Thank you for supporting The Arc Minnesota!
Thanks to our supportive community, we raised over $550,000 for The Arc Minnesota. We are incredibly grateful to all of our generous sponsors, donors, Board Members, and attendees for their support. Your contributions are truly making a difference.
Check out event day photos here.
| Your participation made this event truly special. Not only did you help make the night a success, but you also played a vital role in our efforts to ensure that everyone who wants to work in competitive, integrated employment has the opportunity to do so.
We loved sharing this special evening with you! Your excitement and engagement made it an unforgettable experience. If you’d like to revisit some of the night’s most inspiring moments, we invite you to watch the impactful video we showcased during the event. This year, as we celebrate 75 years of The Arc, we are reminded of how much we can accomplish together. Your support means everything to us, and we can’t wait to see you at future events as we continue working toward a more inclusive world. Thank you for being an essential part of The Arc Minnesota community! |
Our 2025 Gala showcased a key issue for people with disabilities: employment
Despite their talents and capabilities, people with disabilities often encounter barriers to meaningful employment. At The Arc Minnesota, we’re dedicated to breaking down these barriers through programs that connect individuals with supportive job opportunities, by providing employer education, facilitating conversations around workplace accommodations, and more.
Educational Resource Tables
The following organizations were on hand during the gala cocktail hour to talk with guests about how their organization supports employment for people with disabilities and/or integrated employment.
A Letter from Our 2025 Chairs
Dear Friends of The Arc Minnesota,
We are the Hauff family—Mary, Don, Gray, Elizabeth, Jean, and Ann. Our connection to The Arc Minnesota is deep and meaningful, and we are honored to serve as the host family for The Arc Minnesota 2025 Gala.
Our connection to The Arc Minnesota began over two decades ago with the birth of Jean, our daughter with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). The Arc Minnesota has been an important resource for our family. We started with parent advocacy training, and Mary worked for The Arc Minnesota for several years. For the past five years, Mary and Jean have been public policy advocates. The Arc Minnesota is not just a resource we support, it is a big part of our lives.
This year’s Arc Gala focuses on employment, a critical issue for our family as Jean prepares for a career in graphic design and photography. Individuals with IDD are capable learners and reliable employees, yet many struggle to find jobs that fully utilize their skills or offer a livable wage. In 2023, only 22.5 percent of people with disabilities were employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On average, workers with disabilities earned about 70 cents for every dollar earned by workers without disabilities.
The Arc Minnesota is working to change this narrative. They help people with disabilities find fulfilling jobs, provide ongoing peer support, and offer resources and advocacy to educate employers about the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. The Arc also assists with workplace accommodations, ensuring that people with disabilities find jobs and thrive in their careers.
One example of employment assistance offered through The Arc Minnesota is through their Minnesota Microgrant Partnership. Since it was launched in 2023, the program has awarded $229,413 to 221 participants for employment related goals such as job coaching, education, and uniform purchases.
With your support, The Arc Minnesota can continue to offer these life-changing employment resources, helping people with IDD succeed in the workforce and their communities. Your support will make a lasting impact, not only on the individuals we serve, but on the entire community’s progress toward greater inclusion and equity.
Sincerely,
Mary, Don, Gray, Elizabeth, Jean, and Ann Hauff