World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana

HELP BUILD THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL!

Invest in Lifelong Learning. Strengthen Global Understanding. Leave a Lasting Legacy.

It's Give for Good Louisville — and it's the public launch of the World Affairs Council's first Individual Giving Campaign.

For 40+ years, WAC has connected Kentuckiana to the world. At a moment of growing global uncertainty—when conflicts abroad increasingly affect our economy, security, and daily lives here at home—WAC provides a uniquely local, nonpartisan space to understand these forces and connect across perspectives.

Today, we're asking you to help us build what's next: a stronger organization that keeps global understanding, international exchange, and lifelong learning alive in our community for another 40 years.

Every gift today — any amount — counts toward our $100,000 Individual Giving Campaign goal. Gifts of $500+ puts you in our Founding Circle. But we need everyone, at every level, to get there.

DONATE NOW!

Why today, why now

Give for Good Louisville is the biggest single day of giving in our region — and this year, it's also the day we launch our first Individual Giving Campaign. Gifts made today are matched by community-wide bonus pools throughout the day (keep an eye out for surprise Power Hours!), and every organization that participates receives a bonus prize from the Swope Legacy Prize fund. That means your gift today does double duty: it builds WAC's future, and it may be boosted by Give for Good's own matching dollars.

"My two teenage children were able to attend a World Affairs Council discussion about the war between the Ukraine and Russia... enriching their understanding of the complexities of global dynamics. It’s important that our next generation is conversant...in the geopolitical realities of the world in which we live. It is wonderful that we have these opportunities available in our Louisville community.”

- Michael Mardis, University of Louisville

Local Impact. Global Reach.

WAC helps people across Kentucky and Southern Indiana understand the forces shaping our world - and meet the people behind the headlines.

• In 2025, WAC welcomed more than 150 international visitors from 72 countries to our region.
• Our public programs create space for informed, nonpartisan dialogue on consequential global issues.
• Our youth and education programs help students build curiosity, critical thinking, and a wider sense of possibility.
• Our exchanges connect local professionals, businesses, schools, and community leaders with peers from around the world.

DONATE NOW!

Become a Founding Circle Member

This isn't a membership. It's an investment in WAC's long-term future, and an invitation to help shape a new culture of philanthropy at WAC from day one. Find out more here.

• Young Professional Founding Circle (ages 21–39): $500 minimum commitment
• Founding Circle Member: $1,000 minimum commitment
• Give $5,000+ during this inaugural campaign and become a Year One member of WAC's new 1985 Society — our major giving society, launching soon.

Every gift under $500 matters just as much today. Give for Good Louisville is about the whole community showing up — small gifts, given by a lot of people, are exactly what moves the needle (and the leaderboard).

"One of my favorite parts of WAC has been the many occasions when I’ve been able to spend time with groups of international students and visitors who have traveled to Kentucky." 

- Brian Easley, Former Board Chair

Why Your Gift Matters

• Expand international programming and educational opportunities

• Foster lifelong learning and civic dialogue

• Strengthen global engagement across Kentucky and Southern Indiana

• Build long-term financial sustainability

• Inspire the next generation of globally minded leaders

“We have met with, cooked with, dined with people from all walks of life and all seven continents...I think the impact that our visitors have had on the broader community is even more significant...We often think of the exchange programs as a means to ‘educate’ our visitors in the American way. It is always a two-way street. We learn so much from them.”

- Roberta Hershberg

Together, we're not simply raising dollars today. We're building the next 40 years of the World Affairs Council — and it starts with you.

DONATE NOW!