ACFR President Frank Young (Birmingham) and Past Presidents Present Distinguished Service Award to PBS News Hour’s Jim Lehrer at ACFR National Conference Banquet, U.S. Department of State, May 8, 2009
(from left, former ACFR Executive Director Dr. Ken Jensen, Richard Jacobson—Tampa Bay, Robert Donaldson—Tulsa, Lynne Novack—Dallas & formerly Tulsa, David Carder--Birmingham, Young, Lehrer, George Paine—Nashville)
The American Committees on Foreign Relations is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public dialogue on foreign relations.
Established as a program of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1938, ACFR became its own association in 1995 and established headquarters in Washington , D.C. Comprised of about 30 local affiliates around the country, ACFR promotes dialogue between civic leaders and policy makers and other foreign relations experts through lecture-discussions and other civic forums. 
Speakers Program:
The main activity of the Washington office of ACFR is the Speaker’s Program, through which knowledgeable foreign policy specialists from Washington, from policy institutes and universities throughout the U.S., and from abroad, are recruited to travel to meetings of Committees, in response to the requests from Committee members for programs on particular topics (and often, with a particular speaker). Up to eight programs a year are provided to each of the Committees under ACFR auspices. Member dues pay for the travel costs of the speakers. ACFR speakers receive no honoraria; they willingly accept the speaking opportunity as a way to gain access to knowledgeable publics in the U.S. “heartland” and to engage in spirited dialogue on topics of mutual interest. Often, a speaker will have just completed a book or policy paper and will want to share his or her findings by means of the Committees’ program. Speakers also welcome the opportunity to engage with local media, schools, and colleges, as well as to taste the highlights of local cultures and cuisines.
Annual Giving Campaign:
Only a fraction of ACFR’s expenses are covered by the portion of dues paid by each Committee member that are remitted to Washington. (Each committee retains the remaining portion of the dues to cover local expenses.) Since 2002, ACFR has conducted an annual voluntary giving campaign, in which members of its Committees are asked to contribute an additional amount to help defray expenses of the speakers program and other ACFR activities. The remainder of the ACFR budget is obtained through grants from foundations. To donate to ACFR’s Annual Giving Campaign, click here.