The Brookings Foreign Policy Leadership Council (FPLC) is a select group of business leaders and philanthropists who provide critical funding to fuel independent, innovative research and analysis. This flexible support allows our scholars to conduct long-form research, respond to evolving geopolitical developments, provide insights to policymakers and the public.
As a Foreign Policy Leadership Council support, you play a crucial role in sustaining our mission and expanding the reach and impact of our work.
You will be able to join the Brookings community in several meaningful ways:
- Connecting with a network of fellow practitioners and thought leaders in considering critical foreign policy issues with Brookings experts and sharing experiences and strategies.
- Gaining valuable insights from the latest Brookings research and analysis on current topics and emerging trends through briefings with scholars and regular, personalized updates from Brookings.
- Strengthening Foreign Policy research through philanthropic support that enables objective research that considers the full complexity of issues and avoids oversimplification.
- Expanding viewpoints and gaining a deeper, well-rounded understanding of geopolitics, international security, global economics, and the future of U.S. foreign policy.
Opportunities for engagement
During expert briefings, site-visits, and numerous events held throughout the year, FPLC members engage in dialogues with scholars around topics of shared interest. Supporters and scholars also participate in biannual FPLC meetings, which foster stimulating conversations on world events.
- Assigned point of contact at Brookings to help you connect you with relevant research and scholarship.
- Request tailored, private briefings with a Brookings scholars offering insights into research topics and breaking news throughout the year featuring Brookings scholars addressing timely economic, foreign policy, metropolitan, global development, and governance issues.
- Inclusion in two Foreign Policy Leadership Council meetings in Washington, D.C.
- Invitations for your corporate representatives to exclusive events and programming, including:
- Brookings and ‘FPLC on the Road’ convenings hosted by members and Trustees in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, London, and other cities.
- Brookings Board of Trustees receptions and dinners in Washington, D.C., featuring distinguished guest speakers and scholars from other Brookings programs.
- Site visits led by Brookings’s leadership and scholars. Previous visits have included State Department, National Security Council, and Pentagon.
- Annual, invitation-only, Energy Security Roundtable event at Brookings.
- Opportunities to invite scholars as key-note speakers or panelists at corporate, annual meetings, international offices, or other key stakeholder retreats and events
- Potential to schedule bilateral meetings with your corporate executives and individual scholars on the sidelines of major international forums for high-level debate: Mt. Fuji Dialogue, Munich Security Conference, Cambridge Energy Research Associates week (CERAWeek), Oslo Energy Forum, and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- Subscription to a weekly Foreign Policy newsletter on current geopolitical research and commentary, as well as monthly newsletters on specific regions: China Center, Center on United States and Europe, and Center for Asia Policy Studies.
- Recognition in the Brookings Institution Annual Report Honor Roll
FPLC Affinity Groups
Our FPLC affinity groups serve as an exclusive avenue for donors seeking to delve deeper into specific subject areas within the Foreign Policy program.
Defense Circle: Representatives from diverse industries engage in timely policy discussions with other thought leaders in the Washington policy community. The small, invitation-only group meets annually to exchange perspectives through dialogue and in-depth discussions about critical issues on U.S. grand strategy; U.S. military affairs, including defense modernization, innovation, and technology; American alliances and security partnerships; transnational threats; arms control; and U.S. foreign policy in the changing international order.
China Center Circle: A select group of supporters with a deep interest in examining how China’s growing economic and geopolitical power is shaping global dynamics. This group provides opportunities to engage in thoughtful, balanced discourse around economic and social issues in China; U.S.-China relations; trade and economic dynamics; energy and climate change; political leadership; and regional foreign and security policy.
Your support and donations
Brookings is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and all contributions are fully deductible within the limits of the law. Donations can be made by cash, credit card, check, and the vehicles below.
Matching gifts: Many employers will match their employees’ charitable contributions, doubling the impact of your gift. We will be happy to assist with any paperwork or other requirements you may need to take advantage of your company’s program. Please contact your company’s human resources department for more information on how to request a matching gift.
Appreciated assets: You may be able to enjoy tax benefits by giving Brookings a gift of long-term appreciated marketable securities, which can be easily done through an electronic transfer.
Planned gifts: It is easy to arrange a gift to Brookings through your will or revocable living trust, or through a beneficiary provision in your individual retirement plan or life insurance policy. Many estate provisions enable you to retain full control and use of your assets during your lifetime and can be changed at any time. These gifts may also reduce any applicable estate taxes. Learn more about planned giving through Brookings Isabel January Society.