The Arc of South Carolina, State Headquarters
Achieve with us.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Arc was founded in 1950 by parents who believed their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserved more – to be included in their communities and to pursue fulfillment and happiness just like everyone else. Ever since then, The Arc has continued to grow and evolve along with the changing needs and issues people with disabilities and their families face — and has played a pivotal role in changing the public perception of disability. We are united in our advocacy, our commitment to family support and preservation, our belief in the rights to full inclusion and choices, and our belief that everyone benefits when children and adults of all abilities have the opportunity to live, learn, work, and play together.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Case Management
Our Case Management Department helps you and your family navigate and facilitate enrollment in Department of Disabilities and Special Needs services.
Our Case Managers are independent advocates that assist families by identifying and addressing needs and concerns, monitoring and evaluating services, constructing lifelong plans, providing information and support, creating and developing opportunities, coordinating resources, educating the community as well as assuring plan achievement. Because each person and family has unique needs and desires, services are customized to fit each family’s request. Visit our website for more information.
Walk This Way!
Walk This Way is about getting people in the community together to promote and increase physical activity, healthy eating, and new friendships. The program includes people with and with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities that walk or roll with one another in community walking groups. It's a great way for people to get out, meet friends, and stay active!
You, your friends, or family members can sign-up and become members or volunteers of a Walk This Way group, all for FREE! Members form small groups that can walk together throughout the year while staying linked to the larger groups in Aiken, Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Greenville/Spartanburg, Horry, and Rock Hill. All members will have the opportunity to stay connected, involved, and share their achievements through our newsletters, website, and The Arc of South Carolina's Facebook page! Visit our website for more information.
Life Lessons
Life Lessons is a sexual health education program funded through the South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council. Designed for staff, caregivers, and parents of individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD), Life Lessons challenges myths, stereotypes, and misinformation regarding sexual health and people with I/DD.
Over its seven sessions, Life Lessons covers a wide range of thought-provoking, nuanced topics, including:
-Inequalities that people with I/DD face, and how we can help lessen those inequalities
-What the law says about people with I/DD and consent to sexual activity
-Strategies for addressing inappropriate sexual behavior
-The importance of respecting consumers’ privacy and sexual desires
-Ways to recognize and work through our own biases when handling difficult situations
-Participants experience engaging, hands-on learning through discussion, group activities, and brainstorming.
The goal of Life Lessons is to get people talking–and thinking–about these issues, which, along with being difficult to talk about, are far from cut-and-dry. Visit our website for more information.
A.L.E.R.T.
A.L.E.R.T.
Autism Law & Emergency Response Training
The Autism Law and Emergency Response Training program provides training for first responders in order to positively interact with and communicate with those who have an Autism diagnosis in emergency situations.
ALERT provides training for first responders so they can better serve people with Autism in an emergency situation.
Every training is led by a first responder who has a family member with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Having different perspectives allows facilitators to provide a comprehensive overview of ASD, including growth rates, theories, common characteristics, behavioral symptoms, and sensory issues. The program will also address effective communication methods while providing practical skills to first responders on how to successfully interact with a person with ASD during an emergency situation. Visit our website for more information.
Wings for Autism/Wings for All
Wings for Autism®/Wings for All™ are airport “rehearsals” specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The programs are designed to alleviate the stress that families who have a child with autism or intellectual/developmental disabilities experience when flying. It provides families the opportunity to practice entering the airport, obtaining boarding passes, going through security and boarding a plane. Airport, airline, Transportation Security Administration professionals, and other personnel also have the opportunity to observe, interact, and deliver their services in a structured learning environment. Visit our website for more information.
Community Inclusive Residential Supports (C.I.R.S)
The Arc of South Carolina acts as a third party advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so they can live semi-independently. This is done by The Arc of South Carolina signing a lease agreement with landlords and educating them about the legal consequence of discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Visit our website for more information.
Elephant in the Room
Talking to your teen/young adult with an intellectual or developmental disability about sex, dating & relationships. Become more confident and prepared in having effective, age-appropriate conversations about healthy relationships, appropriate behavior and sex. Tailor this information to your child’s learning style and needs. Learn how to spot signs of sexual abuse, and what to do about it.
Grassroots Advocacy
The Arc was built as a grassroots organization around kitchen tables, as individuals with disabilities and their families organized and fought for their rights and full inclusion in the community. Today, advocates across the country continue to advocate and share stories about what it means to live every day with a disability and what is possible with proper supports and services. Their stories and activism transform legislation and numbers into real-life impact. Through them, the mission of The Arc comes to life and demonstrates the importance of building a future that includes us all. Visit our website for more information.
Supported Decision Making
The SC Supported Decision Making Project is a collaboration between Able SC, The Arc of South Carolina, Family Connection of South Carolina, and Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. It began on July 1, 2016 and is funded by the South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council. The SC Supported Decision Making Project seeks to increase awareness of Supported Decision Making in South Carolina and promote alternatives to guardianship that allow individuals with disabilities to retain control of their lives. The Project’s activities include:
Creating Informational Materials
Family Trainings
Professional Trainings
Family Counseling Sessions
Systemic Advocacy
MLK Day of Service
Martin Luther King, JR. Day of Service Grant
After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 making the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a federal holiday. in 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service - a "day on, not a day off." The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of of a "Beloved Community".
