Case Studies
Overcoming
Budget
Shortfalls
How we helped save an organization
Services Provided
The Arc Tampa Bay
The Arc Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization that serves the entire range of persons with intellectual and developmental challenges. They are a local affiliate of The Arc of Florida and The Arc of the United States, the largest national community-based organization advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In 1958, The Arc Tampa Bay was founded as UPARC by a small advocacy group. They have been working hard to support individuals with IDD and their families ever since.
The Challenge
What’s at Stake: Programs Closing + Creating New Clothing Brand
Many of the individuals who attend The Arc Tampa Bay day program choose to work in its sheltered workshop, where they are closely supervised and able to earn income from completing small jobs. These workshop positions empower individuals with IDD by giving them a sense of purpose and contribution. When the state of Florida rescinded its financial support of sheltered workshops, it created a seemingly insurmountable fiscal challenge. The Arc needed to find a way to finance their workshop program or else the program would have to shut its doors.
The organization came up with a rough idea of how they could overcome the challenge, but they had no idea how to execute it or even where to start.
That’s when they called in Diace Designs creative team!
The Success
Highlights: 3x Sold-out Inventory Within Weeks
From their very first phone call with Jessica Reed, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Diace Designs, The Arc Tampa Bay knew they had found the partner they needed. Jessica was able to quickly grasp the project objectives and outline a clear plan of action. While the project itself was straightforward, success was not guaranteed.
The organization hoped to create a line of graphic t-shirts Able Threads that could be packaged and shipped by individuals in The Arc Tampa Bay workshop program. However, retail is a notoriously competitive and difficult business. The success of the idea hinged upon Diace Designs ability to create t-shirt designs with mass appeal that also stayed true to the nature of the project and the organization. The designs needed to be trendy while also reflecting positivity, authenticity, and the beauty of diversity, all values that The Arc Tampa Bay aims to instill in their community.
The designs Diace’s creative team came up were unanimously approved by the nonprofit board of directors, and within weeks of launching the Able Threads store online, it SOLD OUT of inventory—three times! The instant success of the Able Threads project not only saved the workshop program, but it also inspired other nonprofits to find creative solutions to their own fiscal challenges.
Client Raves
What Our Clients Say
"As an organization leader, Jessica and the Diace Designs creative team feel like they are a part of my very own team! They were able to connect with our vision instantly and stay in communication as our vision was brought to life. It’s not often you find partners who take the same pride in your idea as you do, but their commitment and knack for crisp designs that will stand the test of time catapult our abilities to do great things!"
Case Studies
