research dossier

GLOBAL INSTITUTE FOR SIKH STUDIES

RICHMOND HILL, NY · EIN 813041443 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE A23 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · giss.org

revenue

expenses

$900

net assets

$5K

employees

—

mission · from form 990

1.SERVE THE SIKH COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. (APPROXIMATELY HALF-MILLION IN NUMBER) BY HELPING IT TO DEEPEN ITS UNDERSTANDING OF SIKH RELIGIOUS HISTORY, THE CURRENT CHALLENGES IT FACES, AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO ITS MEMBERS HAVING MOVED AWAY FROM THEIR LAND OF ORIGIN, THE PUNJAB IN SOUTH ASIA, TO THE U.S. AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES.2. SERVE THE MAINSTREAM COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. BY PROVIDING PUBLIC FORUMS, INTERFAITH GROUPS, NEWS-MEDIA OUTLETS, ETC., ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIKHS BOTH IN THE PUNJAB AS WELL AS IN THE SIKH DIASPORA.3. CONTRIBUTE TOWARD UNDERSTANDING THE TEXTURE OF OUR SOCIETY IN THE U.S. AND THEREBY DIMINISH INTERNAL TENSIONS AND ADVANCE INTER-RELIGIOUS HARMONY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Research institute dedicated to advancing the study of Sikh history, culture, and diaspora. Produces and disseminates peer-reviewed scholarship through its academic journal, the Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies. Serves both the Sikh community in the United States and broader academic and public audiences by promoting understanding of Sikh religious heritage and contemporary issues.

named programs · 1 · from sources

What they call their work

Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies

Peer-reviewed academic journal publishing research in arts, humanities, and social sciences on the Punjab region and Sikh community from ancient times to the present diaspora.

activities · 6 groups

What they do

Religious Worship and Spiritual Instruction 2 activities
- Delivering public education and outreach on Sikhism
  
  Provides accurate information about Sikh religious history, diaspora experiences, and current issues to public forums, interfaith groups, news media, and educational groups. Conducts presentations and workshops for high school teachers, police, and youth to increase awareness and promote inter-religious harmony.
- Supporting Sikh youth and cultural transmission
  
  Supports diaspora youth in learning about their religio-cultural heritage through financial and informational support for artists, writers, and filmmakers. Organizes educational visits to Punjab for youth, including instruction in Sikh history and visits to sacred sites.
Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 1 activity
- Building and maintaining digital and physical repositories of Sikh materials
  
  Operates a digital repository of early Sikh texts, manuscripts, art, artifacts, and migration records, including digitization and standardization of materials from private and institutional collections. Also maintains a physical repository in New York with collected texts and artifacts spanning thirty years.
Psychoanalytic and Therapeutic Training Support 1 activity
- Funding academic research in Sikh and Punjabi studies
  
  Awards grants to support Ph.D. research in Sikh and Punjabi culture and history, such as funding a research award at U.C. Riverside.
Scientific Conference & Symposium Management 1 activity
- Organizing academic conferences and scholarly exchanges
  
  Plans and hosts bi-annual Sikh Studies conferences and convenes scholarly exchanges at universities to foster collaboration among scholars, granthīs, and Sikh leaders. Past events have been held at UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara in multiple years.
Academic Journal and Scholarly Publication 1 activity
- Producing and publishing scholarly research in Sikh and Punjab studies
  
  Conducts and disseminates academic research on Sikh history, texts, and diaspora experiences through peer-reviewed publications, critical editions, and translations. Publishes and maintains The Journal of Sikh & Punjab Studies, making over 200 articles freely accessible, and produces scholarly works such as "Sources of Sikh Tradition" with bilingual Gurmukhi-English texts.
Religious Education and Instruction 1 activity
- Providing educational resources and support to academic and Sikh institutions
  
  Offers model syllabi, multimedia tools, and educational materials to universities and gurdwārā schools. Supports teachers and institutions in delivering courses on Sikhism and related topics, including past offerings at multiple universities and graduate seminars on early Sikh texts.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2025

revenue

Total revenue$0

Contributions & grants——

Program service revenue——

Investment income——

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$900

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits—

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$11K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$5K

5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -100.0%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 2

