Friends Forever International is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which believes we
can all help build a better world by empowering our most underutilized asset: youth. FFI works with communities around the globe to build the leadership abilities of their youth from diverse backgrounds to tackle local and global issues.

Our Mission is to empower youth leaders to connect, strengthen, and serve communities around the globe by combining their passion to make the world a better place with the skills, experiences, and resources required to do so.

FFI’s vision is that youth are recognized and supported as the catalysts for building a better world.

Our Story starts with Rotarian and YMCA director Bob Raiche who founded Friends Forever in 1986. Bob believed there was a need for a program like Friends Forever after reading countless newspaper articles covering the conflict in Northern Ireland. Our first delegation of youth leaders was made up of five Catholic and five Protestant young men from Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, who traveled to Portsmouth, NH in the fall of 1986.
 
Our Goal is that every young person who desires, regardless of ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, and ability, will have the opportunity to build their leadership skills beyond what they imagined possible before participating in the program. These young leaders will transform the way that they see the world and realize that they can change the world for the better. Now.