Sikh Family Center

What Sikh Family Center does

Sikh Family Center is a U.S. national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 and headquartered in Clovis, California, that delivers trauma-centered intervention, prevention, and education services focused on gender-based violence in the Punjabi Sikh American community. It is described in its own materials as the only professional U.S. organization specifically dedicated to this niche. Its core service is a National Non-Emergency Helpline (866-SFC-SEWA / 866-732-7392) providing bilingual Punjabi/English peer counseling, safety planning, crisis response coordination, and warm referrals, with non-live call-backs returned within 48 hours. The organization layers the helpline with an ecosystem of culturally-adapted resources: the Sikh Danger Assessment Tool (adapted from Jacquelyn Campbell's framework via Johns Hopkins School of Nursing collaboration), the Punjabi Sikh Power & Control Wheel (co-created with survivor input through anonymous surveys and listening circles), the 20 Signs of Fiancé Abuse resource, Bilingual Know Your Rights materials with red cards, Sehj Series youth-led workshops, Project Khesi (men-and-boys engagement), Suniyae Circles (listening/peer support groups), Mental Health Triage, and a Gurdwara Guide for faith-community protocols. Distribution runs through digital channels (website, Mailchimp newsletter, social media across Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube) and a dense on-the-ground network of gurdwara outreach supported by a Community Advocate Program.

The business model is hybrid for a nonprofit: the dominant revenue stream is tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, donor-advised funds, and corporate matching (including through Benevity), with a designated Urgent Action Fund grown via a partnership with Dasvandh Network to finance immediate survivor needs. A secondary stream is fee-based Organizational Training and Technical Assistance delivered to gurdwaras, Sikh organizations, and community groups on cultural humility, gender-based violence response, vicarious trauma, and equity policy — priced on a sliding scale explicitly designed to remove financial barriers, often structured as multi-year contracts. Helpline and survivor-direct services are fully free. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on trusted cultural-channel outreach rather than paid acquisition, and customer segments include Punjabi Sikh victim-survivors (primary), Sikh community members seeking mental health support, and Sikh-serving organizations. Operating status is active, the team remains small ("small though energized"), and the organization transitioned from an entirely volunteer-run model to incorporating paid staff beginning in 2017, with Mallika Kaur becoming Executive Director in 2021.

Name

Sikh Family Center

Legal name

Sikh Family Center

Website

https://sikhfamilycenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sikh Family Center is a U.S. national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers bilingual Punjabi/English helpline support, culturally-adapted assessment tools, and training focused on gender-based violence in the Punjabi Sikh American community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender-Based Violence Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based) (EDAKAMAF), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Gender violence support
• Crisis helpline services
• Community prevention education
• Cultural competency training
• Trauma-informed counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

National

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Sikh Family Center operates primarily through tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate matching programs. They accept donations through their website, donor advised funds (DAF), and checks mailed to their California office. The organization emphasizes that donations directly support survivors through their Urgent Action Fund.
2. Training and Technical Assistance Fees: Sikh Family Center provides fee-based training services to organizations, gurdwaras, and community groups on topics including cultural humility, gender-based violence, trauma response, and organizational equity policies. They operate on a sliding scale pricing model, emphasizing that financial situation should not be a barrier to accessing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sikh Family Center provides trauma-centered intervention and prevention services for the Punjabi Sikh American community, with a primary focus on gender-based violence. Its core offerings include a free national bilingual (Punjabi/English) helpline answered by trained peer counselors, culturally-adapted risk assessment tools, organizational training on cultural humility and trauma-informed response, mental health triage, listening circles, and community prevention education.

