irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $564KEDUCATION PROGRAM- CREATION OF LESSON PLANS, COMPILED READING LISTS, CASE STUDIES, MEDIA ARTICLES AND VIDEO RESOURCES FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION ON SIKHISM. ALSO PROVIDES ANTI-BULLYING RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
- #2 $949KCOMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM WORKS WITH COMMUNITIES TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY BASED CAMPAIGNS, ACTIVISM AND LEADERSHIP TO PROMOTE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Empowerment & Institution Building
Builds grassroots leadership and civic engagement through volunteer networks, voter outreach, and programs like the Sikh Speakers Network and Sikh Advocate Academy.
Creating Safe Schools
Partners with educators and policymakers to combat bullying and promote accurate representation of Sikhism in school curricula through lesson plans, teacher guides, and student advocacy.
Ending Employment Discrimination
Provides legal support and advocacy for Sikh Americans facing religious discrimination in the workplace, including litigation and policy reform efforts.
Legal Cases & Policy Initiatives
Engages in strategic litigation and policy advocacy to protect Sikh rights in areas such as military service, transportation security, and immigration.
Preventing Hate & Discrimination
Addresses hate crimes and profiling through legal action, public education, and collaboration with law enforcement to ensure proper classification and prosecution of bias-motivated incidents.
activities · 11 groups
What they do
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Build grassroots leadership and community-based campaignsSupports the development of community-based activism and leadership initiatives, including the Sikh Advocate Academy and Sikh Coalition Ambassadors program, to advance civil and human rights.
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Constitutional and Government Accountability Litigation 1 activity
- Challenge discriminatory government policies through litigationFiles lawsuits and legal complaints to challenge discriminatory policies, including suing the California DMV over commercial driver’s licenses, challenging CDCR policies on religious accommodations, and opposing book bans threatening inclusive education.
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Anti-Hate Incident Response & Support 1 activity
- Combat hate crimes and bias-motivated violence through legal actionProvides direct legal assistance and advocacy to victims of hate crimes and bias-motivated violence, including supporting Nirmal Singh after a hate attack and litigating to secure hate crime charges.
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Youth and Community Research Initiatives 1 activity
- Conduct research on Sikh diaspora experiences and school climateConducts and publishes national studies on Sikh youth experiences with bullying and school climate, including the 2024 report "Where Are You Really From?" and a report on transnational repression titled "So Many Targets."
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Anti-Bullying Education and Prevention Programs 1 activity
- Deliver anti-bullying and Sikh awareness programs in schoolsDevelops and delivers anti-bullying resources and Sikh awareness presentations to schools, reaching thousands of students; supported a Department of Justice inquiry resulting in legal settlements improving school safety for tens of thousands.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Engage in government advocacy and civic mobilizationConducts advocacy by engaging communities in petition signing, rallies, and vigils, and works with local, state, and federal officials to shape policies on hate crimes, TSA profiling, and inclusive education.
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Human Rights Advocacy Funding 1 activity
- Fund community-based civil rights campaigns and leadership developmentProvides grants to support community-based campaigns, activism, and leadership initiatives focused on civil and human rights.
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Operate Sikh Speakers Network for community education and leadershipRuns the Sikh Speakers Network with over 90 community members across more than 20 professional and academic disciplines to deliver educational presentations in schools, workplaces, and interfaith settings.
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Religious Worship and Spiritual Instruction 1 activity
- Provide 24/7 media support and promote responsible media coverageOffers round-the-clock media support to journalists and community members and advocates for accurate and respectful media representation of Sikh Americans.
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Immigrant Rights Education & Legal Preparedness 1 activity
- Provide immigration and legal preparedness resourcesDevelops and distributes immigration resources including the Immigrant Family Preparedness Guide, printable materials in English and Punjabi, and Know Your Rights materials such as the Kirpan Wallet Card and Parents Guide to Bullying.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Advocate against religious discrimination in employmentCombats workplace religious discrimination through legal advocacy and litigation, including cases involving JB Hunt, Walt Disney World, American Medical Response, and individual Sikh employees facing denial of religious accommodations.
- Advocate for religious accommodations in the U.S. militaryProvides legal advocacy and litigation to secure religious accommodations for Sikh service members, including securing a preliminary injunction for Lance Corporal Jaskirat Singh and ongoing litigation for Marine Corps accommodations.
