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About us
A young society, built carefully, in the open.
Seva Sangat Foundation was incorporated in British Columbia on 22 April 2026. This page tells you who we are, what we are legally bound to do, and who is responsible for it.
Why we started
The work was already happening. It needed a home.
Across the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver, seva happens every day without a name attached to it. Somebody drives an elder to a clinic. Somebody cooks for a family that has had a hard month. Somebody sits with a newcomer and works through a form written in a language they are still learning. None of it is organised, and almost none of it is counted.
Seva Sangat Foundation exists to give that instinct a structure: a society with directors who are accountable, records that can be inspected, insurance behind its volunteers, and programs that can be planned rather than improvised. Structure is not the point of the work. It is what lets the work be trusted, repeated, and grown.
Our roots are Sikh. The teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji shape how we think about service, about equality, and about the responsibility that comes with having something to give. Those roots are the reason the door is open rather than a condition for walking through it. We do not ask anyone their faith before we help them, and we do not ask it before we hand them an apron.
In the long run we intend to build a permanent place of worship and community gathering. That is written into our purposes, and it is a long road. Everything we do before then is the groundwork.
Mission and vision
What we are here to do.
Our mission
To serve our neighbours across the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver with dignity, to keep Sikh and Punjabi teaching and heritage alive for the next generation, and to build a community where nobody is left to manage a hard season alone.
Our vision
A community with a permanent home for worship, learning and gathering, and a standing body of volunteers who can be called on when a family, an elder or a newcomer needs help.
Our values
- 1SevaService without expectation. Nobody here is doing anyone a favour.
- 2SangatThe community does the work together. No single person is the foundation.
- 3DignityWe serve neighbours, never cases. No photographs of people receiving help, no registration lines, no questions that are not needed.
- 4OpennessEvery person is welcome, of every faith, background and situation.
- 5AccountabilityEvery dollar and every hour is recorded and can be explained.
Our purposes
Exactly as filed with BC Registries.
A society's purposes are the legal boundary of what it may do. Ours were filed with our incorporation application and are a matter of public record. They are reproduced here word for word.
To preach, teach, and propagate the principles, teachings, and philosophy of the Sikh religion as enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, including through religious discourse (katha), kirtan, sermons, and other forms of spiritual education.
To promote and preserve Sikh and Punjabi religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage within the community.
To organize educational programs, workshops, and classes related to religious studies, Punjabi language, Gurmat, Gurbani, and cultural traditions.
To organize community events, celebrations, religious gatherings, and cultural programs that strengthen community bonds.
To provide charitable support and assistance to community members in need, including seniors, newcomers, and families facing hardship.
To raise funds and receive donations to support the operations and future growth of the society, including the eventual establishment of a physical place of worship and community gathering.
A seventh purpose covers anything incidental or conducive to the six above. Our bylaws are the Province of British Columbia model bylaws set out in Schedule 1 of the Societies Regulation 2015.
Our board
Three directors, unpaid, personally accountable.
Under the Societies Act, our directors carry legal duties to the society that cannot be signed away. They receive no remuneration. Their names are on the public register, and they are here too.
Manwinder Kaur
Director and incorporator
Filed the society's incorporation application with BC Registries and certified it on behalf of the foundation.
Balwinder Kaur Brar
Director
A founding director of the society since 22 April 2026.
Manmeet Kaur Gill
Director
A founding director of the society since 22 April 2026.
Joining the board
We are open to adding directors and committee members as the foundation grows, particularly people with experience in finance, food safety, seniors care, teaching or community health. If that is you, write to us.
Legal standing
What we are, and what we are not yet.
What is confirmed
- Legal name
- SEVA SANGAT FOUNDATION
- Entity type
- BC society
- Incorporation number
- S0085142
- Date incorporated
- 22 April 2026
- Governing statute
- Societies Act (BC)
- Bylaws
- Model bylaws
- Registered office
- Abbotsford, BC
What is not in place yet
We would rather list these than let anyone assume otherwise.
- Registered charity status. We are not registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and cannot issue official donation receipts. Any donation made before registration is granted is not receiptable, and if we are ever granted registration it will not apply backwards.
- Public donation channels. Not open. See our donations page for exactly why.
- Insurance. General liability and directors and officers coverage are being arranged. No public program will run before they are in place.
- Running programs. Everything on our What We Do page is marked either as getting started or as planned.
How to check us
Any person can look up a British Columbia society on the public register held by BC Registries and Online Services. Search our incorporation number, S0085142. Our financial statements will be available to any person on request once our first financial year closes, as the Societies Act requires.