Annual Reports

In 2023, we have started to see the the real impact on investing in our long term fellowship programs.

While the initial years of launching our Liberty Bridge Program were filled with challenges and uncertainties due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, the fruits of our labor are now becoming evident. Graduates of our fellowship programs are making significant strides in their respective fields, contributing innovative solutions and driving meaningful change in their communities. These individuals, equipped with the skills, knowledge, and networks they developed during their fellowship, are not only excelling in their careers but also fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.

Moreover, the sense of community and shared purpose among our alumni has strengthened, creating a supportive ecosystem where ideas flourish and collective progress is prioritized. This network of dedicated professionals is now mentoring the next generation of fellows, perpetuating a cycle of growth and development that promises to yield even greater benefits in the future.

It’s clear that our investment in these long-term fellowship programs has been a catalyst for positive change, demonstrating the profound impact of nurturing talent and vision over time. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding and enhancing these programs, confident in their ability to inspire and equip future leaders to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

In 2021, we were among the first organizations to bring scholars over to the US from Hungary after the pandemic freeze much of the exchange world. Our Széll Kálmán Fellows shined again in a very competitive pool of DC young professionals earning awards of distinction every semester.
On March 15, 2021 we kicked off our special project, HuGo the App to find all things Hugnarian in the US and in a short few months over five thousand users have become contributors sharing their knowledge with a brand new community of Hungarian Americans and American Hungarophiles digitally. We are excited to see where this inititiave grows. We have launched a new scholarships with Hillsdale, we relaunched the Andrassy National Security Fellowship and the first class of our Budapest Fellows graduated and gave way to a new cohort of incoming Americans. We’re proud that our alumni come from all walks of life and persuasions but all of them are hard working young people who love Hungary, love America and have a bright future. Their successes keeps inspiring us.

2020 was undoubtedly the most challenging year for our Foundation. The travel restrictions and visa bans we faced, the lack of in person opportunities on the US side, the uncertainty and general atmosphere of so many “unkonwn unknowns” sent us back to the drawing board again and agin.

Yet 2020 gave us the opportunity to rethink and reevaluate all of our programs and add new ones into the mix we felt were needed.

The birth of the Budapest Fellowship Program through a partnership with MCC, was long overdue and we couldn’t be more proud of the first class of graduating fellows who returned to the United States with an in-depth knowledge about Hungary that no other program can provide.

We also launched our Alumni Interview Series which serves to highlight the many success stories that follow our scholarship and fellowship programs.

When we set out to focus our activities for the next five years at HIF on the next generation of Hungarian and American students and young professionals, we knew the return on our investments will be high. 
Season after season it is encouraging to see applicants to our programs who are motivated by the right ideas and end up having life-changing, eye-opening experiences in the US.
Whether it is through internship programs, or through the various fellowships we provide, or by offering memorable cultural programs that elevate our spirits and speak to our souls, we are building new relationships, new channels of communication, offering new pathways in a the dialogue between Hungary and the US.

Few organizations have the luxury of planning for and investing in the future of Hungarian-American people to people relations like we do.
2018 was a year when we launched two new programs with the long term goal of selecting, educating and engaging some of the brightest Hungarian leaders who, we hope, will play an important role in defending the best of the West.
Through our new Széll Kálmán Fellowship, a partnership with The Fund for American Studies, young Hungarians can now spend time interning, studying and networking in Washington through a world-class program. We also launched the Atlanticist Fellowship with the Atlantic Council as part of an effort to train and engage young Hungarian professionals in the transatlantic policy debate.
Through these new programs and our ongoing efforts, we have become a magnet for talent. We aim to leverage this unique opportunity in the upcoming years.

This Annual Report provides a record of our efforts to celebrate our Hungarian heritage and also to invest in the future. 2017 was one of our more successful years yet, and it would not have been possible without your efforts and support.
In 2017 we have achieved new milestones, and the impressive group of talented young individuals we have supported are proof of the expansion and strength of the Hungarian and American communities.
We hope to continue to build these strong intellectual and cultural bridges between the United States and Hungary. Thank you for making 2017 a successful year of growth!