Atlanta Council on International Relations

What Atlanta Council on International Relations does

The Atlanta Council on International Relations (ACIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-partisan educational organization founded circa 1950 and headquartered in Brookhaven, Georgia (Atlanta metro area). It is the oldest international affairs organization in Atlanta, with a 70+ year history of programming that brings world-class diplomats, foreign ministers, military leaders, prominent academics, and national security experts to the Atlanta community. ACIR's stated mission is to help develop a nucleus of informed opinion leaders on current foreign policy issues through the free exchange of ideas.

ACIR's core offerings center on a membership program and a recurring events program. The organization hosts approximately 10 luncheon meetings per year at the Capital City Club and 6 or more evening events at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP during a September–June season. Members receive privileged event rates and access to member-only functions; active-duty military and veterans receive a complimentary one-year membership, and academic institutions / 501(c)(3) non-profits can join at $300 first year and $500 renewing. ACIR complements events with two content products: NEWSWorthy, a daily news roundup on foreign policy and global issues, and the Consular Insights blog featuring articles from Atlanta's consular corps and foreign trade offices.

ACIR operates a community-led, membership-based go-to-market with three revenue streams: membership fees (individual and corporate, with publicly disclosed academic institutional pricing of $300/$500), annual and per-event sponsorships (which partners use to bring international leaders to Atlanta), and tax-deductible donations to the Annual Fund plus legacy giving. The technology stack is composed of commodity SaaS — Wild Apricot (Personify) for membership management and website operations, AffiniPay for payment processing, and Google Docs for internal collaboration. Strategic partnerships with Global Atlanta, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, and Atlanta's consular corps anchor the local ecosystem. Leadership consists of a volunteer Board of Directors led by President Bob Kennedy and Vice President Colin Brady, with Director of Human Resources Julie Caines and Volunteer Coordinator Mark Pierson; the founders recorded are Robert Summerville and Granger Hansell.

Name

Atlanta Council on International Relations

Legal name

Atlanta Council on International Relations

Website

https://atlantacir.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Atlanta Council on International Relations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, founded circa 1950 and the oldest international affairs organization in Atlanta, that promotes understanding of foreign policy through membership-based luncheons, evening events, and content publications serving international affairs professionals, diplomats, students, and veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual and corporate membership fees provide privileged rates to events and access to member-only functions. Institutional/academic membership is offered at $300 for the first year and $500 annually thereafter.
2. Event Sponsorships: Sponsors partner with ACIR to bring world-class experts and high-ranking diplomats to the Atlanta area through various levels of annual sponsorships as well as individual event sponsorships.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the Annual Fund support ACIR's educational programming. Legacy giving is also encouraged as a long-term revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACIR is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes understanding of international affairs through the free exchange of ideas. Its core offering is a membership-based programming service that delivers approximately 10 luncheon meetings and 6+ evening events per season (September–June), featuring visiting ambassadors, foreign ministers, military leaders, academics, and national security experts. Supporting offerings include corporate/academic institutional memberships, event sponsorships, the NEWSWorthy daily news roundup, the Consular Insights blog, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

ACIR operates as a single-service nonprofit organization focused on promoting understanding of international affairs through the free exchange of ideas. The organization offers a membership program with event access, hosts regular programming featuring international affairs experts, publishes the NEWSWorthy daily news roundup and Consular Insights blog, and provides sponsorship and donation opportunities. ACIR does not operate a technology product platform; all offerings are educational and community-focused services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEWSWorthy: A daily news roundup focused on bringing the latest on global issues and foreign policy.
• Consular Insights

Products and services

• Membership Program

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Atlanta is listed as a strategic partner of ACIR, sharing content and audiences related to international affairs and global business in Atlanta.
• Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech is listed as a strategic partner, collaborating on programming such as the March 2024 symposium 'Political Vulnerability of Economic Interdependence.'
• Capital City ClubminorOthersThe Capital City Club at 7 John Portman Blvd., Atlanta, GA serves as the venue for ACIR's 10 annual luncheon meetings.
• Arnall Golden Gregory LLPminorOthersArnall Golden Gregory LLP at 171 17th Street NW, Suite 2100, Atlanta, GA serves as the venue for ACIR's evening events.
• Hyatt Regency AtlantaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerACIR members receive discounts up to 15% off the standard room rate at Hyatt Regency Atlanta as a membership benefit.
• Foreign Affairs (Council on Foreign Relations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerForeign Affairs publication offers a special ACIR rate for members, providing discounted magazine subscriptions as a membership benefit.
• StratforminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStratfor, the world's leading geopolitical intelligence platform, offers members a special ACIR rate as a membership benefit.
• The International Club of AtlantaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACIR partnered with The International Club of Atlanta to host the 'Winter Gala Dinner And Dance' in March 2023.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Global Atlanta: Global Atlanta is an ACIR strategic partner that reports on international business, trade, and diplomacy in the Atlanta region. It is thematically aligned as an ecosystem participant in the same Atlanta international-affairs community but operates as a media outlet rather than a membership council.
• Sam Nunn School of International Affairs (Georgia Tech): Georgia Tech's Sam Nunn School is an ACIR strategic partner that co-hosts programming (e.g., March 2024 symposium). It is adjacent rather than competitive, but represents the academic ecosystem ACIR draws members and interns from.

Direct peers

• Foreign Policy Association: A long-standing U.S. nonprofit membership organization that promotes global affairs education through speaker events and Great Decisions discussion programs. Comparable to ACIR as a member-supported international-affairs educational organization.
• WorldBoston: A Greater Boston-based nonprofit offering international affairs programming, speaker events, and Global Engagement programs. Directly comparable to ACIR as a regional council running speaker and member events for a metro audience.
• Chicago Council on Global Affairs: The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a membership-driven nonprofit that hosts speaker luncheons, briefings, and policy programs for a major U.S. metro area. It is the closest analog to ACIR in business model and event programming, only in a larger metro.
• World Affairs Council of Atlanta: Another Atlanta-based international affairs membership organization offering speaker programming and member events. It directly competes with ACIR for the same Atlanta international-affairs audience and sponsors.
• World Affairs (formerly World Affairs Council of Northern California): A regional membership organization hosting speaker events and programs on international affairs for the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable in mission, member-event business model, and regional scope to ACIR.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council is a major Washington-based international affairs think tank that hosts high-profile speakers and publishes policy content. It overlaps with ACIR's mission of promoting understanding of international affairs, though at a national/global scale rather than community-based.
• Council on Foreign Relations: The Council on Foreign Relations is the preeminent U.S. nonprofit membership organization on international affairs, publishing Foreign Affairs magazine and hosting high-level speakers. ACIR is directly comparable as a membership-based international affairs council, but operates at a much smaller, regional scale.

Regional players

• The Carter Center: Founded in Atlanta by President Jimmy Carter, The Carter Center is a globally focused nonprofit that promotes peace and international affairs — sharing both Atlanta roots and a nonpartisan international-affairs mission with ACIR, though operating at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aciratlanta
• Facebookfacebook.com/161888813929204
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlanta-council-on-international-relations

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlanta Council on International Relations