Best Buddies in Arizona is honored to announce that we have been awarded an $80,000 grant from the Taco Bell Foundation! This generous gift will directly support our mission to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across Arizona.

We are incredibly grateful for this continued partnership and the shared commitment to empowering youth and building inclusive communities. This year’s increased support will allow us to deepen our impact, reaching more schools, training more student leaders, and offering even more inclusive opportunities for young people with IDD.

Through this partnership, we are not only strengthening our programs but also helping to shift perceptions about ability and inclusion. With the Taco Bell Foundation’s support, we’re developing the next generation of leaders, young people who are learning to be advocates, friends, and changemakers in their communities.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation for investing in the future of inclusion,” said Lisa Cleary, State Director at Best Buddies in Arizona. “This grant helps us ensure that every student, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to belong, lead, and thrive.”

“We believe that empowering young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future,” said Lisa Lane Cardin, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation. “This record investment is a testament to the power of community-driven change and the limitless potential that exists when we remove barriers and open doors.”

Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached nearly 9 million young people across the country and awarded more than $203 million in grants and scholarships focused on education and career readiness. Thanks to the support of Taco Bell team members and customers right here in Arizona, this grant is making a difference in our own backyard.

Thank you, Taco Bell Foundation, for believing in our mission and helping us build a more inclusive future one friendship at a time.