The BSCA board of directors is ready to accept proposals for new sister cities. Emphasis will be placed on those proposals that can demonstrate a strong local base of support. The following is the general procedure for applying:

I. A proposal for a new Sister City with Bellingham must include the following information in a formal written request submitted to an officer of the Bellingham Sister City Association (BSCA) board:

• The name, address, and phone number of the person making the request;
• The name of the proposed city and why it should be considered for a Sister City relationship with Bellingham;
• A paragraph describing the proposed city (industries, cultural activities, and other attributes);
• A list of a minimum of 15 sponsors/supporters: local citizens, businesses or organizations who would support this Sister City relationship and are committed to becoming Sister City members (names, addresses, phone numbers); a list of interpreters if needed;
• The name, address, e-mail or phone number of the primary Sister City contact in the proposed city;
• Letters or other documents that show evidence of support for this relationship from the proposed city;
• A list of potential exchanges and/or joint projects, and the method for funding them;

II. The proposal will be reviewed briefly at the next BSCA board meeting. If the board decides to pursue the proposal further, a subcommittee will be formed to meet with the applicant and discuss the proposal in detail. At that meeting the subcommittee will inform the applicant about BSCA goals, expectations and current activities.

III. The subcommittee will then report back to the board with a recommendation to proceed or not. If the board approves the proposal, the applicant will be responsible for signing up the 15 sponsors for BSCA membership. The subcommittee will be responsible for presenting a timeline for implementing the official Sister City relationship and recommending to the board a chairman for the new Sister City.