- Operate FlyRights platform for airport discrimination complaintsRuns FlyRights, a digital platform allowing individuals to file complaints about discrimination during airport security screenings via website or mobile app.
- Provide free educational and empowerment resourcesDistributes free educational materials including lesson plans, reading lists, case studies, media articles, video resources, hate crime explanation posters, and visitor guides for gurdwaras in English and Punjabi, available online and in print.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.42M
Contributions & grants$5.35M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$40K1%
Other revenue$34K
expenses
Total expenses$3.06M
Program expenses84%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$2.45M
Grants paid out$10K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$6.56M
Cash$5.48M
Investments$463K
Liabilities$208K
Net assets$6.35M
Liquid reserves23.4 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +68.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HARMANPREET SINGH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $177K |
| GRAHAM FOWLER WEST | MANAGING DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $156K |
| GISELLE KLAPPER | LEGAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $129K |
| ABBY KELLY GUALDONMI | FORMER DIR OF COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $97K |
| ANISHA SINGH | FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $39K |
| AMRITH KAUR AAKRE | FORMER LEGAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $29K |
board members · 9
- DR HARPREET SINGH — CO-CHAIR
- DR SANDEEP SINGH — TRUSTEE
- GURPREET SINGH AHUJA — TRUSTEE
- MANPREET K SINGH — SECRETARY
- NITASHA KAUR SAWHNEY — TRUSTEE
- PRABHJOT SINGH — TREASURER
- SAVNEET SINGH — TRUSTEE
- SUKHMANI KAUR KOCHER — CO-CHAIR
- SUNEET KAUR — TRUSTEE
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- ACLU Partner — Collaborated with the ACLU in advocating for Gurdit Singh's religious rights at Walt Disney World.
- BakerHostetler Partner — Legal partner in the case of Lance Corporal Jaskirat Singh seeking religious accommodation in the U.S. Marine Corps.
- Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Partner — Litigation partner in cases involving religious accommodations for Sikhs serving in the U.S. military.
- Department of Justice Government — Collaborated with the Sikh Coalition on a school bullying inquiry and legal settlements.
- EEOC Government — Federal agency with which the Sikh Coalition filed a discrimination complaint leading to a lawsuit against American Medical Response.
- FlyRights Partner — Operates the FlyRights platform in partnership to enable reporting of airport security discrimination.
- Meta Partner — Entity being called upon to address censorship of Sikh-related content on its social media platforms.
- NYPD Government — Law enforcement agency collaborated with to secure hate crime charges in the attack on Nirmal Singh.
- Sikh American Veterans Alliance Partner — Partner organization in advocating for equal opportunity for Sikhs in the U.S. military.
- Sikh Coalition Ambassadors Network — Network of community members engaged in advocacy and education efforts supported by the Sikh Coalition.
- Sikh Dharamsal Partner — Collaborates with the Sikh Coalition on media engagement and outreach efforts.
- Sikh Speakers Network Network — Network of over 90 Sikh community members trained to represent Sikh experiences in public forums.
- TSA Government — Engages in advocacy to end TSA profiling of Sikh Americans.
- Winston & Strawn LLP Partner — Pro bono co-counsel in litigation supporting Sikh service members' religious accommodations in the U.S. military.
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.
- Community-Led Empowerment and Civic Engagementmethodology: community-led_advocacyBy building grassroots leadership and facilitating civic participation through rallies, petitions, and digital advocacy tools, the organization strengthens civil rights outcomes because community ownership and collective action increase political influence and sustained engagement.
- Education-Based Advocacy to Build Youth Resilience and Safetymethodology: education-for-safetyBy integrating Sikh history and identity into school curricula and tailoring educational materials to diverse audiences, the organization increases student safety and resilience because visibility and understanding reduce bullying and foster pride among Sikh youth.
- Integrated Legal and Policy Advocacy for Systemic Changemethodology: legal_and_policy_advocacy_for_systemic_changeBy combining direct legal action, policy reform, and legislative advocacy, the organization produces systemic civil rights protections for Sikh Americans because legal and policy levers create binding, scalable change that addresses root causes of discrimination.
- Strategic Narrative and Media Influencemethodology: media-narrative-shapingBy shaping media narratives and advocating for platform accountability, the organization increases Sikh American visibility and counters underrepresentation because public perception shifts when stories are controlled by the community and amplified through credible channels.