Council on Foreign Relations

What it reported doing in 2024

All other programmatic activitiescfr's website, cfr.org, is one of the organization's primary communications channels to its various audiences. The site publishes a rich variety of types of content, including the daily news analysis, backgrounders, interviews, podcasts, opinion pieces, full text of publications from the think tank, resources in support of the various outreach initiatives, videos and transcripts of on-the-record meetings and seminars and more. The site also provides a comprehensive account of the history and activities of cfr in New York and at its Washington d.c. Office. The stephen m. Kellen term member program encourages promising young leaders in government, media, nongovernmental organizations, law, business, finance, and academia to engage in a sustained conversation on international affairs and u.s. Foreign policy. The program allows these younger members to interact with seasoned foreign-policy experts and participate in a wide variety of events designed especially for them. Each year a new class of term members, between the ages of 30 and 36, is elected to a five-year membership term. The council on foreign relations sponsors independent task forces to assess issues of critical importance to u.s. Foreign policy. Diverse in backgrounds and perspectives, task force members work to reach meaningful consensus across partisan lines on matters of policy. Since the program's inception in 1995, task forces have become a trademark of the council.students today live in a world more connected than at any point in history, where complex foreign policy matters and transnational issues such as trade, pandemics, and scientific breakthroughs require young people to develop global public affairs literacy capabilities. The essential knowledge, skills, and perspective needed to understand how our complicated and fascinating world works is not readily available to students and educators. To address this curricular gap, since 2015, cfr education has devoted itself to this vital work, developing award-winning classroom products designed to introduce students in high school and college to the fundamentals of foreign policy and international relations in order to make sense of the world around them.in regards to outreach initiatives, the council is committed to reaching out to different constituencies so that they better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the united states and other governments. Cfr is devoting more time and energy to connecting with and serving as a resource for groups of interested citizens whose voices are increasingly important to the national foreign policy debate. These constituencies include higher education educators and administrators; religious and congregational leaders; and state and local officials; and local journalists. Cfr's additional programs are a national program, a corporate member program and a global board of advisors. For more information, please visit the organization's website, www.cfr.org.total expenses associated with other program service activities are as follows: meetings program - $4,847,000education - $4,017,700membership - $2,444,300outreach - $2,304,600national program - $1,900,300term member program - $848,800 global board of advisors - $114,600total revenue associated with other program service activities are as follows: membership dues (non-contribution) - $17,831,800

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.7%; rating input score 93
• Program expense ratio: 74.5%; rating input score 74
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.56 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 97.2%; rating input score 97; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -5.1%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.84; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.4%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings