Our mission is to promote international, cultural and professional enrichment through cross-cultural exchange and professional training programs.

The San Francisco International Program is a nonprofit organization which acts as a gateway to the international community by shaping a dynamic local culture and global community that values education, innovation and diversity.

Description:
Since 1960, we have welcomed hundreds of international professionals from over 147 countries to Northern California to advance their careers.

We bring individuals and groups of professionals from around the world to the S.F. Bay Area and Northern California for cultural exchange and individualized professional training in nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies.

SFIP has placed international professionals at some of the leading technology, biotech, engineering, and legal firms in the Bay Area, as well as San Francisco's prominent nonprofits and public service agencies.

Our programs are designed to support international professionals to share knowledge, build networks and develop new leaders.

History:
In 1960, the San Francisco International Program was established to extend professional and cross-cultural exchange program to the S.F. Bay Area and Northern California. Since its inception, SFIP has helped to shape San Francisco's legacy as a vanguard for progressive social and political change through the development of new international leaders.

SFIP is the Bay Area affiliate of the The Council of International Programs USA (CIPUSA), a consortium of nine international programs that administer professional and cultural exchanges through the Exchange Visitor Program of the U.S. Department of State. CIPUSA and the affiliates have assisted an estimated 10,000 professionals from 147 countries, and partnered with thousands of American nonprofit, public, and private organizations.

From its beginnings, CIPUSA has had close relationships with the U.S. government which encouraged its formation as a vehicle to build bridges of understanding between diverse cultures of the world, increase professional knowledge, and make a tangible contribution toward world peace. In the wake of World War II, the Nazi regime had effectively dismantled the democratic and social structures in much of Europe and many thriving professions had withered. In the 1950s, Dr. Henry B. Ollendorff, a German doctor of Social Work, who was an administrator of a settlement house and neighborhood center in Cleveland's inner city was called upon to return to Germany. His assignment was to train social workers and help to reconstruct the institutional knowledge and practice that was destroyed by the war. After the month-long training, seminars and conferences in Germany, Dr. Ollendorff ventured to bring the social workers to the U.S. to work in social service agencies... and the professional exchange program was born, and CIPUSA was founded 1954.

For nearly half a century, CIPUSA and it's affiliates have pioneered this unique professional training model, which Dr. Ollendorff called,

"A fellowship of compassionate believers in human welfare and understanding across all boundaries."

Contact people:

Courtney LaCava, Program Director, (phone), (email) Anisha Desai, Assistant, (email)

Main office number: (415) 896-0126

Address:

660 4th Street #129 San Francisco, CA 94107 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.sfip.org

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Mandarin, Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	16
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	Yes