Creating a powerful new identify to energize and unify one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations.

Situation

One of the 10 largest charitable organizations in the US with more than 720 state and local chapters, The Arc is the nation’s largest and oldest organization working with and advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Throughout its 60-year history, The Arc has been a leading voice promoting inclusion and opportunity for people with I/DD.

Yet with an undefined brand and operating as a highly decentralized organization across a chapter network, the level of awareness and understanding of The Arc was surprisingly small for its size and scale. The goal of our project was to help this powerful voice realize its full promise for driving societal change.

Solution

Our biggest challenge was to energize and engage chapters and members around a new brand while, at the same time, enabling this organization to better identify itself to the general public. We involved the chapter network in a highly engaged process, featuring numerous webinars and participation in national conferences and seminars.

“Achieve with us” was born from The Arc’s remarkable and passionate history of creating opportunity and enabling achievement. The Arc’s new logo reflects the organization’s embracing nature, while the burst of energy at the top right symbolizes independence and the spark of individuality.

CoreBrand created a robust set of guidelines and templates to help the hundreds of chapters share a common look and feel across media channels. CoreBrand also created a series of mini-documentary video profiles featuring self-advocates and families with I/DD (see example below).

Launched in March 2011, The Arc has far surpassed their goal for adoption of the new brand by chapters across the country.