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JUL 13, 2025
Dear Friend,
Sat Sri Akal. I hope you and your family are well. On behalf of the SHDF Board, I
would like to express our warmest wishes to you and your family.
We are deeply grateful to you for your invaluable support over the years. It is
your sustained Seva that is continuing to allow SHDF to fulfill its mandate to
provide college scholarships to the neediest and most vulnerable but
accomplished students in Punjab and the neighboring areas.
We provided 1624 scholarships last year—a record number, and 13,000
scholarships since the inception of SHDF. Over 70% of our applicants come from
families earning less than $3 per day; three quarters are young women and two-
thirds are from rural areas.
This year working with our new partners- the Sikh Education Society of
Chandigarh (SES) and of Faridkot, we aim to exceed that number. With SES’s
expanded outreach, and with the setting up of additional Centers -- we have
embarked on increasing the number of scholarships upto 1,800 students, and
implement substantial new initiatives.
As discussed in the Recent Developments below, leveraging of advanced
technology and digitizing our operations is underway (including digital application
process). in addition to increasing the number of scholarships, to increase their
impact, we aim to provide significant advice and guidance to the scholarship
recipients regarding their courses and careers. This would include more soft-skills
workshops with training in leadership, networking and resourcefulness, and a
one-on-one mentoring program, connecting students with experienced and
accomplished professionals from their field. We are also developing an Alumni
Network, and exploring coaching assistance for entrepreneurship and civil service
exams. Meanwhile, our initiative for the merit-cum-need USA Scholarships is
ongoing. The activities of SHDF Canada are being expanded with the addition of
highly motivated Seva volunteers.
Recent Developments and Ongoing Initiatives
A. Partnership with Sikh Education Society and Expanding Reach
Our partnership with the Sikh Education Society, Chandigarh (SES) and its sister
organization, the Sikh Education Society of Faridkot is moving ahead. These two
esteemed institutions, with a legacy spanning nearly a century, manage eighteen
schools and colleges across Punjab and Chandigarh. This partnership, anchored by
an outstanding and highly dedicated member of the SES Boards, as well as senior.
SES educationalists and staff is allowing us to expand our impact markedly.
B. SHDF-SES Centers
We have opened SHDF-SES office in Chandigarh, and recruited expert staff and
are moving ahead with the setting up of new Centers, staffed by motivated and
experienced volunteers, often educationalist and other professional. These
Centers play a key role in the scholarship program, assisting in reaching students,
helping verify rigorously applications, conducting exams and interviews, and
facilitate the awarding of scholarships. We are planning to have key Centers in Sri
Amritsar Sahib, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mastuana Sahib, Faridkot,
Banga, Qadian, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Ambala and New Delhi .
C. Digitalization of Application Process
In an effort to increase efficiency and accessibility, we are in the process of
transitioning from a paper-based application system to a fully digital platform,
particularly for new applicants. This move will streamline the application process,
further improve outreach, transparency, and offer a more user-friendly
experience for students. It will also help us achieve the range of initiatives noted
above. Importantly, this digitalization initiative will foster operational scalability,
enabling us to assess, review, and grant a larger number of scholarships more
effectively.
We are embarking on the application process for the 2025-2026 session, and
digitization will be a key element in the process. In addition, we are publishing
advertisements in major newspapers, reaching out to colleges, universities and
community organizations to disseminate information, and organizing
informational visits to rural areas, ensuring that students from diverse
backgrounds are aware of this opportunity.
D. SHDF Canada
We are excited to announce the expansion of our team with the addition of new
dedicated expert volunteers for SHDF Canada. This will enhance our outreach
initiatives in Canada, and fund-raising activities.
Your Support is Crucial
Your generous support is critical for the scholarship program, making all our
activities possible. There are still many, many more young women and men with
dreams of higher education who need your help. As you make your charitable
contributions, we urge you to please consider giving the gift that
keeps on giving – the gift of education via SHDF scholarship.
Thank you so much for your invaluable Seva which is truly transformative for
young women and men and for generations to come
Fundraising campaigns for Education
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Updates from Sponsor a Scholarship’s efforts, posted on a regular basis.
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Every cause is reviewed before it can receive a dollar.
Join over 27,000 Sikhs to rise higher than we could alone.
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