About the Foundation

Students meet at American University for an "Ethics and Lobbying" workshop organized by the Bryce Harlow Foundation

Thank you for your interest in the Bryce Harlow Foundation, a 501(c) non-profit organization. For over 30 years, we have worked to promote the highest standards within the profession of lobbying and government relations. We work with teachers and students to promote our principal mission: enhancing the quality of professional advocacy and increasing the understanding of its role in the development of sound public policy. Our activities include fellowships and mentoring, seminars and workshops, and curriculum development. In short, our Foundation upholds integrity in lobbying and supports highly talented young professionals in their pursuit of careers in government relations, public affairs, and lobbying.

In 1981, the friends and colleagues of Bryce Harlow arranged a recognition dinner to acknowledge his special contributions to government service and his talent for building a spirited partnership between government and business. The Bryce Harlow Foundation was established the following year to ensure that his legacy would be remembered by future generations, and to encourage the example set forth by Bryce Harlow. In that tradition, each spring the Foundation hosts its annual award dinner — a celebration within the lobbying community — to present the prestigious Bryce Harlow Award and the Business-Government Relations Award to those who best exemplify the values of Bryce Harlow. The proceeds from each dinner help fund our fellowships and educational programs.

The Bryce Harlow Foundation's 30-member Board of Governors — selected from the nation's finest corporate government affairs offices, trade associations, and consulting firms — oversee the activities and governance of the organization. Our greatest strength is the involvement of the board and their Washington peers who work to restore the public image of lobbying by practicing the trade with the highest ethical standards of professionalism.