The Sikh Coalition

What The Sikh Coalition does

The Sikh Coalition is a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization founded on September 11, 2001 in response to post-9/11 backlash against Sikh Americans. It is the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States and serves an estimated 500,000 Sikh Americans through a network of nearly 350 gurdwaras and more than 100 volunteer community advocates. The organization is headquartered at 165 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York City, with additional offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Chicago, staffed by 20 full- and part-time employees. Its mission centers on combating discrimination, hate violence, and profiling of Sikh Americans across employment, education, immigration, and law-enforcement contexts.

The organization's core products span legal services, policy advocacy, and educational resources. Legal work is anchored by a docket of 68 cases (32 active, 28 past, 8 landmark), with a recent filing against the California DMV targeting commercial trucking policy. Educational and community tools include the FlyRights app for airline discrimination reporting, the Back to School Toolkit, the School Climate Report, immigration and gurdwara security resources, trucker-focused materials, and the Sikh Speakers Network. Research outputs include the Transnational Repression Report on foreign-government intimidation and a podcast series. The underlying technology stack is primarily informational publishing, mobile apps for incident reporting, and web-based resource distribution rather than a proprietary platform.

The business model is that of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by individual donations, private foundation grants, and community fundraising, with no government funding. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Revenue is best proxied by an annual operating budget of more than $2.5 million. Geographic distribution across five offices and a multi-issue legal docket reflect a deliberate strategy to position the organization as the principal civil-rights voice for the U.S. Sikh community.

Name

The Sikh Coalition

Legal name

The Sikh Coalition

Website

https://sikhcoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sikh Coalition is a nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 2001 that provides free legal aid, policy advocacy, and educational resources to approximately 500,000 Sikh Americans through offices in New York, California, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Civil rights advocacy
• Legal aid services
• Religious discrimination
• Community advocacy
• Nonprofit advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Sikh Coalition is funded by individual donors. Their donation page emphasizes dasvandh (a Sikh principle of sharing resources) as the basis for support. Multiple donation options include one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, and house fundraisers.
2. Grants from Private Foundations: Funding comes from grants and private foundations, as stated in their mission materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Sikh Coalition is a nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization that provides free legal aid, advocacy, and community education resources to Sikh Americans facing discrimination, hate crimes, workplace rights violations, and school-related issues. It also operates know-your-rights and educational programs in partnership with gurdwaras and schools, and engages in policy advocacy on issues affecting the Sikh American community.

