Arkansas Special Olympics

Name

Arkansas Special Olympics

Legal name

Special Olympics Arkansas

Website

https://specialolympicsarkansas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive Sports and Disability Inclusion Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability & Adaptive Sport Governing Bodies (Paralympic & Sport-Specific) (MPAKAFAL), Adaptive & Para-Sport Event Organizers (MPAKADAM), Adaptive & Para-Sport Training Programs (MPAKAJAK), Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching (HSADAEAM)

Keywords

• Adaptive sports programs
• Athletic training services
• Intellectual disability support
• Inclusive youth programs
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

North Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to provide free athletic programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Private and corporate sponsorships providing financial support for sports training, equipment, and competition programs
3. State Appropriations: State funding allocated to support Special Olympics Arkansas programs and operations
4. Grants: Grant funding from various foundations and organizations to support specific programs and initiatives
5. Special Fundraising Events: Revenue from events including Polar Plunge, Truck Convoy, Golf Tournament, Duck Pluck, Plane Pull, and Bowling for Special Olympics

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Special Olympics Arkansas provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Programs include Unified Sports, Young Athletes, Unified Champion Schools, SO College, Athlete Leadership Program, and signature competitions such as Summer Games and the 2026 USA Games. All training, equipment, and competition opportunities are provided free of charge to athletes, supported by donations, corporate sponsorships, state appropriations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Arkansas Special Olympics is a non-profit organization providing a unified portfolio of year-round sports training and athletic competition programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The core offerings include Unified Sports programs that pair athletes with and without disabilities, Young Athletes early childhood programs, Unified Champion Schools for school-based engagement, Athlete Leadership Programs, and SO College for higher education inclusion. Major events include the Summer Games and 2026 USA Games, supported by fundraising initiatives such as Polar Plunge and the Law Enforcement Torch Run. All programs are provided free of charge to athletes, supported by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, state appropriations, grants, and special fundraising events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Olympics Arkansas Sports Programs Year-round sports training and athletic competition in Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy. Free of charge to all athletes.
• Unified Sports Program that pairs athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team for training and competition, fostering inclusion through sport.
• Young Athletes Early childhood play program designed for children ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities to develop fundamental sport skills.
• Unified Champion Schools School-based program that brings together students with and without disabilities through sports, leadership, and whole-school engagement.
• Athlete Leadership Program Program that empowers athletes to take on leadership roles and develop skills to become leaders and advocates in their communities.
• SO College Program designed to support college students with and without intellectual disabilities through inclusive sports and campus engagement.
• Summer Games Annual multi-sport competition event held during the summer for athletes to compete in various Olympic-type sports.
• 2026 USA Games Multi-sport event where athletes from across the United States compete in various Olympic-style sports.
• Polar Plunge Signature fundraising event where participants jump into freezing water to raise money for Special Olympics Arkansas athletes.
• Law Enforcement Torch Run Program where law enforcement officers carry the Flame of Hope to honor athletes and raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics.
• SOAR Store Online store selling Special Olympics Arkansas merchandise, uniforms, and promotional items to support program funding.

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

One partnership is on record.

• Joseph P. Kennedy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization was created by and is authorized/accredited by the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation, receiving movement-wide strategic alignment and global Special Olympics affiliation.

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Move United: National nonprofit (formerly Disabled Sports USA) providing adaptive sports opportunities across the U.S. for individuals with disabilities. Overlaps with SOAR in mission and member-based athlete services, but serves a broader disability population rather than focusing specifically on intellectual disabilities.
• Special Olympics United States (SOUSA): National-level Special Olympics organization that organizes multi-state events such as USA Games and accredits state chapters including Arkansas. Comparable because it operates the same sports competition and training portfolio that SOAR delivers locally, but at national scale and as a coordinating body rather than a direct service chapter.

Direct peers

• Special Olympics Texas: Texas state chapter of Special Olympics providing year-round sports training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Direct structural peer to SOAR with the same parent accreditation, free-to-athlete model, and program portfolio, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Miracle League: National nonprofit that builds adaptive baseball fields and organizes baseball leagues for individuals with disabilities. Directly comparable to SOAR in nonprofit, community-based, adaptive sports delivery model with strong volunteer and corporate sponsorship components, though focused on a single sport.
• Athlete Leadership Programs (Special Olympics Global): The Athlete Leadership Program is offered by Special Olympics chapters globally. SOAR's local implementation is a peer of other state chapters' Athlete Leadership offerings, representing a recurring program type rather than a separate organization.
• Special Olympics California: California state chapter of Special Olympics delivering training and competition in Olympic-type sports for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Closely comparable to SOAR in mission, program structure (Unified Sports, Young Athletes, schools programming), and funding mix, but serving a much larger population.
• Challenger Little League (Little League Baseball & Softball): Little League's adaptive baseball and softball division for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Comparable to SOAR as a community-based adaptive sports program offering organized competition, volunteer-driven delivery, and free or low-cost participation for athletes who would otherwise be excluded from mainstream leagues.

Regional players

• National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA): Governing body for wheelchair basketball in the U.S. with affiliated regional conferences. Comparable to SOAR as an adaptive sport organization running training, leagues, and national-level competition, though focused exclusively on wheelchair basketball and a different disability population.

Emerging players

• BlazeSports America: Adaptive sports nonprofit serving youth and adults with physical disabilities through wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and other sports. Comparable to SOAR in operating model and adaptive sports programming, though narrower in scope and not focused specifically on intellectual disabilities.
• Dare2Tri: Triathlon-focused adaptive sports nonprofit providing coaching and race opportunities for athletes with disabilities. Comparable to SOAR in adaptive sports coaching and competition delivery, though smaller in scale and sport-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SpecialOlympicsArkan
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialOlympicsArkansas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-olympics-arkansas
• Instagraminstagram.com/soarkansas/?hl=en
• Xx.com/soarkansas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Arkansas Special Olympics