arc of New Jersey unveils a new lobby sign

The Arc of New Jersey unveils their new lobby sign featuring the new logo.

It’s an exciting time for The Arc’s national office as well as nearly 200 Chapters of The Arc nationwide that are rolling out our new brand identity in March. The Arc has already attracted considerable attention for the new brand through the efforts of our Chapters in their communities. The Arc of Baltimore, The Arc of Oakland County and The Arc of Anchorage are just a few Chapters who are sporting the new brand on their websites. And, those Chapters plus The Arc of Palm Beach County and The Arc of Atlantic County among others received favorable press upon announcing the new brand to the media. Many Chapters launched the brand in conjunction with the promotion of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month such as The Arc of York County and The Arc of the Mid South.

The Arc of New Jersey held an Open House attended by New Jersey State Senator Bob Smith and proudly showed off Sam Jenkins and the Adrian-Hage family who are the viral stars of The Arc’s new PSAs (check them out on our Website, www.thearc.org), and The Arc of the St. Johns kicked off a broad ad campaign in northeast Florida. Disability Scoop and Ability Magazine both covered the national announcement. And, our brand consultants, Corebrand, even attracted attention for us within the design industry with www.dexigner.com covering the work they did on our behalf.

The excitement is evident in the chatter here on the blog and our social media pages with supporters congratulating us on a bold step forward for the organization. This just goes to show what an organization can do when they rely on the strength of their collective voice. We’re proud to be able to unite hundreds of Chapters across the country and our army of supporters under the banner “Achieve with us!”

Want to get on the bandwagon? Donate, volunteer or join The Arc and help us make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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The Arc Launches a New Brand Identity

The Arc is proud to unveil a new brand identity! Starting here, starting now, you’ll find a dynamic new look for our blog, website, and publications. And along with that comes a comprehensive new brand identity which will serve to unite our chapters across the country under the banner “Achieve With Us.” It’s at once an invitation and a command, as it represents our movement’s determination to achieve even more in terms of participation, inclusion, acceptance and respect for people with IDD in the years to come. In the logo’s design, you’ll see the energy and determination The Arc brings to supporting and embracing people with IDD and their families across their lifetimes and across many diagnoses. You’ll notice a bold color combination of orange and yellow chosen specifically because it is unique in the realm of nonprofit organizations, and can be exclusively associated with The Arc much like a specific shade of pink is associated with breast cancer awareness.

Together, the elements of the brand represent a strong, energetic organization working to provide opportunity for people with IDD; opportunity for hope, opportunity for growth and opportunity for change. We know a thing or two about change as we have been on the front lines of a movement that has ushered in dramatic changes in the law, in schools, in health care, in communities and often on a very personal level in individual’s lives. Check out this short video about The Arc and stay tuned for some compelling stories of individuals and families touched by The Arc as we introduce you to The Hage’s tomorrow, Adrian Forsythe on Thursday and Sam Jenkins on Friday. We think you’ll want to hear what they have to say.

 

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The Arc Launches Dynamic New National Brand Identity

Washington, D.C. – The Arc, the largest organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including Down syndrome, autism, FASD, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses, is changing its look and adopting a new visual identity. The Arc is joined in the launch of this rebranding initiative by state and local chapters representing more than 30 states.

“This is an exciting time in The Arc’s history,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc. Our powerful, new, shared identify reflects the energy and the action of our organization as we work to transform the lives of people with IDD.  This impactful and fresh identity will move us further in revitalizing The Arc – an organization that has been on the frontlines of advocacy and service for over 60 years –by harnessing the incredible power of those we serve.”

The Arc’s vibrant new logo and tagline communicate the organization’s commitment to promoting and protecting the human rights of people with IDD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. The Arc’s logo is
emblematic of the organization’s embracing nature with the flowing “catalyst” icon; a burst of energy is symbolic of our support of independence. The new tagline, Achieve with us, conveys The Arc as a provider of opportunity, hope, growth and change.

