Finding a Sister City

Communities find each other in many different ways. Sometimes it is a top-down process, where two mayors meet and become friends, and then involve the rest of their community in the relationship. Other times, it is a bottom-up process, where a group or individual in the community—an educator, businessperson, service club or ethnic association takes the lead and organizes a sister city committee and then requests that their elected leaders form an official partnership.

Communities interested in building sister city partnerships can also utilize the “Cities Seeking Cities” section of SCI’s ICRC, which enables communities to “meet” by reviewing online profiles. Creating a sister city partnership is like entering a marriage. It is a long-term commitment and thus requires a lot of “courting” to ensure that the best partner is chosen.

In general, it is wise for cities to pursue a relationship with a community that is similar in geography, population, industry or interest. Your choice depends entirely on your objectives: economic development, diverse cultural exchange, humanitarian assistance, etc.

There are many factors that should be considered when contemplating the development of a sister city relationship, click here to visit our Helpful Hints section for more information.

Establishing a Sister City Program

Sister city programs are as unique as the communities developing them. Most local programs do fall within three main types of organization structure, however: the association, the city commission and the corporation.

Association: An association is a group of people joined with a common purpose, often without a formal structure. Ordinarily it is not incorporated, but uses the same methods and forms used by corporations. This type of structure is usually found in small to medium-sized cities with a very informal sister cities program, as well as among programs with little community-wide fundraising or funding.

City Commission: A city commission is put together formally by municipal ordinance and carries out its functions as an arm of city government. The mayor usually appoints the members of the sister cities commission, and the commission is responsible for affiliation policy and direction.

Corporation: The corporation is a legal entity with its own name. It is made up of individuals that must follow the laws regarding corporations. SCI strongly suggests incorporation of sister city programs, and applying for taxexempt status under the statute 501(c)3 of the IRS tax code.

Forming a Sister City Partnership

Any official jurisdiction—be it village, city, county or state, or municipal league—can become a member of SCI and begin to build a sister city partnership. A sister city, county or state relationship becomes official with a signing ceremony of the top-elected officials of the two local jurisdictions, following approval by the local city councils (county commissions or state legislatures), as appropriate. However, your community does not have to have a sister city, or a sister city committee in place to become a member of SCI.