Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund: Helping a family honor their son’s legacy

The life of Scott J. Beigel, a 35-year-old geography teacher and cross-country coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, came to a tragic end on February 14, 2018, when a former student of the school opened fire on students and staff, killing 17 people and injuring 17 more. Scott was shot and killed while putting himself in harm’s way to help as many students as he could take shelter in his classroom. It is estimated that he saved the lives of 31 students. 

Scott loved working with young people – he was deeply involved with the students at Stoneman Douglas and was also a camp counselor for most of his life; he felt strongly that summer sleepaway camp is a tremendously meaningful experience for those lucky enough to attend. To honor his legacy, Scott’s family quickly took action and established the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund several weeks after his murder. The Fund provides long-term support to at-risk, underserved children touched by gun violence, many of whom have suffered loss or troubled upbringings. To inspire these children to stay in school and pursue positive life paths, the Fund sends them to sleepaway camp every summer until their high school graduation and offers other ongoing resources and opportunities. While at summer camp, scholarship recipients learn important life skills, build friendships, participate in sports and outdoor education, and get a break from the challenges of their home lives. In 2023 alone, the Fund distributed grants to seven camps across the northeast and Florida, ultimately funding summer experiences for 262 children. 

As the Fund’s mission rapidly gained traction and it received more and more donations, the need for legal advisory services became apparent. “This is something we see a lot with budding nonprofits,” Jillian Berman, Davis Polk’s Head of Corporate & Transactional Pro Bono, said. “Organizations like the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund are often very event-driven – they are established to meet a specific need or are catalyzed by a tragedy – so understandably, the priority is to get up-and-running quickly, which isn’t really conducive to ensuring that you have proper legal documentation, are meeting all the relevant compliance and regulatory requirements, and so on. A major part of Davis Polk’s corporate pro bono practice is assessing organizations’ governance structure and organizational health, helping them align with legal requirements and best practices, and instituting procedures that accommodate any unique or specific needs.” 

When Davis Polk first connected with the Fund, its board was mainly comprised of Scott’s family members who had been working diligently to see the Fund’s mission through, but were less focused and knowledgeable about nonprofit governance. Our first order of business was ensuring that the Fund’s leadership was well organized and had the tools necessary to operate at the standard expected of a sizeable nonprofit. With Jillian’s oversight, a team of Davis Polk associates from across Restructuring, IP & Commercial Transactions and Finance redrafted the Fund’s bylaws, which lay out its core principles and practices; as the Fund and its board continue to expand, the bylaws and related policies and guidelines will help new board members understand what their position means and what is expected of them. 

Another major priority of our work with the Fund related to the tragedy it was borne of – the issue of gun violence. Most small nonprofits don’t (but should) have gift acceptance policies, which set up a process for analyzing if funding should be accepted from certain donors and provide a legal framework for declining donations when necessary. Having the ability to decline donations was especially important for the Fund’s leadership, as they were not interested in accepting money from politicians who align themselves with and/or are backed by pro-gun rights organizations. 

Reflecting on his involvement, Restructuring associate Vincent Cahill said, “It was a privilege to work hand-in-hand with Scott’s parents, Linda Beigel Schulman and Michael Schulman, as they carefully considered the governance and operations decisions which will prepare the Fund for continued success. This engagement was one of the most moving experiences of my life, and I was honored to have played a small role in recognizing Scott’s memory.” 

Today, the Fund continues to flourish and carry on Scott’s legacy – it has distributed over $1 million in grants since its establishment, providing life-changing experiences and opportunities to children in need. Our lawyers plan to continue supporting the organization as it expands and its needs change.