Partners of the Americas was inspired by President of the United States John F. Kennedy, who in 1963 launched the Alliance for Progress, a program of government-to-government economic cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.

It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. At the heart of Partners is a “people-to-people” philosophy,[citation needed] which grew out of a 1962 call by President Kennedy for citizens of the Western Hemisphere to work together.

Inspired by the challenge, Jim Boren, one of Partners founders, envisioned a two-way network of volunteer partnerships that would enable everyday people to contribute to the Americas.

Partners programs work in many fields and across a broad spectrum of society and the day-to-day lives of people throughout the Americas.

Partners works as a grassroots organization that uses partnerships between U.S. states and Latin American countries or regions to foster cultural exchange and education.