FY 2025-2026 Annual Reports

Membership

One of the main tasks in 2025 was the Activity Group member list for the year 2025-2026. Out of the 30 activity groups, 21 group leaders provided the needed information, and for the 9 groups that have not responded, the database remains unchanged from last year. The groups that did not provide information are as follows: 

• Conversation Groups 3 and 4

• Discussion Groups 3 (Film 1), 4 (Film 2), and 7 (Spanish)

• Special Interests 2 (Fun and Games), 7 (International Cooking), and 10 (Persian Fun)

• Tea Group 1 (Angell)

Member data changes are updated in a timely fashion. Since September 2025, 90 changes have been made to individual members (e.g. name correction, address update, merge duplicate data, status update, etc.). International Neighbors has three categories of members:  Neighbors, Newcomers, and Graduates.  A status list for all member data was created in November. A final version with a Graduate list will be made in May-June. In May 2026, the current group member list will again be updated. The mailing list will be drafted during summer, after all the changes to the group member list have been made and the Neighbor status list has been finalized and checked. 

The number of new members who registered from  September 14, 2025-March 29, 2026 was 96 from 24 countries.  (Last year it was 130 from 31 countries.)

US:  20 (8 not definite)

Japan:  19

China:  11

South Korea: 9

Colombia: 4

Iran: 4

Turkey: 4

France: 3

India: 3

Brazil: 2 

Indonesia:  2

Saudi Arabia: 2

Algeria:  1

Canada/US: 1  

Canada : 1 

Georgia:  1

Guatemala: 1

Hong Kong:  1

Israel: 1

Mexico: 1

Romania: 1

Sweden: 1

Taiwan:  1

Vietnam 1

A new member data coordinator assumed responsibility for the membership data role this year. 

Member Communications

Over the past year, International Neighbors has consolidated its member communications

within Wix, the website builder and editor. IN moved from Mailchimp to Wix for email marketing in June 2025, streamlining email, social media, and website management into one platform.  Currently, these communication tasks are managed by the webmaster, but the platform allows for the delegation of duties to multiple volunteers in the future. 

Website

Improvements

International Neighbors continues to prioritize a user-friendly website, making numerous refinements over the course of the year to enhance community experience. 

• Re-formed webteam - To ensure that updates to Activity groups are quickly reflected on the website, the webteam (webteam@international-neighbors.org) now collaboratively updates group descriptions. 

• Streamlined Registration - Thanks to a dedicated volunteer, we launched a single registration form for all group sign-ups, eliminating the need for multiple, repetitive forms. 

• Added a Donation Page - Members who want to give back to IN can now easily donate on the new webpage.

Looking Head: Summer 2026

Website improvements continue this summer to improve functionality. Including:

• Making the group registration process even more seamless

• Implementing dynamic fields using Wix’s Content Management System (CMS). This will allow webteam members to update information in one place, automatically reflecting changes across all pages and significantly streamlining the workflow.

Finances and Record Keeping

Financial Report

International Neighbors remains financially strong and sustainably managed.

• The organization received $5,404.61 this year in donations from 58 members.

• In addition, IN welcomed a generous $2,000 legacy gift from Moni Strouss, as designated in her will.

• The Japanese Business Society of Detroit awarded IN a $1,000 grant.

  
  

International Neighbors’ primary fund raising comes through an annual mailing soliciting member contributions in August of each year.  In 2025, after extensive editing to the mailing list, 250 annual letters were mailed out, compared to 400 in 2024 and 800 in 2023.  Of the 250 letters mailed out, 89 completed responses (34%) were returned. Only 10 letters were returned as undeliverable, compared to up to 75 in past years. Although time consuming and requiring the efforts of several board members, the edits have proved most beneficial in saving mailing costs. 

While postage stamp rates will increase in July 2026 from 78 to 84 cents, adequate current stamp supplies for 2026 will not lead to a budget increase for this line item. In addition, purchasing more stamps before rates increase in 2026 will keep this cost down through 2027. 

The IN mailbox was again renewed for 15 months at the UPS Plymouth Road location. The fee of $420 has not changed and will again be up for renewal in October 2026.

Records

The secretary maintained a file of International Neighbors materials to be deposited in the Bentley Library. Board Minutes from 2025-26 and Minutes of the Annual Meeting will also be deposited with the Bentley Library. 

Conversation Groups

Conversation Groups have met weekly for most of the year.  There are two in-person groups, one on Tuesday morning and one on Thursday afternoon, which meet at Church of the Good Shepherd.  Three ZOOM groups meet Tuesday and Friday afternoons, one on Wednesday morning.  Several members of the ZOOM groups have returned to their home countries but still want to meet and practice English. Most groups have pot lucks to mark a season or a person’s return home.  Some groups meet at cafes or the Botanical Gardens.   Women who are participating in the Indonesian Festival have invited group members to attend, and everyone shares a bit of her culture in conversations. 

Discussion Groups

The IN Discussion Group gained a new coordinator in March 2026. Seven discussion groups were active during this year:   

• Topic Group (Advanced English

• What's Happening - Current Events Group (Advanced English) 

• Film Group One (Advanced English) focuses on international movies that have been recommended by members. 

