Click below for answers to common questions
- How can I find out what my sister cities are?Explore our most recent Membership Directory or use our City Search database to find sister city relationships, contact information, and website information for all current members.
- How do sister city relationships develop?Sister city relationships develop from a number of sources, including but not limited to: preexisting mayoral relationships, trade relationships, historical connections, ancestral/demographic connections, expatriate communities, shared geographic/sector challenges, faith-based groups, and personal experiences ranging from study/work abroad to marriages.
- Who runs sister city organizations and how are they structured?All of Sister Cities International’s members are independent organizations and have a number of management structures. Sister city organizations are run by a group of volunteers, representatives from local institutions, the mayor’s office or municipal government, or by some combination of these. Most often sister city organizations are incorporated as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, although the municipal government may have representation or a formal relationship with the group. Many are governed by a board of directors or commission. Organizations are most often organized by committee. Some sister city organizations are run by local institutions, such as a museum, cultural center, or chamber of commerce. Most municipal contacts for sister city organizations are in the office of the mayor, office of tourism/convention and visitors bureau, office of international affairs, office of protocol, or office of economic development.
- How can I get involved with my local sister city organization?Visit our City Search tool search for your community and find the primary contact information for your sister city organization. If you don’t find your city, it means they are not currently a member of the Sister Cities International network. To see if your city has a sister city relationship, do some basic research online or contact the town clerk, mayor’s office, or office of international affairs to see if they can put you in contact with your sister city organization. Most sister city committees have regular meetings that are open to the public.