Foundation of the Arc of the United States

Foundation of the Arc of the United States

The Arc of the United States was founded in 1950 by parents who refused to institutionalize their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The national office's foundation functions as its permanent capital vehicle, stewarding a mix of direct donations, beneficial interests in perpetual trusts, and deferred-compensation investments. The structure separates long-term institutional strength from annual giving cycles. The foundation's capital supports The Arc's legal advocacy and policy work, with a national footprint spanning all 50 states and a network of local chapters. Confirmed philanthropic partners include the Ford Foundation and the Walmart Foundation, the latter funding employment initiatives for people with IDD. The Arc also operates a vehicle-donation program as a recurring source of unrestricted funding, alongside traditional grant-making partnerships. The Arc maintains collaborative relationships with peer networks including Inclusion International and the Special Needs Alliance. Its headquarters occupies leased space at 1825 K Street NW in Washington, DC’s central business district. The foundation's architecture is distinct among large US disability-advocacy nonprofits: it shields a permanent endowment inside an operating entity whose primary work is grassroots advocacy, direct services, and litigation. This endowment posture gives the national office a structural buffer that peer organizations without large-scale permanent capital do not possess, allowing multi-year policy campaigns to proceed irrespective of short-term fundraising conditions.