Think back to your college years.
Maybe you found your people at a Gurdwara. Maybe it was a late-night langar with friends who felt like family. Maybe it was a retreat where, for the first time, you understood what it truly meant to be Sikh.
Now imagine a Sikh student on a campus far from home — with no SSA, no sangat, no safe space to belong.
That's the gap we're closing. And we need your help.
Who We Are
For over 10 years, USM's SSA Collective has been the backbone of Sikh Student Associations across the nation — making sure that every Sikh student, on every campus, has a community to call their own.
Sikh Student Associations are more than clubs. They are spaces where identity is strengthened, leadership is born, careers are shaped and lifelong bonds are formed. But without guidance, resources, and support, many SSAs quietly fade — leaving students without the sangat they deserve.
The SSA Collective exists so that never happens.
What We Make Possible
We don't just support SSAs — we build the infrastructure for them to thrive.
- Grants & Funding for Student-Led Initiatives Because the best ideas come from students themselves — and they deserve the resources to make them real.
- Resources That Actually Work - SSA Starter Manuals, 100+ event and budgeting templates, and a full library of Sikhi Awareness Materials — pamphlets, videos, and presentations — so SSA leaders can spend less time reinventing the wheel and more time building community.
- Connections That Open Doors Direct access to major Sikh organizations, mentors, speakers, and opportunities that most students couldn't find on their own.
- Retreats & Conferences That Transform From regional leadership retreats to inter-SSA conferences rooted in Sikhi and seva — we bring students together in ways that change them. Friendships formed. Leaders shaped. Roots deepened.
- National Sikh Awareness Campaigns We activate SSAs to educate their campuses about Sikhi — working with universities and institutions to create a world where Sikh students are seen, understood, and respected.
- Direct, Ongoing Support with SSA Presidents so no leader ever feels alone. Our experienced coordinators bring real-world knowledge — from starting an SSA from scratch to navigating university funding — and pass it down to the next generation.
This Year, Your Dollars Did This
In this school year alone, over $12,600 was poured directly into SSA Collective programming and SSA grants:
Program Investment
West Coast Leadership Retreat -$4,000
Midwest Conference, Leadership Retreat & Book Club - $6,000
SSA Grants to Cover Funding Gaps - $500
SSA Led Professional Development Events - $600
Inter-SSA Professional Development Conference - $1,000
Inter-SSA Student Led Seva Initiatives -$600
Total: $12,700
And this is just the beginning.
There are currently 75 SSAs across the nation — and the need is only growing. To fund regional events, launch new SSAs, and deepen our programming, we need more.
A Message for Our Alumni & Aunties and Uncles
You remember what it felt like — or maybe you wish you'd had this.
The SSA Collective is giving today's Sikh students what many of us never had: a structured, supported, resourced community that holds them through some of the most formative years of their lives.
Your contribution isn't just a donation. It's a bridge between generations. It's you, passing the torch to a 19-year-old who is figuring out what it means to be Sikh, to be a leader, to belong.
The youth are showing up. Will you show up for them?
Give the Gift of Sangat and invest in the next generation of Sikh leaders.
Every dollar goes directly into programming, retreats, resources, and grants that keep SSAs alive and thriving — on campuses across the country.