The Opportunity Tree is marking 63 years of serving Arizonans with intellectual disabilities with its fourth annual Autumn Soiree, a fundraising gala set for next Thursday at the organization's Phoenix campus. The nonprofit now serves more than 300 people across the state, according to CEO Kelli O'Toole, through a network that has grown far beyond its original Phoenix roots.
O'Toole says the organization operates campuses — in Phoenix, Maricopa and Casa Grande — along with 20 individualized group homes throughout the community, offering employment services, day programs and a Special Olympics team, as reported by AZ Family. The organization also opened an Avondale campus in 2021, bringing its total to four. The organization traces its founding to 1963, when it formed as the Arizona Foundation for the Handicapped through a merger of the Arizona Society for the Brain Injured, established in 1955, and the Self Aid Workshop, according to The Opportunity Tree. The group rebranded in 2017 after a member suggested the name “The Red Tree,” inspired by a red-flowering tree in its Phoenix courtyard.
From Phoenix Roots to Two Counties
The organization's footprint expanded well beyond its original home over the decades. It opened its Casa Grande center in 1970, pushing into Pinal County, and later launched its City of Maricopa campus in 2018, per the same account from The Opportunity Tree. That four-campus structure is now central to how the nonprofit delivers employment services, day programs and group housing across Maricopa and Pinal counties.
The organization's athletic programming has also grown substantially since its start. The Opportunity Tree formed its first Special Olympics team in 2020 with just 15 members; the program has since expanded into more than 90 athletes competing across eight sports annually, the organization notes. More than 70 current members have continuously participated in programs operated by the nonprofit for 30 consecutive years or more, a mark of long-term retention the group points to as evidence of its lasting local impact.
A Night of Music, Fashion and Fundraising
Next Thursday's Autumn Soiree is expected to draw around 150 people to the Phoenix campus, per O'Toole, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit's programs. The evening will include a member-led fashion show, a silent auction and an open bar, with International Miss USA serving as emcee and the Phoenix Symphony performing live, according to AZ Family.
Among the performers will be Altavise Smith, an Opportunity Tree member who will sing Whitney Houston songs accompanied by the Phoenix Symphony, including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Here I Am.” Smith performed at last year's Autumn Soiree as well. “It brings me joy and life and happiness,” Smith said of being part of the organization, per AZFamily's reporting.
Why the Fundraising Matters Now
Galas like the Autumn Soiree raise funds for the nonprofit's programs. State legislative debates early last year highlighted a $122 million funding gap in Arizona's Division of Developmental Disabilities budget, according to the Copper Courier, amid disputes over the state budget. Hoodline has previously covered related budget fights, including Hobbs' disability funding push.
That reliance on outside support has already paid dividends for the organization's programming. In March 2025, the Fiesta Sports Foundation awarded grant funding that enabled The Opportunity Tree to build a specialized MakerSpace at its Casa Grande campus, offering hands-on vocational training and custom adaptive equipment fabrication for roughly 100 members, according to the Fiesta Sports Foundation. The nonprofit also runs a youth transitions program called Tree Fort, launched in 2018, which serves teenagers and young adults ages 14 to 22 with developmental disabilities through afterschool and summer vocational curriculum, per Kids Out and About Phoenix.
Donor Transparency and Tax Incentives
For donors weighing whether to give, The Opportunity Tree holds a 96% rating, or four stars, on Charity Navigator and a Gold Transparency designation on Candid. Arizona taxpayers also have a direct financial incentive to contribute: for the 2026 tax year, individual filers can claim a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit up to $506, or $1,009 for married couples filing jointly, for donations to certified Qualifying Charitable Organizations such as The Opportunity Tree, which carries QCO code 20354, according to HBL CPAs.
The organization's work also unfolds against a backdrop of state action related to alerts. House Bill 2894 renamed the system Seek and Find.
