Scott Curran Talks DEI with The Hollywood Reporter

Beyond Advisers’ Founder and CEO, Scott Curran, was quoted in The Hollywood Reporter's piece, “DEI Is Not DOA — At Least Not Yet,” alongside Stacey Abrams, Ishan Bhabha Amanda Kelso, Julie Ann Crommett, Maikiko James, and Montea Robinson.

The ongoing debates and legal challenges around DEI are shaping the future of how organizations support underrepresented communities. As Gary Baum notes in the article, the current climate of anxiety and legal scrutiny is real, but doesn't need to deter the underlying work.

As Scott shared, "The higher the profile, the greater the likelihood you’ll be targeted.” This is especially true in celebrity, corporate, and big brand philanthropy.

However, it's important to remember that there are ways to continue this work compliant with the law (evolving though it may be). And it is imperative to remember that these challenges are part of a broader struggle for equality and inclusion that has always been part of the American experience and always will be.

While there may be obstacles, the commitment and resilience of those dedicated to inclusive initiatives remain strong. Together, we can continue to push for progress and ensure that our efforts to support underrepresented communities remain robust, effective, and compliant with the law.

Check out the full article below!

DEI Is Not DOA — At Least Not Yet

Conservative activists are taking aim at race-based grants and programs designed to help members of marginalized communities. Will philanthropies soon find themselves in the crosshairs?

The DEI dominoes started falling — or at least wobbling — last summer. There was a Supreme Court ruling all but gutting affirmative action on college campuses. In Hollywood, there was the mass exodus of diversity officers — at Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Netflix and the Motion Picture Academy.

Meanwhile, conservative activists launched a barrage of anti-DEI lawsuits with corporations in the crosshairs, like the one filed in March against CBS and Paramount by former (and possibly future) Trump aide Stephen Miller on behalf of a white SEAL Team writer who was allegedly denied advancement because of DEI policies.

Philanthropic work so far has remained largely unscathed by the DEI battles, but that may soon change. In June, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a judgment that could — if it sticks — upend how organizations administer grants and how they decide who should get them. The suit — brought by Edward Blum, the same activist behind the Supreme Court college admissions case — maintained that an Atlanta-based venture capital firm called Fearless Fund was acting in a discriminatory manner by using its nonprofit arm to administer a grant program that specifically helps Black female business owners. That sort of race-based philanthropic activity, Blum argued, was unconstitutional. The 11th Circuit agreed.

Those who operate in Hollywood’s grant-making realm are mostly taking a wait-and-see approach, generally viewing the Fearless Fund decision as narrow and preliminary. “The ruling is disappointing,” says Sundance Institute acting CEO Amanda Kelso, “however, we are confident this issue will not be settled by this case or this court.”

Still, some organizations have begun assessing their rainy-day legal fund capacities and scrutinizing verbiage on their websites. (For example, language explicitly referencing race might be euphemistically adjusted to “underrepresented communities.”) “There are a lot of companies that are doing audits,” explains Julie Ann Crommett, who worked in-house at Disney and now heads the Georgia-based DEI consultancy Collective Moxie.

For now, the biggest threat may be perception. “There’s a difference between legal reality and legal bullying,” notes Stacey Abrams, the two-time Georgia gubernatorial candidate who is now a founder of the advocacy group American Pride Rises. “Stephen Miller and Ed Blum aren’t winning. They’re whining. Still, their intention is to have a chilling effect, and they’ve had some success. They’ve convinced reasonable organizations, including within the entertainment industry, to do a cost analysis about being sued.”

Washington, D.C.-based attorney Ishan Bhabha, who advises entertainment and media firms on their DEI programs, agrees. “I have many clients who think DEI is ‘under attack,’ and it makes them nervous. The climate of anxiety is real,” he says, noting that such nervousness is the point of these suits. “They want to create a fear-based environment that you might be next to be sued. If people are concerned, maybe they’ll pull back.” That’s particularly true of the more conspicuous philanthropic efforts. Says consultant Scott Curran, whose background includes work as general counsel at the Clinton Foundation, “The higher the profile, the greater the likelihood you’ll be targeted.”