Product overview

Sikh Family Center is a national nonprofit organization that offers a suite of trauma-centered intervention and prevention services for the Punjabi Sikh community, with a particular focus on gender justice. The organization's core offerings include the National U.S. Helpline (a bilingual Punjabi/English peer counselor service), culturally-adapted assessment tools (the Sikh Danger Assessment Tool and Punjabi Sikh Power & Control Wheel), educational resources (20 Signs of Fiancé Abuse, Know Your Rights materials), and youth-led prevention programming (Sehj Series Workshops and Project Khesi). These services are delivered alongside organizational training, community advocate development, and listening circle facilitation, creating an integrated ecosystem of support ranging from crisis intervention to prevention education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National U.S. Helpline (Punjabi/English Non-Emergency Helpline) A non-emergency bilingual (Punjabi/English) helpline providing trauma-centered peer counseling, safety planning, crisis response coordination, and warm referrals for victim-survivors of gender-based violence in the Punjabi Sikh community. Callers leave a message and trained peer counselors return calls within 48 hours; services are free and confidential.
• Organizational Training & Technical Assistance Fee-based, sliding-scale training and technical assistance for gurdwaras, Sikh organizations, and community groups covering cultural humility, gender-based violence response, danger and lethality factors, vicarious trauma, and trauma-informed organizational policy. Designed for executive directors, program leads, and community organizations that interact with Punjabi Sikh survivors.
• Mental Health Triage Free triage sessions with culturally sensitive mental health experts to address urgent wellness needs, providing information, support, and recommendations for continued care in English or Punjabi. Targeted at Sikh community members seeking mental health resources.
• Suniyae Circles (Listening Circles) Small, closed discussion circles providing safe spaces for reflection, healing, and connection on topics related to trauma, gender-based violence, and community healing, including survivor circles, advocate circles, and topic-specific circles on child sexual abuse and teen dating violence. Designed for Sikh community members seeking peer-based reflective spaces.
• Community Advocate Program Volunteer program that trains Community Advocates across the country to connect local Sikh community congregations (sangats) with Sikh Family Center resources and serve as accessible local points of contact for those seeking help. Targeted at Sikh community members wanting to volunteer and at survivors seeking local, trusted entry points to services.
• Sikh Danger Assessment Tool A culturally-adapted risk evaluation instrument for Sikh women, based on Jacquelyn Campbell's Danger Assessment and adapted via the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, incorporating community-specific dynamics such as in-law abuse and Sikh-specific lethality factors. Designed for use by survivors themselves, peer counselors, and partner organizations to determine likelihood of severe or lethal harm.
• Punjabi Sikh Power & Control Wheel A visual educational tool co-created with Punjabi Sikh survivors (via anonymous surveys and listening circles) that illustrates tactics of abuse specific to the Punjabi Sikh community, adapted from the Duluth Project's Power and Control Wheel. Targeted at Punjabi Sikh women survivors and the organizations serving them.
• 20 Signs of Fiancé Abuse Resource A bilingual (English and Punjabi) educational resource that identifies twenty red flags of abuse that emerge after a rokaa/ardaas/engagement and before the wedding, drawn from Punjabi Sikh survivor input. Designed for prospective brides, families, and community members to recognize warning signs during the engagement period.
• Sehj Series Youth Prevention Workshops Youth-led prevention workshops for college-age Sikh youth promoting dialogue on violence prevention, communication, relationships, and boundaries, accompanied by facilitator guides for train-the-trainer delivery. Delivered in partnership with Sikh youth camps and retreats across North America.
• Project Khesi Prevention Initiative A prevention initiative engaging Sikh men and boys in discussions about ending gender-based violence, using the "warm blanket" metaphor and featuring video interviews with Sikh fathers alongside community-centered workshops. Targeted at Sikh families and male allies in the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served hundreds of Punjabi Sikh survivors since 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dasvandh NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDasvandh Network is partnering with Sikh Family Center to grow their Urgent Action Fund for helpline callers. The fund addresses immediate financial needs for survivors during dangerous transition periods, including food, clothing, temporary housing, prepaid phones, and more. This partnership enables matching donation opportunities and expanded donor reach.
• BenevityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate giving platform through which employees can request matching donations for Sikh Family Center.
• Dasvandh NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership focused on fundraising and donor engagement to support Sikh Family Center's Urgent Action Fund for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Sikh CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Sikh Coalition on emotional health and wellbeing initiatives. Sikh Family Center's Sanjog Kaur collaborated with Sikh Coalition to bring emotional health and wellbeing content forward. Both organizations work toward Sikh community welfare through complementary approaches.
• Local Domestic Violence AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local DV agencies to provide shelter, advocacy, and support services for survivors referred through Sikh Family Center's helpline. Sikh Family Center coordinates with these agencies to advocate for survivors' specific needs including language requirements and cultural considerations.
• Sikh Youth Camps and RetreatsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Sikh youth camps and retreats across North America to deliver prevention education workshops, including Sehj Series workshops on boundaries, consent, and healthy relationships for college-age youth.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence: National resource center addressing gender-based violence in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Operates in an overlapping cultural-competency niche and serves as a potential referral/funding partner for SFC.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: The largest U.S. 24/7 live-answer DV helpline. Comparable as the dominant national DV service provider against which SFC's non-emergency, culturally-specific Sikh-focused helpline is differentiated.

Others

• Dasvandh Network: Sikh-American giving network and core SFC partner for the Urgent Action Fund. Comparable as a Sikh-community-aligned nonprofit that funds SFC's survivor emergency support and shares the community seva mission.

Direct peers

• Maitri: Bay Area-based nonprofit serving South Asian survivors of domestic violence with a helpline, counseling, and referrals. Closely comparable as a culturally-specific South Asian DV organization with similar service architecture.
• Casa de Esperanza: National organization addressing domestic violence in Latinx communities with bilingual advocacy and shelter services. Comparable model: culturally-specific DV services for an underserved immigrant community.
• Asian Women's Shelter: San Francisco-based organization providing shelter, advocacy, and culturally-specific services for survivors of domestic violence in Asian American communities. SFC's co-founder Beckie Masaki co-founded AWA, and both serve immigrant women survivors with culturally and linguistically matched services.
• Saheli: Massachusetts-based South Asian women's support organization addressing domestic violence, mental health, and family conflict. Comparable as a regional South Asian DV/empowerment nonprofit with bilingual support and education programming.
• Sikh Coalition: National Sikh American civil rights organization that addresses discrimination, education, and community well-being. Directly comparable as a Sikh-American-focused nonprofit that SFC collaborates with on emotional health and wellbeing initiatives.

Emerging players

• Brown Girl Therapy: Founded by SFC advisory board member Sahaj Kaur Kohli, this is the largest mental health community organization for children of immigrants. Comparable as a culturally-specific mental health platform addressing overlapping populations.
• South Asian Mental Health Consortium: Founded by SFC advisory board member Preet Kaur Sabharwal, this consortium addresses mental health in South Asian communities. Comparable as a culturally-specific mental health organization that overlaps with SFC's Mental Wellness triage services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SikhFamilyCtr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPN6fcYkIomHT_fDBo4X90g
• Facebookfacebook.com/sikhfamilycenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sikhfamilycenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/sikhfamilycenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sikh Family Center