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HOW TO JOIN
READY TO APPLY?
- Explore our website. Check out our programs and review our admissions requirements.
- Learn more about the San Francisco/North Bay Chapter activities by exploring the different tabs on this webpage.
- Attend an HQ-led online information session or schedule a counseling call.
- Submit your application (it should take around 30 minutes or less) and pay the $75 application fee to hold your spot. Questions or tech issues? Reach out to our Admissions team at [email protected].
Application Deadlines
January 31, 2026 is the Application Deadline to join the San Francisco Chapter. Late applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis until training starts. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Missed the local chapter deadline? You can still join us for summer 2026 through the National Chapter and complete training virtually!
Information sessions
The San Francisco/North Bay Chapter is preparing a pre-recorded information session. The recording will be shared below soon! This meeting reviews basic program information and chapter specifics such as financial assistance, funding, training, and service learning.
Interviews
The chapter will host in-person and virtual interviews for early bird applicants on a rolling basis. The interview is for the applicant and family and at least one parent or guardian must attend.
- November 19th from 6-8 PM – Virtual Interview Day for Early Bird Applicants
- January 31st from 1-3 PM – In-Person Interview Day for All Applicants
CONTACT
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Miriam Elfahdi, Bay Area Chapter Coordinator at [email protected].
ABOUT
The AMIGOS San Francisco-North Bay Chapter is part of a 9 Chapter Network that recruits, trains, and supports AMIGOS volunteers and families in their local community. Volunteers from San Francisco train together as a group before leaving for their summer experience in Latin America. Our board supports volunteers and families with group fundraising, service learning, community building, and overall preparation. Learn more about our Summer Programs here!
History
Since the San Francisco-North Bay Chapter’s incorporation in 2013, over 150 youth from San Francisco and its surrounding suburbs have volunteered through the chapter path, fundraising and training locally before the summer.
Current Volunteers
San Francisco-North Bay Chapter volunteers attend Lowell High School, Marin Academy, Marin Catholic, Redwood High School, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco University High School, San Rafael High, School of the Arts, San Francisco Waldorf School, and many more!
OUR CHAPTER’S IDENTITY
The San Francisco-North Bay Chapter seeks to embody our city and its communities. We’ve identified the following values as central to our chapter identity:
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
It is our mission to support every student that wants to participate in AMIGOS, regardless of family income. We offer a range of financial assistance packages on a case-by-case basis and encourage you to apply and work with us to find a price point that works best for your family.
Example 1: If you are a family that makes $40,000 per year and choose the 3-week Costa Rica project, you can expect to pay around 16% of the program fee or ~$844 (not including airfare).
Example 2: If you are a family that makes $80,000 per year and choose the 3-week Panama project, you can expect to pay around 32% of the program fee or ~$1,560 (not including airfare).
Example 3: If you are a family that makes $125,000 per year and choose the 6-week Paraguay project, you can expect to pay around 60% of the program fee or ~$2,325 (not including airfare).
While this income scale represents a potential range for family fee, each financial assistance application is reviewed for special circumstances that may not be represented in family income. Our goal is to make the Amigos program as accessible as possible.
On the application, students should select “Yes” that they intend to apply for financial assistance. Students must select “Yes” to this question in order for the Financial Assistance Application to appear on their dashboard. Then, at the end of the application, they should select, “I request a waiver”.
Applicants applying for financial assistance may request a temporary waiver of the $75 non-refundable application fee. The waiver is temporary while the chapter reviews the financial assistance application and determines an award offer (if any). If the volunteer and family accept the offer to join AMIGOS, they will then be required to pay the $75 non-refundable application fee.
Families can expect to hear about their financial assistance award after they have attended an interview day, along with their acceptance into the program. Families can be confident that our sliding scale is accurate to what they will be offered, and we are happy to talk to any families that have questions before then.
The Financial Assistance Application is a separate application available to complete through your dashboard. Please contact the Chapter Treasurer at [email protected] for more information.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award. We highly encourage you to apply for financial assistance.
Alumni and parents of alumni can earn discounts or cash payments for referring the next cohort of AMIGOS volunteers! Learn more about our Alumni Referral Program and sign up to receive your unique referral code.
RESOURCES:
- All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award.
- To learn more about program fees, check out the Fees and Financial Assistance webpage.
CONTACT:
- Please reach out to the AMIGOS San Francisco-North Bay Treasurer with any questions regarding financial assistance via email at [email protected].
TRAINING
The transformative AMIGOS experience starts before leaving home.
With over 60 years of experience preparing young people for travel and service abroad, AMIGOS training offers unparalleled global youth leadership development. Pre-departure training equips volunteers with the critical thinking, communication skills, and technical knowledge they need to make a meaningful impact across cultures while staying healthy and safe. The San Francisco Chapter AMIGOS training is youth-led, experiential learning that prepares volunteers for their AMIGOS experience, builds a community of youth and families with shared values, and develops life-skills to help students succeed beyond AMIGOS. Training sessions are facilitated by the Training Team and include guest speakers from the community and the San Francisco-North Bay Chapter Board of Directors.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDE:
- Unparalleled leadership development
- Cross-cultural awareness and understanding
- Hands-on training for technical aspects of the program
- Extensive health and safety training
- Opportunities to practice Spanish
- Creating a community of young people with shared values
TRAINING CALEnDAR
- March 1st: Mill Valley Community Center 1-5pm
- March 15th: Sports Basement Presidio 1-5pm
- April 18-19th: Overnight at Nature Bridge
- May 3rd: Mill Valley Community Center 1-5pm
- May 17th: Sports Basement Presidio 1-5pm
FUNDRAISING
GROUP FUNDRAISING
AMIGOS San Francisco-North Bay provides chapter discounts, offers financial assistance, and covers local program costs through fundraising activities. The chapter engages in a significant fundraising campaign to help support families, and especially seeks to provide the AMIGOS experience to all volunteers without regard to family financial circumstances.
The fundraising proceeds are pooled between all chapter families as a group through a letter writing campaign. Thus, the targeted fundraising amount will vary by year, depending on the number of volunteers and the needed amount of financial assistance. All volunteers are required to fully take part in fundraising, which is an important component of the pre-summer training program. The chapter provides significant support to students and families throughout the fundraising process.
LETTER WRITING/DONOR CONTACTS
Each volunteer is required to send out a combination of 75 letters and emails to friends and family, to request individual tax-deductible donations (the revenue from this effort is pooled). Letters are written by the student with considerable help provided by the chapter during the process. The campaign will take place between February and April 2026. Please note that stamps are not an expense that is covered by the chapter.
To see some of our fundraising efforts from last year, check out our Summer 2025 CauseVox Campaign here.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andrea Richerson
President
[email protected]
Suzanne Bryan
Vice President/Secretary
[email protected]
Reed Clark
Treasurer
[email protected]
Christopher Stern
At-Large
Bill Rusitzky
At-Large
Charlotte Doughty
At-Large