Product overview

The Sikh Coalition is a civil rights advocacy nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of free community resources and programs rather than a commercial technology product. Core offerings include the FlyRights smartphone application for reporting TSA discrimination, comprehensive Back to School and educational toolkits, immigration and truck driver Know Your Rights resources in English and Punjabi, the Gurdwara Security Toolkit, research reports (School Climate Report, Transnational Repression Report), and community programs such as the Sikh Speakers Network, Junior Sikh Coalition, and The Sikh Project. These products function as direct service delivery mechanisms for the organization's civil rights mission rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Legal Aid and Civil Rights Representation Free legal counsel, intake, and representation for Sikh Americans experiencing discrimination, hate incidents, or civil rights violations in workplaces, schools, and public accommodations.
• FlyRights App Mobile app that allows users to document and submit complaints about airline profiling incidents, particularly those related to religious appearance.
• Sikh Awareness Educational Resources for Schools Educational materials, curriculum guides, and training resources for schools and educators to build awareness of Sikh identity and prevent bullying of Sikh students.
• Know-Your-Rights and Community Advocacy Programs Community education programs, know-your-rights materials, and policy advocacy campaigns to advance Sikh American civil rights at the local, state, and federal levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68 legal cases (32 current, 28 past, 8 landmark) across employment discrimination, hate crimes, school bullying, and more
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Winston & Strawn LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro bono co-counsel on multiple Sikh Coalition legal cases including military religious accommodation cases and employment discrimination matters. Partnered on cases against the U.S. Marine Corps and other defendants.
• Becket Fund for Religious LibertycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLitigation partner on military religious accommodation cases. Collaborated on landmark cases enabling Sikhs to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps with articles of faith intact.
• BakerHostetlercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLitigation partner on military religious accommodation cases, working alongside the Sikh Coalition legal team.
• Sikh American Veterans AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Sikh Coalition on military religious accommodation cases and advocacy for Sikh service members.
• Asian Law CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal partner in the lawsuit against California DMV over non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses. Joint litigation on behalf of affected Sikh and Punjabi truck drivers.
• United SikhsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff with Sikh Coalition in lawsuit against California DMV over wrongful cancellation of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses. Also partnered on trucker advocacy efforts.
• SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSikh advocacy organization with shared mission. Collaborated on gurdwara security and immigration advocacy work including responses to DHS visits at gurdwaras.
• Equitas Forum USAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerConvened the Capitol Hill briefing on alleged transnational repression where the Sikh Coalition participated alongside other advocacy groups including Hindus for Human Rights.
• Hindus for Human RightsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvocacy partner on shared civil rights concerns including transnational repression briefings and Capitol Hill advocacy.
• Democracy ForwardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal organization bringing suit against the U.S. government on sensitive locations policy. Sikh Coalition worked with them to find gurdwaras to join lawsuit opposing ICE enforcement at houses of worship.
• Interfaith Center of New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided resources and guidance on community response to ICE arrests. Sikh Coalition translated their materials into Punjabi for distribution.
• Asian Law CaucusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of legal expertise on birthright citizenship and immigration issues. Sikh Coalition used their content as basis for community FAQ documents.
• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on workplace discrimination cases including Disney World case. Shared legal resources and advocacy on civil rights matters affecting Sikh community.
• Religion News FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Sikh Coalition to produce the Sikhism Reporter's Guide for journalists, ensuring accurate coverage of Sikh faith, traditions, and community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Jakara Movement: A Sikh American community organizing and civic engagement nonprofit focused on youth leadership, voter engagement, and grassroots mobilization. Overlaps with the Sikh Coalition's civic engagement work and is led by alumni who have moved into Sikh Coalition leadership roles.
• Hindus for Human Rights: A South Asian American civil rights advocacy organization that has partnered with the Sikh Coalition on transnational repression briefings and Capitol Hill advocacy; partial overlap on faith-community civil rights and diaspora advocacy.

Direct peers

• United Sikhs: International Sikh advocacy organization providing legal aid, disaster relief, and human rights work; a direct peer that has co-litigated the California DMV CDL case alongside the Sikh Coalition and serves overlapping Sikh American constituencies.
• Becket Fund for Religious Liberty: A national religious liberty legal organization that litigates faith-based accommodation cases, including the military accommodation cases partnered on with the Sikh Coalition. Direct comparable on religious civil rights litigation strategy and capacity.
• SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund): A peer Sikh American civil rights advocacy organization that, like the Sikh Coalition, focuses on legal defense, education, and civic engagement for the Sikh community. They have collaborated on gurdwara security and immigration advocacy, and compete for the same donor base and volunteer network.
• Muslim Advocates: A national civil rights organization providing legal aid and policy advocacy for Muslim Americans, addressing post-9/11 discrimination patterns that closely parallel those faced by Sikh Americans; directly comparable on faith-community civil rights legal strategy.
• South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT): A South Asian American civil rights and advocacy organization addressing hate violence, immigration, and civic engagement; comparable mission around minority rights advocacy with overlapping Sikh and broader South Asian American constituency.
• Asian Law Caucus: Asian American legal advocacy organization that has served as co-counsel on the California DMV non-domiciled CDL lawsuit and immigration work alongside the Sikh Coalition; comparable legal aid and civil rights mission with overlapping Punjabi/Sikh clientele.

Broad incumbents

• Democracy Forward: A national legal organization that has partnered with the Sikh Coalition on the sensitive locations lawsuit opposing ICE enforcement at gurdwaras; broader government accountability mission with overlapping litigation strategy.
• ACLU: Broad-based U.S. civil rights organization that has co-counseled with the Sikh Coalition on workplace religious discrimination cases such as the Disney World settlement; operates across many identity categories rather than specializing in the Sikh community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sikh_coalition
• Facebookfacebook.com/thesikhcoalition
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sikh-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sikh Coalition