The San Francisco Chapter covers AMIGOS program costs through a combination of family fee payments and fundraising activities. We also offer financial assistance (details below). The San Francisco 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

Each volunteer is required to send out a combination of 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.

Additional funding opportunities

All alumni interested in volunteering again with AMIGOS qualify to apply for the Alumni Award. More info here.

FEES

If you were signed up for our 2020 Summer Immersion programs, all fees, fundraising, and financial assistance from 2020 will carry over this year, and your price from 2020 is locked in!

If you were not signed up for amigos in 2020, click here to see our 2021 programs!

FEES INCLUDE

• Round-trip international airfare
• Training materials and workshops
• Secondary short-term international medical insurance
• Program excursions
• Food, lodging, and transportation in Latin America
• Supplies for community project and extracurricular activities
• 24-hour On Call Emergency Management System
• Travel hotline and support

Click here for more information about our Fees & Funding.

DUE DATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

For any family reapplying from Summer 2020, Family Financial Agreements will need to be to be resigned.

Reach out to your Local Chapter for specifics about your financial agreement this year.

The San Francisco Chapter has a history of being passionately committed to access and affordability for all families. Financial assistance is need-based, and is applied to the SF chapter fee ($4,250). This means that if a family receives financial assistance, it is not exempt from the group fundraising/letter writing described above. The San Francisco Chapter regularly awards financial assistance in the range of $250–$3,800 for qualified applicants.

The transformative AMIGOS experience starts before leaving home.

With over 50 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 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

Pre–departure training for 2021 programs will be done through a combination of mandatory online modules and optional webinars. Training will also take place in country upon arrival. Once you apply, we will reach out with more information on the pre-departure training timeline and expectations.

Your Local Chapter may offer additional local opportunities to connect virtually with AMIGOS in your area. If you have questions about this, please reach out to chapters@amigosinternational.org.