The Chahal Foundation’s Beginning

Limitless Dreams. Limitless Possibilities.

OUR STORY

Gurbaksh Chahal, his ground team, and volunteers from around the world have touched the lives of many people from all walks of life, helping indirectly with the effects of their contributions.

Where it all started

The Chahal Foundation was founded by Gurbaksh Chahal.

After the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in 2012, Chahal committed 1 million USD to found the Chahal Foundation (previously known as BeProud).

The news of the shooting triggered Chahal’s memories of being teased at school for wearing a patka – he couldn’t believe that over 26 years on, hate attacks still existed. With a strong belief that something had to be done, he stepped in taking the lead on making a change and bringing people together via the campaign #BePround.

Within three months, the Chahal Foundation was born and on a mission to support families of hate crime victims, with the premise that through raising awareness, future hate crimes in America can be prevented.

A growing foundation on a mission

Since 2012, Gurbaksh and the team have gone on to grow the Foundation worldwide, focusing efforts on positively impacting the lives of communities, families, and children living in a cross-section of society.

We work across 4 main areas:

  • Supporting disaster relief efforts across the world
  • Providing university scholarships and mentorships
  • Improving education facilities in third world countries
  • Creating awareness of key systemic social issues

Our ultimate mission is to make the world we live in a better place for all. And, whilst we’ve made a dent, there’s still so much work that needs to be done to give everyone a fair chance and equal opportunity to live life with limitless dreams and limitless potential.

How we do it

Educating ourselves

One of the first and most important things to do if you want to make a difference is to truly understand the problem.

Getting to the root, learning about the challenges and cultural issues being faced, and understanding exactly what needs to be done, is the first step in knowing where to start to make a change.

Gurbaksh and the team have on several occasions visited schools, underprivileged shelters, and community centers to see what’s really happening, meeting communities and families and highlighting the importance of the causes the foundation supports.

Raising awareness

There are so many cultural issues and challenges going on day-in, day-out that simply aren’t known or talked about enough.

For the privileged and the fortunate, these issues are a world away from anything seen or experienced in their own lives.

If we’re to make a difference, we have to expose the true story of what is really happening. The Chahal Foundation works to raise awareness of problems that many are unaware of, opening the world’s eyes to what needs to change.

Investing in their future

Many of the challenges faced by communities, families and children arise through poverty.

Without adequate funding, there’s simply nothing in the pot to invest in infrastructure, facilities, equipment and interventions needed to provide the most basic, but essential necessities needed to live, learn and start making a long-lasting change.

So essentially, there are people who go without, ending up in a vicious cycle – and the change cannot happen. Education, safety and health are just a dream.

Through direct investment, we work to change that.

Over the past 10 years, The Chahal Foundation and Gurbaksh himself have set up several school funds to improve education and child welfare facilities.

We’ve set up student scholarships across the US, UK, Africa and India, and on a regular basis, students benefit from Gurbaksh’s personal generosity and contribution, through which he hopes to enrich their lives and give opportunities.

We’re also an advocate for providing better health to all, donating millions of dollars in aid as part of the COVID-19 disaster relief efforts.

Giving back

Whilst funding and investment work to improve the physical infrastructure needed to create brighter futures, there is more needed to make the changes we set out to achieve.

Change comes from the heart, if you want it, you have to believe in it, and to do that, you have to believe in yourself.

Championing people to be the best they can be

We work on giving back hope to people and communities who have lost sight of their dreams and possibilities. We truly believe that everyone in life needs someone in their corner, backing them, championing them and believing in them.

The Chahal Foundation is here for those who need that person – that person who makes them believe in themself again.

‘What makes these people successful isn’t rocket science; rather it is perseverance and faith in self’

Sharing a message across the world

As someone who was fortunate enough to escape poverty at an early age and rose from nothing to become a 4-time successful entrepreneur, Chahal has lived through the ups and downs of life on his pathway to achieve success.

He feels that it’s crucially important to never forget where you came from. Doing good, bringing about change and giving back is the major driving force for Gurbaksh and the Foundation.

One way he does this is by delivering positive messages and inspiring individuals to follow their dreams.

He opens his heart so that others can open their minds.

By sharing his story and experiences to entrepreneurial success, and what he’s learned along the way, he hopes to help people to break down their own inner barriers, realize their own potential and motivate people from all walks of life to truly feel that they can achieve anything they set their mind on.

Our values, our shared beliefs

The values that we share are those that unite us and act as the motivations for the causes that we support. We believe that:

  • Every child should have access to education
  • Everyone should live their life without fear
  • Everyone should have access to food, water, shelter and healthcare
  • Everyone should have limitless dreams and limitless possibilities

“It doesn’t matter where we live or what we look like. It doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor. It doesn’t matter what our religious beliefs are. We have the right to live without fear. We have the right to a better education. We all have the right to a better life. These are bonds that link us all.”

Meet our Board

Working together to create positive change

We’re blessed to have a wonderful team, who work together to make dreams a reality for thousands across the globe.

Get involved

There are a plethora of ways to get involved in supporting The Chahal Foundation. Click below to find out more and become a part of the story.