Nonprofit of the Year | Large: The Arc of the Ozarks

There are different types of abilities, and everyone deserves the opportunity to discover theirs. The Arc of the Ozarks, founded in 1964, supports those with intellectual and developmental challenges to expand their opportunities through employment, education, recreation, residential support, family advocacy, behavioral health care and more. It employs 1,864 people and has approximately 30-35 volunteers throughout the year, running on a $116.6 million budget in 2025. In 2024, nearly 9,000 individuals were provided services across programs that are continually expanding to meet needs.

“What we try to do is take each individual where they are currently at and determine what support needs they have and try to provide those and give them opportunities,” says President and CEO Michael Powers. “Helping everyone reach their full potential is what we’re trying to do.”

In 2024, Arc of the Ozarks opened Cornerstone Behavioral Services with locations in Springfield and St. Charles County for those with dual diagnoses. The Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center opened the same year to provide psychiatric and behavioral services in Springfield, with satellite locations in Joplin, Hollister and Kansas City. The center completed more than 500 diagnostic evaluations in its first year.

“It took a lot of hard work, a lot of effort, a lot of partnering with the community to get that going,” Powers says, “and it came kind of in stages, but when we opened the new center last January, that was a crowning achievement.”

Arc of the Ozarks provides care for 117 individualized supported living homes. For those who qualify, a remote monitoring system leverages technology to promote independence and alleviates the need for in-person staff who instead provide virtual support. It also expanded early intervention services and is seeking more employment partnerships for clients.

“We have a lot of individuals that we support that are able to do jobs, are able to work if they’re given the opportunity,” Powers says, “but we need more help from the community on hiring our individuals and giving them a chance to show what they can do. They make good employees. They value their jobs.”