The Arc of Washington State

What The Arc of Washington State does

The Arc of Washington State is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy and direct-service organization founded in 1936 — the country's first grassroots parent organization dedicated to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Headquartered in Olympia, Washington, it advocates for quality services and necessary funding across the I/DD lifespan (birth-to-three, special education, employment, residential supports, healthcare, transportation, respite, and community inclusion), maintains a presence at the state capitol during legislative sessions, and operates a portfolio of programs including a statewide 26-county Parent to Parent peer-support network, the Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) coalition of 200+ self-advocates, the Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund, the Family Mentor Project, the Arc Trust Fund grantmaker, the Thurston County Developmental Disabilities Coalition, Partners4Housing, and direct services through seven local chapters.

The organization funds its operations through charitable contributions, government grants (Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, Department of Health / Children with Special Health Care Needs, Developmental Disabilities Council), United Way, local grants, and individual donations, supplementing a historical Value Village clothing-donation contract that was terminated in 2020 due to COVID-19. Membership is free and provides automatic affiliation with The Arc of the United States. GTM motion is community-led and grassroots, with the organization mobilizing members via action alerts, telephone trees, advocacy days, and in-district legislative engagement rather than traditional marketing; distribution is mediated by county-level coordinators and local chapters across Washington.

Headcount is approximately 30 (with ~11-50 per firmographic estimate), governed by a Board of Directors, and led by Executive Director Stacy Dym (since 2020, succeeding Sue Elliott). The Arc of WA holds no technology product of its own and operates no proprietary software platform; its competitive position rests on nine decades of relationship capital, legislative influence, and a statewide delivery network rather than technology differentiation.

Name

The Arc of Washington State

Legal name

The Arc of Washington State

Website

https://arcwa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arc of Washington State is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1936 that advocates for and delivers peer-support, housing, trust-fund, and self-advocacy programs to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families across Washington State through 26 county programs and 7 local chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Olympia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and organizations supporting disability rights advocacy.
2. Membership (Free): Free membership provides grassroots advocacy capacity. Members receive national membership in The Arc of the United States with benefits including discounted convention registration and access to insurance coverage rates.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Parent to Parent program is funded by The Arc of Washington State, Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration, and Department of Health/Children with Special Health Care Needs. County programs receive additional funding from DDA, United Way, local grants, and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Arc of Washington State is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides advocacy, peer support, and direct programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families across Washington State. Its core offerings include the statewide Parent to Parent Support Program (26 county programs), grassroots legislative advocacy, the Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) coalition, an Endowment Trust Fund, the Family Mentor Project, Partners4Housing, and services delivered through seven local chapters.

Product overview

The Arc of Washington State operates as a non-profit advocacy organization (501(c)(3)) offering a portfolio of service programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The core programs include: the Parent to Parent Support Program (P2P), a statewide peer support network operating through 26 county-based programs; Advocacy Services encompassing legislative advocacy and action alerts; Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) for self-advocacy; the Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund for financial planning; the Family Mentor Project; Partners4Housing for housing solutions; and the ArcTrust Fund for grantmaking. Seven local chapters provide direct services at the community level including representative payee-ship, problem-solving, and crisis intervention. The organization does not offer a technology product but provides human services focused on disability rights, family support, and community inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parent to Parent: A statewide support program that connects parents of children with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs with peer support and information.
• Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)
• Family Mentor Project

Products and services

• Parent to Parent Support Program (P2P)
• Advocacy Services
• Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)
• Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund
• Family Mentor Project
• Thurston County Developmental Disabilities Coalition
• Partners4Housing
• Arc Trust Fund
• Local Chapter Services
• Membership (Free)

Named customers1 record

Segments5 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 minor.

• The Arc of the United StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing automatic national membership benefits to state members including discounted convention registration and access to exclusive insurance coverage rates. The national organization coordinates nationwide advocacy efforts.
• Parent to Parent USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington State Parent to Parent is a member of the Parent to Parent USA Alliance. The national affiliation provides technical assistance, resources, and a framework for the statewide network of 26 county programs.
• Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)coreOthersState agency providing state-funded supports including respite, employment supports, and residential services. Primary government partner for the organization.
• Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of over 200 people with developmental disabilities shaping public policy in Washington State. The Arc provides technical assistance to SAIL through a grant from the Developmental Disabilities Council.
• People First of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelf-advocacy organization of, for, and by people with developmental and other disabilities. One of the oldest and most active self organizations in the world, starting in 1977.
• Allies in AdvocacymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of individuals with disabilities working to strengthen the disability civil rights movement, especially for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• 23 Nonprofits Across Washington StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent to Parent program relies on strong partnerships with 23 nonprofit organizations across the state to ensure local, culturally-rooted support is available in every county.
• Developmental Disabilities CouncilmajorOthersProvides grant funding to support Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) coalition and technical assistance to self-advocacy groups interested in legislative advocacy.
• Department of Health/Children with Special Health Care NeedsmajorOthersProvides funding for the Parent to Parent statewide program supporting families of children with special health care needs.
• Partners4HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA program under The Arc focused on housing solutions for people with developmental disabilities.
• Parent CoalitionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-based parent coalitions connecting families with resources and peer support.
• Local Chapters of The ArccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeven local chapters (Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Snohomish, Spokane, Tri Cities, Whatcom) affiliated with the state organization, providing local advocacy and services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Arc of the United States: The national parent organization of The Arc network, providing national advocacy, branding, and member benefits to all state chapters including The Arc of Washington State. Directly comparable in mission (disability rights advocacy) and program structure, but operates at national rather than state level.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit network providing disability services, advocacy, and supports across the lifespan. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the disability services ecosystem, but its scope is much wider than The Arc's I/DD focus.

Direct peers

• The Arc of Texas: State chapter providing advocacy, case management, and family support services for Texans with I/DD. Directly comparable as another large state chapter running a multi-county service network with similar mission and revenue mix.
• The Arc of New York: State chapter offering advocacy, family support, and direct services for people with developmental disabilities in New York. Direct peer with similar chapter network structure and program portfolio.
• People First of Washington: Self-advocacy organization run by and for people with developmental disabilities in Washington State. Direct peer in the self-advocacy space, sharing the same beneficiaries and some overlapping programmatic territory.
• Disability Rights Washington: Federally funded protection and advocacy organization serving Washington State residents with disabilities. Closest in-state peer for legal/legislative advocacy on disability rights and operates in the same geographic market.
• The Arc of California: One of the largest state chapters of The Arc network, delivering advocacy, family support, and self-advocacy programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in California. Most directly comparable state peer in scope, program mix, and mission.

Emerging players

• National Down Syndrome Society: National advocacy organization focused specifically on Down syndrome and related I/DD policy, programs, and family support. Comparable as a niche disability advocacy player but narrower condition focus than The Arc.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arcofwa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWdpG46ssP30E_wmlQfZ_fA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheArcofWashingtonState
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-arc-of-washington-state/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/thearcofwashingtonstate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Arc of Washington State