Quality Trust

What Quality Trust does

Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Washington, DC, that provides advocacy, monitoring, and legal services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. The organization was created as part of the Evans v. District of Columbia class action settlement that closed the Forest Haven institution, with the DC government agreeing to endow and continue funding Quality Trust as a durable, independent monitoring body within the District's developmental disabilities service delivery system. It is governed by a Mayor-appointed Board of Directors and currently led by CEO Shawn Ullman (since March 2022), supported by a four-person leadership team with an aggregate 60+ years of tenure at the organization.

Quality Trust's service portfolio spans ten core programs: Lay Advocacy delivered through Quality Services Navigators; independent Monitoring Services for DC's Developmental Disabilities Administration; Legal Advocacy on capacity, self-determination, and guardianship alternatives; the National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Marking (NRC-SDM); Family Ties of DC (parent-to-parent matching); #ProjectPeerToo (trauma-informed support for IDD survivors of sexual assault); Dimensions of Support (fee-for-service quality assessment for service providers); Consulting Services; the Young Adult Leadership and Advocacy Initiative; and the Jenny Hatch Justice Project providing free legal services to low-income DC residents. The organization does not develop proprietary technology — its offerings are professional services delivered by trained staff, with delivery supported by a WordPress website, online intake forms, and an active social media presence across eight platforms.

The revenue model is hybrid. Government contracts with the DC Department on Disability Services form the anchor, rooted in the Evans settlement that provided $31M over 11 years and continues to fund operations. Supplementary revenue comes from individual and corporate donations, two annual fundraising events (Better Together Reception and Summer Breeze Gala) with sponsorship tiers from $500 to $5,000, and fee-for-service consulting through Dimensions of Support priced at $7,500 to $15,000 per engagement. Basic advocacy services are provided free of charge to DC residents. Quality Trust serves both primary segments (people with developmental disabilities and their families in DC) and secondary segments (Home and Community-Based Service provider agencies and DC government agencies) on a fee-for-service or contract basis.

Name

Quality Trust

Legal name

Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities

Website

https://dcqualitytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quality Trust is an independent Washington, DC nonprofit founded in 2001 that provides advocacy, monitoring, legal, and family support services to people with developmental disabilities and their families, funded primarily through DC government contracts and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAC), 504 Plan Consulting & Disability Accommodations (School-Based) (EDAKACAG), Special Needs & Supplemental Needs Trust Services (FSAAANAJ)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Supported decision-making
• Independent monitoring services
• Legal advocacy services
• Disability rights consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Quality Trust relies on individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events including an Annual Gala (Summer Breeze Gala) and Better Together Reception to support operations and programs.
2. Government Contracts: Quality Trust receives funding through contracts with the DC government, including the Department on Disability Services (DDS), as part of the Evans v. District of Columbia settlement agreement.
3. Dimensions of Support Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting offered to Home and Community-Based Service providers and agencies, with tiered pricing ranging from $7,500 to $15,000 depending on agency needs and number of interviews conducted.
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for two annual events: Better Together Reception (March) and Annual Gala (Summer), with sponsorship levels ranging from $500 to $5,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities is an independent nonprofit advocacy organization that provides lay advocacy, legal advocacy, independent monitoring, supported decision-making resources, and family support services to people with developmental disabilities in Washington, DC. It also offers paid Dimensions of Support quality-assessment consulting and training services to Home and Community-Based Service provider agencies. Core operations were established in 2002 under the Evans v. District of Columbia class-action settlement, with services delivered free of charge to DC residents.

Product overview

Quality Trust is a nonprofit advocacy organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services for individuals with developmental disabilities in Washington, DC. The core offerings include Lay Advocacy through Quality Services Navigators, Monitoring Services, and Legal Advocacy. Supporting programs include the National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making (NRC-SDM), Family Ties of DC (parent-to-parent support), #ProjectPeerToo (sexual violence survivor support), Dimensions of Support (quality assessment for providers), Consulting Services, and the Young Adult Leadership and Advocacy Initiative. The Jenny Hatch Justice Project provides free legal services. These services are not a technology platform but rather professional advocacy, monitoring, and support services delivered by trained staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lay Advocacy (Quality Services Navigators) Professional advocacy support where Quality Services Navigators help people with developmental disabilities and their families navigate DC service systems and solve problems with services and supports. Provided free of charge to DC residents.
• Monitoring Services Independent monitoring of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in DC, including random monitoring of individuals supported by the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and review of Serious Reportable Incidents (SRIs).
• Legal Advocacy Legal representation and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities on issues involving capacity, self-determination, alternatives to guardianship, disability discrimination, and transition-age services.
• National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making (NRC-SDM) One-stop resource providing training, information-sharing, technical assistance, research, and promotion of promising practices in Supported Decision-Making for people with disabilities and older adults. Resources and technical assistance have been provided in all 50 states and DC, and SDM innovation projects funded in 14 states.
• Family Ties of DC (FTDC)
• #ProjectPeerToo
• Dimensions of Support (DoS)
• Consulting Services
• Young Adult Leadership and Advocacy Initiative
• Jenny Hatch Justice Project Provides free legal services to low-income District residents with developmental disabilities on decision-making supports, guardianship alternatives, and self-determination issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• First DC resident to have guardianship ended in favor of Supported Decision-Making
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and support.