The Arc of South Carolina is honored to be a recipient of a grant offered by The Arc of the United States and funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service in order to organize service projects where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) will volunteer alongside people without disabilities to help provide food to people in their communities who are in need.
As part of this grant, we hosted a fun event on MLK Jr. Day 2017 on the University of South Carolina campus. The Best Buddies at USC organization ran a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich-Making Competition on campus for all students to take part in! Not only did students who participated have a chance to win prizes for their efforts, but they also got to make a difference in the lives of individuals in our community who are experiencing food insecurity because the PB&Js that were made were distributed at a local soup kitchen, many of which were closed that day to observe the holiday.
On MLK Day 2018, 129 volunteers made 1,720 PB&J's that were donated to Transitions Homeless Center and the 153 Project!
We also work to end hunger in our community by coordinating inclusive volunteer opportunities. If you have a disability and want to serve others in the community, we would love to coordinate service opportunities for you at a local soup kitchen, where you will get to work with other volunteers to prepare food that is served to those experiencing hunger and homelessness. Visit our website for more information.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Related Program
Case Management
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of meetings with policymakers or candidates
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Grassroots Advocacy
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Five Year Goals:
Advocacy
The organization has began a gradual shift in organizational focus away from direct service, with a greater emphasis on advocacy. This will be accomplished by creating a marketing plan, establishing partnerships with dues-paying local chapters, as well as selective applications for grants focused on advocacy rather than direct service. Partnerships with local Arc chapters will be created where in exchange for value added services including an annual conference, area chapters will pay The Arc of South Carolina dues. Additionally, The Arc of South Carolina will continue to align itself with The Arc of the United States, who partnership has provided countless benefits to the agency.
Case Management
The agency is committed to the provision of statewide case management. Efforts will be enhanced with the establishment of eight satellite offices, located strategically close to established client populations throughout the state. This approach will reduce travel time for case management staff, which among other benefits will allow for more frequent home visits, increase billable hours and result in lower travel expenses.
Staff Development
Staff development will be addressed through initiatives to increase salaries and to provide staff with health benefit packages and annual performance evaluations while adding needed roles and functionality to the organization. These changes will help to ensure that The Arc remains a competitive employer, maintaining its ability to attract and retain creative and talented staff while ensuring quality control of service and financial stability.
Board Development
Board development is an ongoing endeavor, which despite its necessity has proven to be challenging given time constraints, geographic challenges and the volunteer status of board members. Further, limitations of The Arc's operating budget will at times require active engagement of its board outside of scheduled meetings in order to help ensure organizational survival and growth. The balance of this commitment must be approached thoughtfully and deliberately.
Financial Management
The agency is committed to ensuring its financial viability through the identification of additional funding sources. Targeted objectives are to increase charitable contributions, attract funds from key grants and dues from local chapters in exchange for value-added services. The agency seeks to attract regular donations through annual fundraising efforts combined with the active mining of an established database of all previous donors. The agency will seek larger grants from federal sources.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The planning exercise conducted with the Board of Directors and Executive Director aided the agency in identifying necessary tasks for goal achievement within 2014. Each of the tasks have been assigned to either a board committee and/or to the Executive Director who are responsible for leading and completing each assigned task.
The External Affairs committee is in charge of improving the website, designing and buying a sign for the building, planning the first annual fundraiser, and creating a public service announcement for the agency.
The Internal Affairs committee will be essential in developing and approving the budget for 2014-2015, conducting an annual performance review for the executive director in addition to creating guidelines for local Arc chapters.
The Executive Director is responsible for hiring new personnel, conducting annual employee evaluations, attending the national Arc conference, planning the annual meeting for South Carolina Arc chapters, and providing training on Community Long Term Care (CLTC) and Head and Spinal Cord Injury (HASCI).
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The development of a creative and competent staff is done through selective hiring. Multiple individuals are involved in the interviewing process so that one person is not responsible for making the decision. Interns through local universities are also utilized to assist with gaps in staff roles, which is necessary to satisfy the needs of the agency while respecting the boundaries of the operating budget.
Board members are dedicated to collaborating with the Executive Director and staff members in the planning of the annual major fundraising event to benefit The Arc and its programs. Thoughtful discussion is had to ensure that cost effective measures will be taken to execute the event, as well as strategies for attracting high rates attendance and donors at the event.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since the strategic plan has been written and accepted, gradual movement towards each of the goals and objectives. In terms of advocacy, The Arc has made some movement towards expanding its role as an advocate in the community by applying for and receiving grants that are intended for community impact and awareness.
The Arc has made movements towards the installation of an agency sign to clearly define its location to the public. Once the decision of the location of the sign is made it will be installed. Chapter guidelines still need to be drafted and accepted for distribution to local chapters in order to generate more financial stability for The Arc in the long-term future.
Evaluations have been done for the Executive Director and Case Managers on a bi-annual basis.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The Arc of South Carolina, State Headquarters
Board of directorsas of 02/18/2023
Mrs. Megan Anderson
Joseph Morgan Leath
United Community Bank
Robert Mendenall
The College Funding Center of South Carolina, LLC
Megan Anderson
Shay Shealy West
South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (SCICU)
Kappy Carter
Dave Moen
South Carolina Department of Mental Health
Jackson Wools
Walter Riggs
Hanson Law Firm, P.A.
Arteya Robinson
Palmetto GBA
Padgett Mozingo
Limitless Purpose
Matthew Greg
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/28/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.