• Film Group Two (Advanced English) focuses on a wide variety of films from around the world, all in English or with English subtitles. 

• French Group (discussion in French)

• German Group holds discussions in German for native and nonnative speakers to share their thoughts about topics of general interest and German and American culture. 

• Spanish Group (intermediate-advanced Spanish)

International Neighbors Day Group

The IN Day Group, comprising 23 members, successfully planned a variety of monthly events for the wider membership creating opportunities to connect, and to celebrate different cultures. 

• October:  Potato dishes around the world

• November: Thanksgiving festivals around the world

• December: Holiday treats exchange

• January: Dance and exercise from around the world 

• March: Weddings around the world 

• April: A celebration of Taiwan 

The IN Day Group also supported September’s annual Open House and February’s annual Winter Welcome. With the help of Zero Waste group, International Neighbors transitioned from paper supplies to reusable items. The group is currently seeking new members to plan and serve International Neighbors better in the coming year.

Reading Groups

International Neighbors ran four separate reading groups in 2025-2026.  

• The Thursday Intermediate Group has 11 members.  The group has read a variety of books since the fall, including The Island of the Sea Women (Lisa See), The Housemaid (Freida McFadden), A Single Thread (Tracey Chevalier), The Keeper of Stories (Sally Page) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee).  

• The Wednesday HIgh-Intermediate Group has 15 members, including several long-time members of 15 to 20 years.  Works read include Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (Fanny Flagg), The Greatest Nobodies in HIstory (Adrian Bliss) and Belgravia (Julian Fellowes).

• Thursday (morning) Advanced Group has 11 members. .  They have read the following books since October:  Writers and Lovers by Lily King, Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Convenience Store Woman (Sayaka Murata), Hamnet (Maggie O'Farrell), Be Ready When the Luck Happens (Ina Garten), Orbital (Samantha Harvey), and Second Place (Rachel Cusk).

• Thursday (evening) Advanced Group has 15 people registered but often only 5 who attend regularly.  They have read the following works since the fall:  The Deal of a Lifetime, Mary Had Schizophrenia, How to Survive the A.I. Revolution, The Three-Body Problem, Severance, The Vegetarian, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?

The reading group is seeking a leader and co-leader to start a Beginning Reading Group or a Low-Intermediate Group.

Special Interests

Nine active groups comprise the Special Interests group:

• Food Groups: International Cooking, Persian Fun, Vegetarian Cooking

• Arts and Crafts: Arts and Crafts Around the World (funding provided for the room rental this year), Knitting

• Exercise and Fitness: Monday Hiking, Stroller Walking

• Excursions: Chat and Chew, Fun and Games

In addition, this group handles pop-up events, such as movies, concerts, etc.  The most recent pop up is the Movement Group, Mat and Mingle, which may become a regular Exercise and Fitness Group.  A monthly Film Group (Tuesday evenings at Marquee Arts) will begin as a pop up during summer 2026.

Arts and Crafts Around the World, a new group that began in February, meets once a month at the Baha'i Center in Ypsilanti and has generated considerable interest. 

Knitting  group attendance varies from an average of 6 -12. Membership is split between residents of University Commons and IN members. University Commons residents are not required to join IN, but so far all have. University Commons provides the craft room for free for two monthly meetings with the understanding that any resident can participate.  As in past years, the group has donated hand-knitted items (hats, scarves, etc.) to SafeHouse.

The attendance at Monday Morning Hiking varies from a low of 3 and up to 15.  There are currently 54 registered members. Each year non-participating members are sent an email requesting they confirm their interest in remaining in the group. If no reply is received in 2 weeks, they are removed.  The group hikes weekly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at local parks, the Arb, County Farm, Gallup Park, Island Lake, Parker Mill, Bandemer, etc. In inclement weather, they walk at Briarwood Mall. Dogs are welcome if the park permits it.

The attendance at Stroller Walking is low for the Briarwood Mall walks during the winter months, but more women attend once the weather improves enough for walks outside.

Chat and Chew has had another very good year, with an average of 10-15 women attending  each month. 

Tea Groups and Cultural Encounters Group 

International Neighbors hosts four Tea Groups and one Cultural Encounters group. 

• Ann Arbor Hills Tea Group: second Wednesday, 11:00 am

• Wildwood Tea Group:  third Monday, 9:30 am

• Angell Tea Group: second Thursday, 11: 15 am

• New Thursday Group, name to be determined:  second Thursday, 1:00 pm

• Cultural Encounters Group: last Friday, 12:00 -2:00 pm

Currently, Ann Arbor Hills Tea Group does not meet on a regular basis and is full; Angell Group might have one opening in the fall; Wildwood Group has two openings; the new, and as yet unnamed, held its first meeting in March.

A new head of this group stepped up in 2025, and was formally appointed by the board at the beginning of 2026, replacing the interim coordinator. The group is seeking volunteers to start a new tea group in the fall.

2025-2026 International Board Members