• Project ACTION!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC's self-advocacy coalition for people with disabilities. Quality Trust has partnered with Project ACTION! since 2002; members turn to Quality Trust for advocacy, support, and legal guidance. Quality Trust works with them on training, legislation, and supporting leadership growth. Quality Trust co-advisors Project ACTION! and supports their activities and projects.
• Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Georgetown UCEDD on programs including Project ACTION! Past, Present and Future event. Quality Trust board member Robin Shaffert serves as Senior Policy Associate and Research Instructor at Georgetown.
• DC Department on Disability Services (DDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in #ProjectPeerToo collaboration. Quality Trust was created through Evans v. DC settlement with DDS predecessor MRDDA and receives annual funding. Quality Trust monitors services funded by DDS.
• DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in #ProjectPeerToo collaboration to improve services for DC residents with IDD who are survivors of sexual assault. Provides crisis hotline (202-333-7273) for sexual assault survivors.
• Parent to Parent USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Ties of DC is an Alliance Member of the national Parent to Parent USA program, committed to providing access to quality emotional support for families of individuals with disabilities.
• Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University (BBI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with BBI to convene Invitational Symposium on Supported Decision-Making in 2013 and launched National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making in 2015.
• Council on Quality Leadership (CQL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CQL in 2013 to convene Invitational Symposium on Supported Decision-Making. CQL manages accreditation and quality enhancement program.
• National Council on Disability (NCD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality Trust successfully supported NCD to conduct research that guided examination of adult guardianship and alternatives, resulting in two comprehensive reports: 'Beyond Guardianship' (2018) and 'Turning Rights into Reality' (2019).
• Council for Court ExcellencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality Trust served on Steering Committee of project that published comprehensive guide on guardianship and alternatives in DC: 'When Adults Need Help Making Decisions: A Non-Lawyer's Guide to D.C.'s Legal Tools for Assisting Adults.'
• Shared HorizonssupportOthersWhile not a direct operational partner, Quality Trust was instrumental in the creation of Shared Horizons, an independent nonprofit that manages a pooled special needs trust.
• Disability Rights DCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtection and advocacy program for people with disabilities in DC. Quality Trust collaborates on systemic advocacy and shares expertise on disability rights issues.
• The Arc of the United StatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Shawn Ullman came to Quality Trust from The Arc of the United States where she started as Director of The Arc@School and later became Senior Director of National Initiatives. Board member Evan Monod serves as staff attorney at The Arc.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network: National membership network of Protection & Advocacy organizations providing legal advocacy and rights protection for people with disabilities across all US states and territories. A broader incumbent with overlapping P&A mandate and legal advocacy mission.
• American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD): Professional association advancing policy and practice for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A broad incumbent in the IDD advocacy and policy ecosystem with overlapping mission on self-determination and SDM.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights DC at University Legal Services: DC's federally funded Protection & Advocacy system for people with disabilities, providing legal representation and systemic advocacy on disability rights. Directly comparable as a DC-based legal advocacy peer; Quality Trust's CEO was a staff attorney there for 11 years.
• Parent to Parent USA: National network of parent-to-parent support programs for families of children with disabilities. Directly comparable as Quality Trust's Family Ties of DC is an Alliance Member and delivers the same peer-support model.
• Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University: University-based institute advancing the human and civil rights of people with disabilities, co-founded the National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making with Quality Trust. Highly comparable given joint SDM leadership and overlapping IDD policy research agenda.
• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Highly comparable as both organizations deliver advocacy, policy, and family support for the IDD community; Quality Trust's CEO Shawn Ullman previously held senior roles at The Arc.

Others

• Shared Horizons: Independent nonprofit pooled special needs trust that Quality Trust was instrumental in creating. Ecosystem-level affiliate operating in the adjacent special needs trust/administration space serving similar disability populations.

Regional players

• The Arc of DC: DC chapter of The Arc serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities locally. Directly comparable as a Washington, DC-based disability advocacy peer competing for similar donor and volunteer support.

Emerging players

• Council on Quality Leadership (CQL): Nonprofit providing accreditation, quality enhancement, and person-centered practice tools for IDD, behavioral health, and aging services. Overlaps with Quality Trust's Dimensions of Support quality-assessment offering and SDM symposium co-convening.
• Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD): Federally funded university center on developmental disabilities providing training, research, and community service. Directly comparable given formal collaboration with Quality Trust on Project ACTION! and shared IDD mission in DC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_QualityTrust_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dcqualitytrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/QualityTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quality-trust-for-individuals-with-disabilities
• Instagraminstagram.com/dcqualitytrust
• TikToktiktok.com/@dcqualitytrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Quality Trust