Others, though, don’t think these attacks will ultimately succeed, defiantly vowing to carry on no matter what Miller, Blum and their compatriots throw at them. “People who have dealt with historical oppression don’t have anything to lose,” says Maikiko James, senior director of programs at Women in Film. “Sure, the terrain can get rockier, and there’s obviously real threats. But for those of us who care about this, we aren’t going to give up.” Montea Robinson, CEO of Ghetto Film School, adds that DEI advocates, whether administrators or donors, “are ambitious and optimistic — but also pragmatic. They aren’t going to be easily swayed.”

Beyond Advisers is Featured in Rolling Stone Magazine

Beyond Advisers was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, where Scott Curran provided advice on innovation.

Eight Ways to Balance Business Innovation With Financial Stability

Experimenting with a new product or service shouldn’t come at the expense of your core business.

BY ROLLING STONE CULTURE COUNCIL

IT CAN BE said that all businesses are in the business of making money. Regardless of what product they sell or what service they provide, all businesses need to make money in order to survive and, hopefully, thrive. But there’s another component businesses need in order to thrive, at least in the long term: innovation. If businesses don’t innovate or improve upon their current offerings, they may not ever grow or reach their true potential.

However, innovation can be risky, as not all ideas will be profitable or accepted by customers. To find that balance between making money in order to survive and making room for innovation, business leaders should consider the following eight tips from the experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they discuss the key to balancing innovation with the financial need to stick with what works, ensuring business leaders can still pay the bills.

Protect the Core and Innovate on the Adjacent

When resources are limited, focus your innovation efforts on what is adjacent to what is already working well. Bigger bets on wilder innovations should be reserved for times when you can better afford the risk. Always remember that more or bigger isn’t always better — better is always better. Innovate on what makes good great, not net new or risky. – Scott Curran, Beyond Advisers

Ensure Innovation Is in Response to Real Need

Innovation must be based on tangible customer needs. The key is to find out what your customers’ biggest problem is and figure out how to solve it — before you create the solution. That way, you reduce financial risk while ensuring your end product will be well-received by your customers. – Dustin Eide, CanPay

Consider the Opinions of Your Stakeholders

It is critical to maintain the perspective that this work is a collaboration between stakeholders and the organization. Do you have a sense of your stakeholders’ appetite for innovation? The areas of innovation that would be exciting to them? Past that, developing an institutional ability to prove the viability of new concepts before making a major investment is key. – Jed Brewer, Good Loud Media

Follow the 80/20 Rule for Resource Allocation

Effectively balance your resource allocation to optimize your business with the 80/20 rule. Create an organizational structure that supports innovation by allocating 80 percent of resources to the core business and 20 percent to developing new products. As new projects progress and evolve, remaining flexible to scale and drive new revenue is essential. – Michael Klein, cannabisMD

Start With Your ‘Bread and Butter’

There is something called your “bread and butter” — the incremental money that pays your bills. Start there. Then, analyze your choices for innovation to implement by the approximate cost of time and money. Next, prioritize them based on whether or not you can handle that innovation’s delivery relatively easily if successful. – Susan Johnston, New Media Film Festival®

Take a Portfolio Approach

Have a portfolio approach and make sure innovation brings in incremental revenue and business. If taking a big step, try to make sure there are paying customers who need and want the new service or product. If possible, do some beta testing with targeted customers to increase your chances of success. – Brian Framson, Citrus America Inc.

Regularly Evaluate New and Existing Initiatives

Businesses should set aside a portion of their budget for innovation, ensuring it does not disrupt their primary income streams. By regularly evaluating both new and existing initiatives, companies can integrate cutting-edge advancements without jeopardizing their financial health. This approach allows for sustainable growth and adapting to market changes while still paying the bills. – Dan Serard, Cannabis Creative Group

Set Objectives, Analyze and Stage Pilot Projects

Balancing innovation with financial stability requires strategic foresight. Setting clear objectives, performing thorough market analysis and staging incremental pilot projects ensure that innovation efforts are sustainable and do not compromise your ability to meet financial obligations. – Matthew Miller, Orlando Informer

Beyond Advisers Discusses Private Philanthropy with Barron's Penta Magazine

Beyond Advisers was featured in Barron’s Penta magazine, where founder Scott Curran discussed how private foundations can drive action in ways that are potentially much faster and more efficient than corporate-affiliated foundations.

