Alliance française

The Alliance française (AF) is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote French language and culture outside France. Its primary concern is teaching French as a second language. It is headquartered in the French capital city of Paris. The Alliance was created in Paris on July 21, 1883 by a group of eminent men, including the scientist Louis Pasteur, the diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, the writers Jules Verne and Ernest Renan, and the publisher Armand Colin. It finances most of its activities from the fees it receives from its courses and from rental of its installations. The French government also provides a subsidy covering approximately five percent of its budget (nearly €665,000 in 2003).
See more at Wikipedia.org...