AMI P SHAH — TRUSTEE
SHINDER S THANDI — TRUSTEE

relationships · 45

Who they work with

Akāl Takhat Partner — Central religious institution associated with the Gurū Panth, site of significant historical gatherings including in 1987.
Barnard College, Columbia University Partner — Hosts John S. Hawley and Rachel F. McDermott, members of GISS's Executive Board
Brill Partner — Collaborated with Brill to publish an academic work in Spring 2017.
California State University, Fresno Partner — Hosts Gurinder Singh Mann, Director of GISS
Carthage College Partner — Hosts James Lochtefeld, member of GISS's Advisor Board
Carthage College Partner — Partnered to offer a "Sikhism" course during 2017-2018 academic year.
Central University Punjab, Bathinda Partner — Appointed scholars to professorships in Sikh Studies, an initiative acknowledged and supported by the Global Institute for Sikh Studies.
Claremont McKenna College Partner — Hosts Chloe Martinez and Daniel Michon, members of GISS's Advisor Board
Claremont McKenna College Partner — Partnered to offer a "Sikhism" course during 2017-2018 academic year.
Clark University Partner — Hosts Parminder Kaur Bhachu, member of GISS's Advisor Board
Dr. Joginder Singh Ahluwalia Partner — Lead researcher responsible for the project on the literary production of the Choṭā Mel and the Hindālīs.
GISS associates Partner — Collaborates with associates to access and digitize private collections of Sikh manuscripts and artifacts.
Global Institute for Sikh Studies Network — Organization dedicated to the scholarly study of Sikhism and related diaspora communities.
Global Studies Department at UC Santa Barbara Partner — Previously hosted the Journal of Punjab Studies from 2004 to 2015 before it moved to GISS.
Guru Nanak Dev University Partner — Hosts Indu Banga and Balwant Singh Dhillon, members of GISS's Advisor Board
Harvard University Partner — Hosts Diana L. Eck and Harpreet Singh, members of GISS's Advisor Board
Hiram College Partner — Partnered to offer a "Sikhism" course in 2018.
Hofstra University Partner — Home of the S.H.K. Chair in Sikh Musicology, which collaborated with the Global Institute for Sikh Studies on a Gurbāṇī kīrtan presentation.
India International Centre (IIC), Delhi Partner — Participated in the release of Sikh Heritage at IIC, Delhi in December 2013.
Interfaith groups Partner — Collaborates with interfaith groups to disseminate accurate information about Sikhs.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Partner — Hosts Harjit Singh Gill, Naindeep Singh Chann, and Surinder S Jodhka, members of GISS's Advisor Board
Kalepani Center Partner — Collaborated at the inauguration event in Chandigarh in December 2013.
Kartārpur Partner — Founding town and early center of the Sikh community established by Bābā Nānak.
Linnaeus University Partner — Hosts Kristina Myrvold, member of GISS's Executive Board
North Carolina State University Partner — Hosts Anna Bigelow, member of GISS's Advisor Board
Rutgers University Partner — Hosts Ami P. Shah, member of GISS's Executive Board
Rutgers University Partner — Partnered to offer a "Sikhism" course during 2017-2018 academic year.
Sikh Cultural Society Partner — Organization with which the director is associated in Richmond Hill, NY.
The British Library Partner — Hosts Nur Sobers-Khan, member of GISS's Advisor Board
UC Riverside Partner — Hosted the Bi-Annual Sikh Studies Conference in collaboration with the Global Institute for Sikh Studies.

+ 15 more

strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Academic Institutionalization of Sikh Studies

methodology: academic_institutionalization
By advocating for Punjabi language and Sikh studies in universities, providing syllabi, and supporting course development, the organization ensures the long-term sustainability of the field, because institutional embedding secures resources, legitimacy, and intergenerational continuity.
Public Knowledge Reorientation

methodology: public_knowledge_reorientation
By disseminating accurate scholarship through public education, media engagement, and academic outreach, the organization counters misinformation and reshapes public understanding of Sikhism, because societal perceptions shift when authoritative, accessible knowledge is widely available.
Reconstructive Sikh Scholarship

methodology: Sikh-centered_scholarship
By producing critical editions, recovering marginalized histories, and reinterpreting foundational texts through Sikh-centered frameworks, the organization advances a more accurate and self-determined understanding of Sikh identity and history, because authoritative knowledge must emerge from within the tradition rather than be imposed externally.
Scholar-Practitioner Collaborative Epistemology

methodology: scholar_practitioner_collaboration
By integrating academic scholars with traditional religious custodians (granthīs) and Sikh leadership, the organization produces more authentic and contextually grounded knowledge of Sikhism, because collaborative inquiry bridges Western academic frameworks and indigenous interpretive traditions.