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©2024 The Ad Council

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Ad Council recognizes that building an equitable culture starts with each one of us, and we won’t stop until we live in a society where every single person can not only survive but thrive.

That’s why equity is one of our core values.

We recognize that real, systemic change comes from the inside out. Only by embracing diverse perspectives at every step, and working closely with the communities we want to support, can we find new ways to educate, unite and uplift.

This work takes time – and it can get messy. That’s why we’re striving for progress, not perfection.

We cherish our differences and our common purpose. We’re all here to be an active part of the solution. Together we’ll move forward.

DEIB Annual Report

We believe that being transparent about our DEIB journey can help normalize conversation about diversity as all of us work together to dismantle structural racism in all forms. In that spirit, we’re proud to share our first-annual DEIB report.

Download the Report

Our Philosophy

Our Philosophy

We approach our DEI work through four lenses: workforce, workplace, marketplace and community. Check out our work in each lens.

WORKFORCE

Workforce is about who we are hiring into our organization—making sure we are seeking qualified talent from diverse backgrounds at every level. That means identifying and eliminating any biases in the process.

Our Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign encourages skills-based hiring, and we’ve applied the lessons to our own organization.

WORKPLACE

Workplace is the day-to-day culture of our organization. We’re fostering a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness for all employees, ultimately increasing retention across all demographics.

MARKETPLACE

Marketplace is our external relationships. By building partnerships with minority- and women-owned businesses, industry-wide initiatives, strategic partners and organizations, we’re extending our DEI values to every aspect of our business.

COMMUNITY

Community encourages diversity, equity and inclusion in the world at large by collectively giving back to the community we support and serve.

OUR COMMITMENTS

The Ad Council’s mission is to drive culture – not just respond to it. We search for insights to change minds, spark new behaviors and move the country forward. Collectively, we have a deep desire to continuously improve ourselves and our society. Our commitment to racial equity is no different. In 2020, we published our commitments to racial justice and equity, and we continue to update our progress.

See the Commitments

Our DEI Team

Our Employee Resource & Special Interest Groups

One initiative from the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council includes our employee resource and special interest groups. Focusing on mental and physical health, people of color, LGBTQ+ and working parents, and sustainability, these groups help us value, celebrate, and support the unique characteristics that make each person at the Ad Council who they are. These groups include:

THE MIGHTY

A supportive space to promote mental and physical health. Our goal is to reduce stigma and silence around these areas and create practices that cultivate stronger and healthier minds and bodies.

MOSAIC

A place for people of color to foster a sense of community, discuss challenges in and out of work, and offer one another support.

PRISM

A joyful, supportive and uplifting forum for employees who identify as LGBTQ+ (and allies on occasion) that serves as a safe place for both conversation and action.

WORKING PARENTS

Intended for parents, guardians, and allies, this group provides community and resources around parenting challenges at different ages and stages, and the struggles of balancing home and work life.

THE GREEN TEAM

A special interest group for staff who are passionate about pursuing sustainable lifestyles. Our goal is to build a supportive, climate-conscious community to share best practices and learn from professionals in the field of sustainability.

DIG

The Disabilities Inclusion Group ("DIG") is a supportive forum for disabled staff and staff with disabilities, wherever they may be in their journey.

Our ERG & SIG Leads

Learn With Us

The First 100 Days With Your New Chief Equity Officer

After 20 years working to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in a variety of leadership roles, Elise James-DeCruise joined the Ad Council as our chief equity officer in early 2021. As we reflect on how her first 100 days laid the groundwork for her role, we thought we’d use the opportunity to share her learnings in an effort to help other organizations set themselves up for authentic, tangible success.
Read Our Story

Talking About Race at Work—When the Work Is About Race

In the summer of 2020, a large number of brands and corporations rushed to show the world that they were part of the country’s reckoning over systemic racism. Some took legitimate, positive steps and shared their efforts in honest, meaningful ways; others put out vague platitudes and were quickly called out for their lack of real measurable action.
Learn More

DIVERSE LEADERS GROUP

Our Multicultural Leadership Council works to engage diverse industry leaders in the Ad Council's work.

Meet Our Diverse Leaders