Feature

Paying it Forward: Nurturing Wholistic Wellbeing Through Philanthropy

Sunny Gurpreet Singh's Journey of Establishing RoundGlass Foundation and Supporting Holistic Development of Punjab

GivingPi Editorial Team

28th September 2023

"Beyond financial contributions, channel your energy, skills, and lived experiences into the realm of philanthropy to truly shape meaningful and lasting impact."

Sunny Gurpreet Singh's philanthropic endeavors are deeply intertwined with his origins in Punjab, reflecting not just a virtue, but a mission. RoundGlass Giving was born out of Sunny’s conviction that prioritizing wellbeing can empower individuals to lead healthier and happier lives in harmony with nature.

He envisions a world where 'Wholistic Wellbeing' is universally accessible.
The vision of RoundGlass Giving takes shape through RoundGlass Foundation (RGF), RoundGlass Sports, and RoundGlass Sustain, initiatives aimed at nurturing wellbeing across communities and the planet. These intertwined initiatives stand as an embodiment of an innovative and sustainable model of philanthropy.

With ‘Wholistic Wellbeing’ as its cornerstone, RoundGlass Foundation implements on the ground initiatives in areas such as sports for development, experiential learning for children, women's social and economic empowerment, reforestation, waste management, and regenerative agriculture. Enabling access to top-tier coaching, RoundGlass Sports is empowering children and youth in Punjab to explore their athletic potential, focusing on sports like football, hockey, and tennis. RoundGlass Sustain operates as a storytelling platform with a dual mission of documenting biodiversity and raising awareness to nurture a conservation and sustainability mindset among individuals.

The Inception of RoundGlass Giving

Sunny Singh's journey to uplift the lives of people in Punjab, the community that shaped him, has been a lifelong aspiration. While his giving journey was long underway, his philanthropic commitment to his homeland was solidified with the establishment of RoundGlass Foundation in 2018. Rooted in his cultural and regional origins, Sunny's philanthropy continues to extend its reach, transcending geographical boundaries as a diaspora giver based in Seattle.

Having grown up in India, Sunny was instilled with the core values of generosity and contributing to the community from an early age. Witnessing his father's passion as a field hockey coach, and observing his acts of kindness, left a lasting impact on him. His mother's dedication to nurturing a warm and loving home during modest times inspired him deeply as well, a defining memory that often resurfaces for Sunny, marking a pivotal moment that shaped his perspective and life purpose. “I still recall my mother's words, “No matter where life leads you, always stay true to your values and be guided by integrity.”

The principles of ethical conduct and meaningful community involvement continue to shape his philanthropic efforts.

Embarking on his professional journey from India to the US, Sunny's path led him to entrepreneurial success with his healthcare company, Edifecs, following his tenure with corporations like Microsoft. However, as entrepreneurial pressures intensified and schedules grew hectic, stress began to take its toll.

Research underscores the potential escalation of stress into mental health disorders without effective support. Globally, depression and anxiety trigger a $1 trillion annual productivity loss, with Indian companies losing $14 billion due to employee mental health challenges. This realization marked the beginning of Sunny's personal journey to prioritize physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing, evolving into a holistic way of life and sowing the seed of RoundGlass, a global Wholistic Wellbeing organization.

Elaborating on “Wholistic Wellbeing”, Sunny explained that wellbeing is a holistic state of thriving, encompassing eight key dimensions: social development, emotional and mental wellness, planetary consciousness, spiritual connections, financial sustainability, community welfare, and physical wellbeing. “It relies entirely on the internal elements of health, happiness, and personal meaning. It is influenced by external factors such as the socio-economic fabric and the environment that envelops us,” he said.

As he reflected on his philanthropy, Sunny highlighted a pivotal milestone that further reaffirmed his focus on Punjab. Returning to India in 2015, Sunny confronted a vastly different Punjab — one shackled by the chains of alcoholism and drug addiction, declining farming incomes, inadequate new jobs for the youth due to inadequate capital infusion and rapid deterioration of the overall environment and ecology of the state. The reality he encountered was one of distress: a 30% dropout rate in primary schools, one-third of the youth ensnared by substance abuse, 21% of rural residents grappling with mental health disorders, and rising unemployment coupled with environmental degradation. This stark reality was the trigger to begin Sunny’s philanthropic journey in his homeland. “To me, the path to Punjab's betterment, its journey to well-being, was clear,” he asserted.

Sunny Gurpreet Singh with his team at Roundglass Foundation

"Punjab is a state with 30 million people and over 12,500 villages. It is our belief that if we affect change and restore Punjab through strategic philanthropic efforts, any other city or state can replicate this model."

- Sunny Gurpreet Singh

RoundGlass Foundation’s Progress Report (as on August 2023)

Championing Wholistic Wellbeing in Punjab through RoundGlass Foundation

In a world where alignment between health, happiness, and communal advancement seems elusive, Sunny's concept of wellbeing crystallized into a suite of sustainable and scalable initiatives through RoundGlass Foundation, RoundGlass Sports and RoundGlass Sustain. These endeavors span crucial domains like education, sports, women's empowerment, and environmental stewardship.

Sunny’s efforts at RoundGlass Foundation began with aspiring to preserve the lifelines of Punjab — air, water, and soil. Stricken by the adverse impact of deforestation, pollution, and unsustainable farming practices, Sunny envisioned a Punjab where nature thrived as harmoniously as its people, resulting in RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Sustain Punjab' initiative. With strategic reforestation, innovative waste management approaches, and the practice of regenerative farming, this initiative aimed not only to restore the ecosystem's balance but also to engrain a sense of stewardship for the environment among Punjab's communities.

