World Affairs Council of St Louis

The World Affairs Council of St. Louis is a 501c3 non-profit, non-partisan membership organization that works to engage, educate and increase American involvement in international affairs and foreign policy. The Council maintains an open membership policy – everyone is welcome to join. It sponsors programs to increase St. Louis community awareness and understanding of international people, cultures and businesses. It is one of over ninety such independent Councils that collectively comprise the oldest and largest organization in the country promoting “citizen diplomacy” and improving global understanding.

The St. Louis Council belongs to a national association known as the World Affairs Councils of America that has offices in Washington, DC. The first Council was formed in 1918, and the Council system currently has 434,000 participants, of which 84,000 are dues paying members and 350,000 participate in the nationwide foreign policy discussion program Great Decisions. Over 2,000 corporations and organizations financially support council work. The national association provides on-going support to individual Councils by sharing “best practice” ideas, operational techniques and programming that contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the St. Louis Council.

The World Affairs Councils, located throughout America, are looked upon favorably by the United States State Department since they are one of the few organizations that encourage active citizen involvement and serve as a natural constituency for this government agency. The World Affairs Council in St. Louis also plays a local role by its cooperative efforts with state and city government, and various economic development agencies in the region.

Since 1948, the World Affairs Council of St. Louis has operated continuously and has distinguished itself by the number of Ambassadors (both to and from the United States) and other prominent speakers it has brought to St. Louis. The St. Louis Council was recognized in 2009 by the World Affairs Councils of America for being the most dynamic midsize council in the nation. This award is given annually for extraordinary innovation, growth, outreach and impact. The Council sponsors about eighteen programs, or more per year, considered to be of exceptional quality and that vary widely in subject matter, venues utilized, and price. All Council funding is derived from membership dues, corporate sponsorships, program fees, fund raising events, grants, and gifts. The Council also encourages members to volunteer their time to assist in the development of programming and strategy to meet local needs.