Now, more than ever, the Pacific Council’s work is essential to discourse about international policy and global engagement. The next generation of global leaders are eager to contribute to solutions, and in 2020, we aim to do even more to have an impact, both here in Los Angeles and beyond.

Today, on Giving Tuesday, we’re asking for your support to help us bring new, diverse voices into our international affairs work.

Your contribution to our Pay It Forward campaign will help us create a stronger and more diverse member network that elevates the voices of emerging thought leaders. Your support allows us to:

• Offset the cost of participation for Emerging Leaders and not-for-profit professionals;
• Offer more diverse and accessible programs that build skills and leadership opportunities;
• Promote women foreign policy experts both as speakers and across our membership and leadership;
• And invest time and resources into actively recruiting from other underrepresented groups.

Your past contributions have made a real difference for many of our members. One young member, Chelsea, told us:

“I just moved to LA last fall, and Pacific Council has been an integral part of my professional experience in this city. Having just started my career, I was only able to join Pacific Council thanks to the young member dues rate. I am really thankful to anyone who helped keep costs lower for young members!”

Another member, Katy, expressed enthusiasm about attending our annual fall conference:

“PolicyWest is a very exciting intellectual and professional opportunity for me and I wouldn’t be able to attend, or even be a part of Pacific Council, without the subsidized rate.”

The Pacific Council is a place where all are welcome, and that all voices and perspectives are heard. Our member, Brandon, put it this way:

“The Pacific Council brings people with diverse backgrounds together in a nonpartisan fashion where you can discuss foreign affairs in a respectful manner.”

The Pacific Council also recently partnered with LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office on a program called the Mayor’s Young Ambassador (MaYA) Initiative with the goal of empowering the next generation of global citizens. One of the Young Ambassadors, Griselda Mendoza, has attended several events and even an international delegation to Colombia with the Pacific Council. This is what she said this about her experience:

“My experience with the Pacific Council thus far has been very eye opening and full of opportunities. One of the biggest, most positive changes I’ve noticed within myself is my growing confidence in a professional setting. I’ve learned to become more comfortable around professionals and allow myself to take up the space that I was given. I’m still not fully where I would want to be but it’s a learning experience and I’m more than excited to see what my future with the Pacific Council holds.”

Thanks to contributions to our Pay it Forward campaign, in 2019, the Pacific Council:

• Hosted two delegations for Emerging Leaders: an international delegation to Colombia to explore the status of the peace agreement and a national delegation to Washington, D.C., focused on Middle East policy;
• Subsidized the dues of 130 Emerging Leaders;
• Elected 73 new Emerging Leaders into membership;
• Introduced peer networking events with like-minded international affairs organizations to further our members’ professional development;
• Welcomed 222 new members to the Pacific Council, nearly half of them women;
• Reached our 12th year hosting Junior Fellows;
• Continued our partnership with USC Annenberg Professor Phil Seib's graduate foreign reporting class, providing the students with opportunities to be published and attend our events;
• And started working with local education partners like Ednovate, a charter school network, to close the gap between international policy and LA classrooms. 

Thank you in advance for considering an annual gift to this important cause. We couldn’t do it without you!

Donate today!

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