Sunny also understood that true wellbeing went beyond physical health; it encompassed the nourishment of minds too. Therefore, 'Learn Punjab' was initiated in Punjab’s villages. The program seeks to create joyful learners by instilling confidence and cultivating critical thinking in the young minds of the children of Punjab by empowering them with the ability to make informed life choices, nurturing a generation capable of steering their lives towards positivity and progress.

Another challenge that Sunny noted was that the playgrounds that once echoed with the cheers of children were silent. He addressed this challenge through RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Sports Punjab’ program, especially when it came to equal opportunities for rural boys and girls. The program emerged as an equalizer, providing both girls and boys an opportunity to embrace sports as a physical activity and a pathway to nurture character, camaraderie, and confidence.

There are many heart-warming stories that have emerged from the transformation RoundGlass Foundation is enabling and one such story is of Sandeep Ghawaddi. A farmer and part-time security guard in Ghawaddi village, in Doraha, Ludhiana, Sandeep harbored an unfulfilled passion for football due to limited resources. By partnering with RoundGlass Foundation to establish a Sports Center in Punjab, Sandeep found a way to support his dream and train local children, including girls, in football every morning. In his words, “Most people feel that girls can’t play football. I always wanted to bring more and more girls on the ground to set an example. After associating with RoundGlass Foundation, I have managed to encourage 35 girls in my village to play football.”

Central to Punjab's households and communities, women play an essential role in the state's social fabric. RoundGlass Foundation’s ‘Her Punjab’ program seeks to celebrate this empowerment, aiming to foster self-reliance among women. The pillars of this program — health and financial independence — define pathways for women to take charge of their lives.

Rajpal Kaur's story is a testament to the impact of Her Punjab's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Aloona Tola village, Ludhiana. A mother of three, Rajpal had always aspired to work and achieve financial independence. However, societal norms in her village presented barriers to her ambitions. RoundGlass Foundation helped her become financially independent by giving her a job as a cook at the local football academy. Subsequently, she spearheaded an SHG focused on establishing a sanitary pad production unit, with support from the RoundGlass Foundation. Societal taboos around menstruation meant that the women who worked at the unit initially felt embarrassed to tell their community about the same and pretended to work at a diaper manufacturing unit. However, eventually, they realized the importance of their work and became champions for the same. Reflecting on their path, Rajpal shares, “We now understand the significance of our product for women and girls, and we are now able to openly discuss it. We've realized that societal barriers have been holding us back from truly living well.”

An event conducted by RoundGlass Foundation

Five Years of Fostering

Over the past five years, RoundGlass Foundation’s initiatives found firm ground in Punjab's soil, resulting in narratives of progress. Thus far, RoundGlass Foundation has impacted over 1.8 million lives across more than 1,800 villages. Driven by a commitment to bolster the state's green cover, the Foundation has planted nearly 1.8 million native trees, steadfastly pursuing Sunny’s goal of planting 1 billion trees. Furthermore, Sunny's efforts have resulted in the establishment of 186 'Sports Centres,' providing over 6,000 rural children with equal access to recreational opportunities. Through strategic partnerships with government agencies, as well as collaboration with social and private sectors, RoundGlass Foundation is harnessing the power of synergy to amplify change.

Sunny’s commitment to nurturing collective responsibility finds tangible expression in RoundGlass Foundation’s direct engagement with various stakeholders, ranging from district administrations and village panchayats to local communities and individual landowners. Their on the ground collaborations are not only financially efficient but also nurture a shared sense of ownership within the communities they serve. This is exemplified by initiatives that unite local panchayats and donors in support of critical physical infrastructure projects.

However, at the outset of RoundGlass Foundation’s on the ground endeavors, residents met their plans with hesitation. Sunny acknowledged this challenge. “Earning the trust of the communities was a formidable task. It was not easy for them to accept ideas from someone from another country.” Establishing trust with the communities was a critical success factor for RoundGlass Foundation, and over time, the hesitation of communities transformed into acceptance. Similarly, forging collaborations with the local administration was not a quick process either. RoundGlass Foundation had to chart a course of action that demonstrated commitment and capability through their programs on the ground. "We opted to begin our work within our capacity. Over time, we earned the trust of local officials, allowing us to align our efforts with farming communities," Sunny explained.

Along with RoundGlass Foundation, RoundGlass Sports has been playing an instrumental role by bringing football and hockey to the grassroots and nurturing talent to meet global standards. The RoundGlass professional football team — Punjab Football Club — recently created a historic milestone as the first club to secure promotion to the Indian Super League. Furthermore, RoundGlass Sustain’s storytelling platform showcasing the rich diversity of India's wildlife and ecosystems garnered over 55 million+ impressions in 2022.

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Community members, supporters and members of RoundGlass Foundation at a community workshop

Shaping India's Future

Sunny’s philanthropic vision extends beyond Punjab, as he strives to expand RoundGlass Giving’s model to other states. He firmly believes in the opportunity that this can present for the world as he builds models for global change and attributes credit to his dedicated team, working every day on the ground to deliver impact. For the Indian diaspora in the US, who are inclined to contribute to philanthropic endeavors, Sunny's learning is clear: Invest a part of your own identity.

Towards India@100, Sunny envisions a collective alliance of the Indian diaspora abroad, collaborating to shape a new and transformed India. This vision entails a powerful consortium, establishing robust partnerships with existing changemakers, foundations, and individuals in India.

In his words, "Philanthropy should not be confused with charity; rather, it's a strategic deployment of resources. Philanthropists serve as natural partners of the government, working for the betterment of citizens. I envisage a philanthropic commitment from the diaspora to India as a collaborative endeavor in partnership with existing and like-minded changemakers, foundations, and individuals. Together, we can unlock India’s most extraordinary accomplishments on the global stage over the next 25 years."