The Arc’s new identity grew out of a lengthy, collaborative effort that began in spring 2008 and has involved literally thousands of The Arc’s volunteer and staff leaders, constituents and other stakeholders to create a visionary plan for the future: The Strategic Framework 2010-2019. A survey of chapters of The Arc demonstrated widespread support to rebrand and create a more compelling vision for The Arc.

The launch of The Arc’s new brand coincides with the commemoration of Developmental Disability Awareness Month in March. Nearly a quarter century ago, The Arc’s advocacy led to President Ronald Reagan officially proclaiming March to be Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month. Chapters of The Arc across the nation are celebrating DD Awareness Month with special events and activities. Over the past six decades, The Arc has championed groundbreaking legislation that has improved the lives of people with IDD.

“There is tremendous energy and ‘buzz’ as we begin to implement The Arc’s new brand identity” said Mohan Mehra, Board President of The Arc. “This will help raise public awareness of The Arc and translate to greater support at both the local and national levels. I am especially invested in the new brand and have been involved since the start of the process. Having served as a business manager with Kraft Foods with experience in business strategy, marketing and sales I know that a new brand can make a real difference.”

The Arc selected CoreBrand, an award-winning branding firm, to design and execute the new identity led by Brand Director Jonathan Paisner.  “As a branding consultant, this was the rare opportunity to help discover and unleash a powerful brand simply waiting to be born,” Paisner said.  “A true collective voice –- one shared by and reflected in over 700 chapters – will certainly be a boon to fundraising, volunteerism and visibility in the corporate world. Yet the true impact of a greater national presence will ultimately bring all of these elements together to advance The Arc’s goals of inclusion, hope, opportunity and achievement.”

The look and feel of the new brand will advance further with the May 10, 2011 national announcement of The Arc’s FINDS (Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports) survey results at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  The FINDS survey will yield a candid and current view on issues concerning the needs for disability supports across the lifespan. This unprecedented assessment of data from nearly 6,000 individuals will enable those in the field to better understand what services are available, what gaps exist and what new supports are needed.

Today, across the United States, the 700+ chapters of The Arc share common goals:

  • The Arc is embracing, determined and experienced in promoting and protecting the rights of people with IDD;
  • The Arc provides key needed services and supports across the arc of a lifetime and across diagnoses, such as Down syndrome, autism and many other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • The Arc is banding together around the new and vigorous identity that embodies the energy and movement of The Arc to help people with IDD feel empowered and included.

“We are thrilled,” Berns added, “that upon the launch today we will have more than 150 of The Arc’s state and local chapters simultaneously unveil The Arc’s new brand identity in communities across the country.  With close to 25% of chapters of The Arc on board already, and more chapters signing on daily, the successful implementation of our new brand strategy is well underway,” Berns explained.

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Branding: What’s the Big Deal?

The Arc’s CEO, Peter Berns, was recently quoted in an excellent article about branding nonprofit organizations. The article offers nonprofits a new perspective on branding, taking it out of the realm of sales and marketing, and putting it squarely in the realm of relationship-building. It points out that a brand encompasses every aspect of an organization and therefore does not belong exclusively to the marketing team, but should be understood and promoted by everyone.

Branding is generally thought of in terms of selling and product or service-and therefore sometimes dismissed by nonprofit organizations who believe they’re not in the sales business. But a big part of selling a product is building some sort of relationship with the consumer, much the same way we build relationships with our constituents, both the people we serve and those who support us.

That is why branding is such a big deal in the nonprofit arena, and why The Arc is undertaking a huge initiative in 2011 to introduce a new brand identity to the world. Branding doesn’t end with a new logo, or new colors or a slick brochure or ad. Branding is carried on every day, by every staff member, volunteer and advocate every time they tell someone about The Arc, organize a workshop, host an event, and even just answer the phone. Read this article and start thinking about how you define and support our brand and what a difference that can make.