Meal hospitality is a meaningful, one-time way to welcome international visitors. You’ll invite 2-4 guests (plus an interpreter, if needed) into your home for a casual dinner. Connection and hospitality are more important than fancy food, or a fancy home.

Your schedule and dietary needs will help determine when folks are able to join you. You can also attend a dinner at another volunteer’s home before hosting yourself.

Often, a Global Ties Kalamazoo staff member also attends, but we’ll also provide conversation tips and cultural info to make the evening a success.

Overnight hosting usually lasts 3-5 nights and includes providing a private sleeping space, breakfast, and some transportation support. You don’t need to be a tour guide—we handle the daytime programming! If you enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures, this could be a great fit.

Yes! You can still host a meal or get involved in other ways. Overnight visitors need a private sleeping space, but for dinner hospitality, a welcoming table is all that’s required.

Nope! Visitors are typically accompanied by interpreters or speak English. Your hospitality and openness matter more than your language skills.

Folks that open their homes to one of our international guests receive detailed itineraries, emergency contacts, cultural background info, and regular check-ins. You’re never on your own—Global Ties Kalamazoo is here to help every step of the way.

There are plenty of other ways to connect—join our airport welcome crew, volunteer at events, serve on a committee or our board, or lend your professional expertise in a program. We welcome many types of involvement.

Connecting international professionals with local businesses for learning and networking happens with each of our visiting cohorts’ programs. You can host a site visit and your business or organization, or share your work in a roundtable to engage globally without leaving Kalamazoo.

Check out all the local businesses and organizations that participate already here.

Ready to get in touch?

Yes! We love partnering with local schools and nonprofits to create meaningful cultural exchange opportunities. Whether it’s a classroom Q&A or a collaborative workshop, we’ll work with you to tailor the experience.

Yes. We frequently invite local leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers to speak to international delegations on topics like business, civic engagement, youth development, and more.

We support short-term, U.S. State Department–funded professional exchanges through programs like the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Participants include global leaders in government, business, education, health, and the arts.

Yes! We offer hands-on and flexible paid internships for students interested in global affairs, communications, nonprofit work, event planning, and more. Global Ties Kalamazoo is also proud to host BSW and MSW field placements for students pursuing careers in international social work.

We welcome students from a wide range of majors including international studies, marketing, social work, hospitality, business, and public policy. Curiosity, reliability, and a passion for global connection are key.

Head to our Internship page to learn more, then send us a message. We’ll follow up with next steps, including an informational chat to find the right fit.

Citizen diplomacy is the idea that everyday people can shape international relationships through person-to-person exchange. We support it by connecting global changemakers with our community—fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and shared learning.

International exchange brings fresh perspectives, global connections, and a sense of shared humanity to our region. And, it also creates real, measurable change. In 2024 alone, Global Ties Kalamazoo welcomed 366 international visitors from 65 countries, including 38 youth leaders and 27 professional fellows who contributed over 3,800 hours to local businesses and organizations.

The ripple effects of these connections are powerful. Exchange programs spark dialogue, challenge assumptions, and foster meaningful collaboration across borders. They also generate significant local impact—over $862,000 in total economic value through lodging, transportation, local business spending, volunteerism, and community support.

As one visitor shared, “The people were more welcoming in Kalamazoo than in any other American city.”

Global Ties Kalamazoo is about citizen diplomacy in action. We partner with the U.S. Department of State to design and deliver professional and youth exchange programs that foster real dialogue and long-term impact. Our visitors include international educators, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and emerging changemakers who come to Kalamazoo for programs focused on leadership, policy, innovation, and cross-cultural collaboration.

And while our core work has long centered on bringing the world to West Michigan, we’re now helping local leaders engage globally by participating in outbound exchanges as well.

These are curated experiences, which include tourism and learning, and they’re part of a global diplomatic mission to build understanding, trust, and partnership between nations, one person-to-person exchange at a time.

Yes! We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 38-3051840) and a proud member of the Global Ties U.S. network.

Your gift supports local programming, hospitality stipends, cultural events, and volunteer coordination. Every donation helps build people-to-people connections that matter.

Yes. Donations to Global Ties Kalamazoo are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Absolutely. Choose “Monthly” (rather than “One Time”) on our donation page to provide sustainable, reliable monthly support.

Yes. Program sponsorships allow us to plan for the future and expand our impact. Please call (269) 341-9494 or email—we’d love to talk more about what’s possible.