One of the many responsibilities of a Sikh includes the practice of dasvandh, or sharing a part of one’s earning in the name of the Guru towards common resources of the community. Dasvandh should be distinguished from dan, or charity; contributions made in the spirit of dasvandh focus on projects of universal social reform and maintenance of religious institutions such as gurdwaras and guru ka langar.

Although Sikhs have been practicing dasvandh since the time of Guru Amar Das Ji, the potential of this collective resource remains untapped. The Sikh-American community has only recently started to organize to address current and future challenges, but it still remains paralyzed by inefficiency and lack of consistent funds. The Dasvandh Fund, a pooled investment fund aimed at investing our financial capital in Sikh enterprises securely, thoughtfully and ethically, is the first of its kind (to my knowledge) and currently in the works.

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The venture fund is on the lookout for a smart, dedicated and passionate intern to commit 6+ weeks over the course of Summer 2009 to assist in setting up the fund. If you’re the lucky sevadar, you’ll help the fund:

  • connect with other non-profits who are structured in a similar way to learn best practices
  • build relationships with Sikh non-profit organizations in the U.S.
  • construct the member organization application form and ongoing oversight process
  • establish a marketing program to publicize itself to the Sikh community
  • specify the layout and functionality of its website

If you’re ready to make waves in the future of the Panth, email inderpal.singh@dasvandhfund.org with a brief statement describing your interest and a resume. And after you’re done with the internship send some updates–we’d be stoked to hear them!