COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The mission is to be a resource and a source of ideas, and to provide analysis and background to help people understand the world.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Council s 3,400 members are divided almost equally among New York, Washington, DC, and the rest of the nation. They include nearly all current and former senior US government officials who deal with international matters; renowned scholars; and leaders of business, media, human rights, humanitarian, and other nongovernmental groups. Council members choose new members, who aim to educate themselves and then others. The Council is host to the widest possible range of views and advocate of none. It cultivates an atmosphere of nonpartisanship and nonideological engagement among members and staff. The views expressed in Council-sponsored independent task force reports, by members of study groups, or in articles in Foreign Affairs are solely the responsibility of the respective authors or groups. This tradition of impartiality enables the Council to gather contending voices for serious and civil debate and discussion. That special convening power is unique in American society.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Founded in 1921, CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Our goal is to start a conversation in this country about the need for Americans to better understand the world.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We decided the Council would be a resource not only for its members, but also for nonmembers and non-elites who traditionally have been only peripherally involved in foreign policy discussions. These include religious leaders, state and local officials, students and teachers from a wide range of fields at the high school and college levels, journalists from smaller outlets, and everyday citizens who just want to stay informed. The Council’s mission was revised to reflect this change, to be an independent, nonpartisan resource to help people everywhere better understand the world and the foreign policy choices the United States faces.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Council is at its core a membership organization. We now have more than five thousand members of increasing professional, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. A plurality of our members now resides outside New York and Washington, DC. Our Term Member Program has brought more young people into our ranks, ensuring that the next generation of foreign policy leaders is better prepared. The Council also has about 150 corporate members that add a valuable private-sector perspective to foreign policy discussions.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We will continue to serve our usual audience (and do even more in our traditional areas), and we will ramp up our broader outreach efforts. As a hybrid institution—a membership organization, a venue for meetings, a think tank, a publisher, and an educational organization and public resource—the Council is well positioned to serve multiple constituencies. The Council is at its core a membership organization. We now have more than five thousand members of increasing professional, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. A plurality of our members now resides outside New York and Washington, DC. Our Term Member Program has brought more young people into our ranks, ensuring that the next generation of foreign policy leaders is better prepared. The Council also has about 150 corporate members that add a valuable private-sector perspective to foreign policy discussions.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Board of directorsas of 04/19/2019
David M. Rubenstein
Co-founder & Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group
Blair Effron
Centerview Partners
Jami Miscik
Kissinger Associates
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes