Dear Friends,

Since our founding in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower, Sister Cities International has worked to promote people-to-people partnerships around the world through cultural, educational, and economic exchanges. Our global network is made up of over 1,800 partnerships located in over 400 U.S. cities and 138 countries. By shaping and strengthening partnerships between the U.S. and international communities, SCI impacts the global landscape by promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation—one individual, one community at a time.

This year, the SCI staff and volunteer leadership have focused on enhancing the branding and marketing of Sister Cities International, on building relationships and partnerships with other internationally focused organizations and the diplomatic community and on growing membership and enhancing revenue. We are developing a new website and customer relations management system to better connect with our members and those interested in joining.

Our membership has grown over fifty-two percent in the past year and a half, including both new members as well as former members. This effort has included providing increased benefits, such as Boots on the Ground calls with cities, the SCI Toolkits, membership packets, and visits to Sister Cities Programs around the country.

Sister Cities International has increased its outreach with both in-person and virtual events. Three leadership meetings a year provide training to both the leadership teams and to local leaders who want to increase their knowledge and Sister Cities connections. A Japan Summit will be held in September of 2025, in conjunction with the World Expo in Osaka. Sister Cities International is also very proud to have received a State Department grant to recruit, train, and manage eighty-nine Youth Ambassadors for the U.S. Pavilion at the Expo.

Our Youth Leadership Summit is now being held in person in Washington, D.C. and brings young people together to learn leadership skills and diplomacy and to experience our nation’s capital. Our Young Artist and Artists Showcase enables youth from around the world to compete in creative and artistic categories.
The entire team at SCI is dedicated to advancing President Eisenhower’s people-to-people diplomacy. We celebrate the work of the SCI leadership team, including the Board of Directors, State Representatives, and Country and Region Representatives. More importantly, we celebrate the thousands of volunteers throughout our country who, for almost seventy years, have been building peace through partnerships with our friends throughout the world.

Sincerely,