How Dasvandh Network Works

The Sikh instinct to give

For Sikhs, giving has never been a year-end transaction. It is woven into daily life by three teachings Guru Nanak gave us. Vand Chhako asks us to share our earnings, resources, and food directly with those in need. Seva is selfless service offered with the whole self: tan (physical labour, down to scrubbing the dishes), man (emotional care and investment), and dhan (giving of our means). And dasvandh, literally the tenth part, is the commitment to return a tenth of our honest earnings and time to the community.

Together, these turn charity into an active, spiritual exchange rather than a passive duty. Independent research, including survey work by the Sikh Research Institute, bears this out: while many Sikhs aspire to long-term philanthropic strategy, the great majority of community funds still flow toward immediate, direct relief.

Why we give directly

That instinct for tangible giving runs deep. In every Gurdwara, the langar is stocked, cooked, and served by the sangat itself. This isn't outsourced or delivered by a central agency, it is resourced and delivered by hand. Sikh history also carries a healthy wariness of intermediaries. When the Masand collection system grew corrupt, Guru Gobind Singh dismantled it and returned trust to local sangats who managed funds in the open. And true daan is meant to be humble and quiet, never a matter of recognition.

In our own time, that same localized mindset has scaled into some of the most efficient grassroots work anywhere in the world. From crowdfunding for civil-rights defence and community clinics, to relief teams that arrive in person at disaster zones. Dasvandh Network exists to carry that spirit online: to let you give directly to the Sikh causes you believe in, with full confidence in where your dasvandh lands. Today, this movement of online dasvandh is directing over $2 million a year (and growing!) to Sikh causes.

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How organizations get listed on Dasvandh Network

Direct giving only works when you can trust where your money goes. So before any organization appears on Dasvandh Network, it passes through two gates.

First, we confirm it is a genuine, registered charity in good standing. Then our intake committee looks closer, examining the organization's governance, its track record, real-world impact, and its alignment with the Sikh ethos of sarbat da bhalla, the welfare of all. Only after clearing these steps can an organization publish its profile and begin fundraising on the platform.

Many organizations also run focused, time-bound initiatives, like a campaign with a hard deadline or a specific fundraising goal to support a special project. They can submit these as individual projects, which pass through the very same review before going live. That way a single appeal carries the same assurance as the organization behind it.

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Room for every changemaker

Not every changemaker is attached to a registered 501(c)(3). When a Sikh has a worthy project but no formal charitable home, we invite them to work through an existing organization that serves as their fiscal sponsor, publishing the project under that organization's umbrella on Dasvandh Network. That way the initiative gets the platform it needs, and the giving stays accountable.

The result is simple. Every organization and every project on Dasvandh Network has had its governance, mission, and alignment with Sikh values vetted before a single dollar is raised. When you give here, you never have to wonder. Your dasvandh always lands in a meaningful outcome. Today that reach spans more than 100 vetted organizations across nine cause categories. And the relationship doesn't end at the gift — donors receive regular updates on the impact their dasvandh goes on to create.

Going further than a single gift

Some donors want to do more than give. Some may want to rally others to a cause. If there's an organization or project that you're passionate about supporting, you can start a fundraiser on behalf of any cause on the platform. And because your fundraiser will be attached to a verified cause, your campaign goes live right away — kind of like a GoFundMe, but for verified Sikh causes.

Every so often, a philanthropist from the community steps forward to offer matching funds for a particular organization or project. Every dollar you contribute is then matched, up to the limit of that fund, so your gift is multiplied and your dasvandh reaches further than it would have gone.

That is how Dasvandh Network works: the directness Sikhs have always valued, accelerated through an online network, with the vetting and trust that ensures every act of dasvandh creates meaningful impact.