Philanthropy Targeting Domestic Violence Has Found an Unusual Source: the Insurance Industry

By Geoff Nudelman

At first glance, the connection between insurance and preventing domestic violence might seem vague, but leaders from the philanthropic arms of major carriers say they can play a crucial role in solving this systemic issue.

“We view domestic violence as a critical social determinant to community health,” says Lucia Corral Peña, chief program director at Blue Shield of California Foundation.

Several large insurance carriers have decided to use their standing in the public health and financial spaces to take on the underlying issues that contribute to domestic violence. Generally, the industry views the issue as rooted in other, broader problems such as racism, education disparities, and income inequality. Though the issue on its own could benefit greatly from more attention from private and individual donors. 

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 10 million Americans every year experience some form of physical abuse. Further, it is estimated that more than 48% of Americans will experience psychological abuse in their lifetime. Domestic violence can take on many forms beyond physical or mental harm, leading to debilitating situations.  

In March, Blue Shield of California’s foundation announced a US$5.2 million investment as a package of 15 grants to support specific organizations working on systemic public health issues that link to domestic violence such as economic mobility, data collection, and restorative justice. The organization operates as its own entity, separate from Blue Shield of California the company, and follows its own strategic path.

At Allstate Foundation, relationship abuse program officer Sharisse Kimbro leads the organization’s work on preventing domestic violence. The foundation operates separately from the company, but she notes that “there are always ways to marry what the foundation is doing with the company strategy, and that the foundation informs the business where it makes sense to do so.” The foundation actually sees domestic violence as a cyclical financial abuse issue as much as it is one of public health. 

About “94% to 99% of those who report domestic violence also report a misuse of finances,” she says. Meanwhile, “finances become a big issue as survivors have very little financial resources.”

Allstate Foundation’s work on the issue began more than 20 years ago with basic financial literacy courses for survivors, and Kimbro says that helped the foundation understand what survivors needed in terms of economic support.

The foundation puts a particular focus on the fact that domestic violence will disproportionately affect people of color. A 2020 Institute for Women’s Policy Research report noted that more than 40% of Black women alone will experience physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime.

According to Allstate Foundation, the nonprofit has given more than US$90 million to aid survivors of relationship abuse since 2005. Last year, the foundation awarded nearly US$400,000 in grants for wellness programs to nonprofits serving BIPOC survivors of gender-based violence. 

Insurance-linked foundations have stepped in to help as “private philanthropy can’t meet the need alone,” Peña says. Domestic violence has long been a siloed issue and a private matter rather than one that can benefit from being acted upon more publicly, she says.

What private philanthropy and individual donors can do is drive action in ways that are potentially much faster and more efficient than a corporate-affiliated foundation.

“Private foundations supporting existing work and causes are more effective (than working through a corporate foundation),” says Scott Curran, CEO of Chicago-based Beyond Advisers. 

Curran and his team work with multigenerational family foundations and other affluent givers who need guidance in directing their philanthropic efforts. Domestic violence is an example of an issue that benefits from resources put toward awareness and prevention, in addition to a number of similar downstream issues such as public health, housing, and more, he says.

Large-scale gifts by donors such as Mackenzie Scott and Melinda Gates are potential game-changers in the way private philanthropy supports domestic violence, especially as an issue that disproportionately affects women and girls, Curran says. Gifts such as these, which directly benefit an organization working toward domestic violence solutions, often produce faster, more positive results as opposed to trying to create a brand new initiative. 

“Sometimes, clients will have a unique competitive advantage , but philanthropy, like so many other fields, is competitive and it’s important to look at existing work,” Curran says. 

For Blue Shield of California Foundation, Peña agrees that outside philanthropy can play a role in elevating the narrative further.

One of these priorities, according to Peña and Kimbro, is that the story around domestic violence and supporting survivors needs to change. 

“A lot of the narrative is trauma-focused rather than lifespan-focused, and there’s room to invest all along the way (in a survivor’s journey),” Kimbro says. 

Last May, the Biden administration released an action plan on gender-based violence that stemmed from the 2021 passage of a bill to further increase essential service support for crime victims. Peña thinks this could elevate the conversation within philanthropy. 

“It will help us consider how we might do something more or improve the way that we respond,” she says.