Council on Foreign Relations | 369,498 followers on LinkedIn. The Council on Foreign Relations is a nonpartisan, independent membership organization, think tank, educator & publisher | The mission of the Council on Foreign Relations is to inform U.S. engagement with the world. Founded in 1921, CFR is a nonpartisan, independent national membership organization, think tank, educator, and publisher, including of Foreign Affairs. It generates policy-relevant ideas and analysis, convenes experts and policymakers, and promotes informed public discussion—all to have impact on the most consequential issues facing the United States and the world.