In a year of uncertainty and a rising climate of hate, SALDEF has delivered on its promise of defending and empowering you. We are effectively… Raising Our Voice 
This year, our media visibility reached groundbreaking records with hundreds of media features including the Washington Post, the New York Times, the LA Times, CNN and NPR. The tragedy in Oak Creek put our community in the nation’s spotlight for a brief time and SALDEF was sought after by the most prominent media sources to provide accurate information about Sikhs and Sikhism. Thanks to your support we currently have an unprecedented level of credibility with the media and are recognized as a trusted voice for Sikh Americans.
Creating Future Leaders 
In 2011, SALDEF launched a unique initiative called SikhLEAD to inspire, train and support young Sikh Americans as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership. Through two programs, the Leadership Development Program and the Internship Program, SALDEF has groomed 34 emerging leaders and placed 7 young Sikh Americans in positions on Capitol Hill and in the Federal Agencies. With your support, we can continue to develop leadership skills, encourage political and civic engagement, and provide unparalleled experiences for our youth.
Breaking Barriers 
Earlier this year, the seventh largest police force in the nation became the first major police department in the United States to explicitly and voluntarily allow Sikh Americans to serve as full-time, uniformed police officers while keeping their articles of faith. We congratulate the entire community on this victory and encourage Sikh Americans to take full advantage of this opportunity. Over the years, your support has also allowed us to produce high quality educational resources like On Common Ground, develop specialized training curriculums such as the one now used in Las Vegas and reach tens of thousands of law enforcement officers through live, in-person cultural awareness trainings.
Building Bridges of Understanding 
SALDEF organized the first Know Your Rights Forum 10 years ago and since then we have organized Forums in over 30 cities across the country and educated countless Sikh Americans about their rights. Through these forums we introduce community members to agencies and groups that can address complaints, incidents or issues; and provide local, state and federal government agencies with the opportunity to build relationships with and address the specific needs of their local Sikh American community. Our outreach efforts are funded through the support of generous community members like yourself.
Bringing Your Concerns to Key Decision Makers 
This year, SALDEF’s Executive Director, Jasjit Singh, was appointed by the Department of Homeland Security to serve on its faith-based advisory committee to address issues of national security. As the only Sikh American organization represented, SALDEF is bringing Sikh American concerns to key decision makers and ensuring that our community’s voice is heard. Additionally, we have met with over a dozen congressmen and senators over the past year to raise community issues related to racial profiling, school bullying and workplace religious freedom. Your support gives us the opportunity to participate in high-level government advocacy such as this.
SALDEF Year-End Campaign 
Support us with a generous year-end donation or monthly donation so that we can expand this work and continue to empower the community. Your donation will help us:
- Educate local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies around the country as to who Sikh Americans are and how to treat them and their articles of faith with respect
- Inspire our future Sikh American leaders through our SikhLEAD Leadership Development and Internship Programs
- Monitor the media to ensure they are providing their audiences with accurate representations of Sikh Americans
- Advocate to policy makers in Washington D.C. on behalf of Sikh Americans
