About

About SAAVETX Education Fund

Our Story

SAAVETX Education Fund was born from a simple truth:
when South Asians show up, we transform our communities.

For decades, South Asians have built businesses, raised families, and strengthened neighborhoods across Texas — yet our voices have often been missing from the conversations shaping our future. Many of us came here chasing opportunity, but found ourselves outside the rooms where decisions were being made.

That changes now.

SAAVETX Education Fund was founded to close that gap — to educate, empower, and engage South Asians in civic life. We are building a Texas where our community’s stories, languages, and values are not just heard, but help shape the state’s future.

Our Origin

Founder Chanda Parbhoo, a South Asian mother, and longtime community advocate from Dallas, heard that question over and over. After years of volunteering in local schools, advocating for equitable education, and organizing against rising hate crimes, she saw a deeper problem: South Asians were not being counted — and not being courted — in Texas politics.

In 2017, she decided to change that.

What started around kitchen tables and WhatsApp groups soon became a movement

What began as a few determined voices in Dallas has now grown SAAVETX Education Fund grew into a statewide civic network, cultivating South Asian leaders in Houston, Austin, Dallas, and beyond. Today, the organization empowers thousands through voter registration, education, leadership development, and community mobilization.

Our Vision

We envision a Texas where every South Asian — regardless of language, faith, or immigration story — feels seen, heard, and represented in our democracy.

We are not a political organization. We are a community rooted in education, empowerment, and civic participation.
Because civic engagement isn’t just about elections — it’s about belonging, power, and building the future we want for our children.

“TEXAS IS THE 2ND LARGEST SOUTH ASIAN POPULATION IN THE U.S.”

Our Work

• Voter Education & Registration
  We register voters at community events, festivals, and citizenship ceremonies — in multiple South Asian languages.

• Leadership Development
  We train and mentor young South Asians to lead campus chapters, community teams, and city-based organizing hubs.

• Community Conversations
  We host town halls, listening sessions, and educational series that help families understand policy issues — from education to healthcare to safety.

• Coalition Building
  We work alongside partners across Texas who share our commitment to equity, representation, and democracy.

Our Promise

We believe in the power of our people — the engineers, doctors, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, and students who make Texas stronger every day.

Together, we are building a home for civic power — where South Asians can show up fully, advocate boldly, and create a Texas where our children see themselves in every corner of public life.

Our Growth and Impact

From a volunteer-led effort with no staff in 2017, the SAAVETX Education Fund has grown into a statewide institution representing one of the most significant South Asian civic movements in Texas history.

What began with a handful of committed individuals has expanded into a network of over 600 volunteers across Texas, supported by a dedicated professional staff and a strong organizational infrastructure. Today, SAAVETX EF leads the largest coordinated South Asian civic outreach and education effort in the state, building trust, participation, and power across generations.

Our impact is reflected not only in scale, but in influence. We have developed relationships with more than 50 elected officials — from federal representatives to local leaders — to ensure that South Asian voices and priorities are represented in policymaking spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.

Through strategic programs, year-round engagement, and trusted relationships, SAAVETX EF has established itself as a recognized and respected voice for South Asians in Texas — bridging the gap between community and government, and shaping a more inclusive civic future for our state.

Why We’re Unique

SAAVETX EF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization — and the only one of its kind in Texas solely dedicated to South Asian civic education, empowerment, and leadership development.

What makes us unique is that we know our community — its languages, traditions, and lived experiences — and our community trusts us.
For many South Asians in Texas, no elected official has ever reached out to them, and no political party has ever knocked on their door. SAAVETX EF bridges that gap.

We serve as the trusted link between South Asian communities and Texas’s civic and political institutions, helping our community navigate a landscape where they have often been unseen or overlooked. Our work continues to fill critical gaps in outreach, representation, and voice, ensuring that South Asian Texans are informed, engaged, and empowered to shape the future of the state we call home.SOUTH ASIANS ARE THE FASTEST-GROWING MINORITY IN TEXAS

Looking Ahead

South Asians are the fastest-growing minority in Texas, and our influence — culturally, economically, and civically — continues to expand. Yet, for too long, our voices have been underrepresented in the decisions that shape our lives.

At SAAVETX EF, we are determined to change that. We will continue to elevate and empower South Asian Texans to claim their rightful seat at the table — from city councils to school boards, and beyond.

We recognize that true political power begins locally. South Asians now hold enough influence to shape the outcomes of key local and state races, and we are focused on transforming that potential into meaningful participation and representation.

Our vision is bold: to build an inclusive and diverse civic landscape where South Asians are not just participants, but leaders, policymakers, and changemakers defining the future of Texas.

Through continued organizing, leadership development, and deep community partnerships, SAAVETX EF is ensuring that the South Asian community’s voice — vibrant, diverse, and growing — will continue to resonate in every corner of the state.