Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Philanthropy & Nonprofit Advisor, SRT Advising & Consulting

Sharmila Rao Thakkar, MPH, MPA, CAP® is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant based in NYC. Sharmila’s passion is helping leaders assess how and where to best deploy their resources. Recognizing the immense power and potential in giving back, she finds great joy in helping people align their time, talent, treasure, ties and testimony to their motivations, interests and values. She advises and coaches donors, families, and organizations on operations, strategy, governance, multigenerational engagement, equity and inclusion, grantmaking and community outreach. Recent engagements include serving as Senior Advisor for the India Philanthropy Alliance/India Giving Day, facilitating board training cohorts, leading grantmaking and governance planning with several foundations, and serving as ED of a nonprofit capacity building organization and a family foundation where she provided technical assistance, support and training for numerous nonprofits.

Sharmila holds an MPH from the Columbia University School of Public Health, an MPA from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, and a BA in International Relations from Brown University.

Contributions

Voices from the Field

Indian American Philanthropy: A Tradition of Seeding Change and Inspiring Giving

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Indian Americans have a long history of philanthropy, and the tradition continues to thrive with the current and next generation. In this piece, Sharmila Rao Thakkar explores the various trends and motivations behind Indian American philanthropy—as well as share more about the first-ever India Giving Day that took place on March 2, 2023 and that will become a new annual… Read More

Emerging Family Leaders in Philanthropy

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Megha Desai, Sharmila Rao Thakkar, Katherine Lorenz

Join Megha Desai, President of the Desai Foundation, in conversation with Katherine Lorenz, Senior Advisor at NCFP and Board Chair of The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. This discussion will provide an opportunity for current and emerging family leaders between the ages of 21-45 to hear from our speakers and to exchange ideas, experiences, and challenges with peers. In addition to… Read More

2021 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Isabel Nogueira, Alyson Wise, Jumi Falusi, Milton Speid, Emily Kaiser, Adrian Ruiz, Lisa Jackson, Priscilla Enriquez, Dorothy Gardner, Regan Pritzker

NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive overview of the important legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members and CEOs. Featuring the perspectives of innovative donors and a faculty made up of donors, board members, and highly respected philanthropy experts, this virtual seminar covers: Translating values and goals into action Connecting family legacy and… Read More

Engaging the Next Generation

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Cadence Miller, Allison Hale, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

young child and grandmother knitting - engaging the next generation
The promise of family philanthropy is fulfilled by its members—often across multiple generations, which can pose a challenge. Multigenerational families use a variety of techniques to engage the next generation in philanthropy. Successful participation depends on a number of considerations, including how to promote learning, empower next generation family members, and offer leadership positions. In this webinar, learn how to… Read More

Community Foundations Network Topical Call: Working with Diverse Donors & Families

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Ted Vander Roest, Kelly Brown, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Join Kelly Brown, Director of the D5 Coalition, Sharmila Rao Thakkar, expert family philanthropy consultant, and Ted Vander Roest, Executive Director of the Springfield Foundation to learn about their experiences supporting diverse donors. Resources mentioned: Springfield Foundation’s African American Community Family of Funds page D5Coalition’s website and diverse voices in giving video series Donors of Color Network and their report on giving… Read More

The First Year in the Life of a New Executive Director

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Adam Simon, John Hicks, Laura McCargar, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

How can your board develop a transition plan to maximize your new or incoming executive director’s prospects for success? What is the board and board chair’s role in orienting the new CEO? What tips do successful freshman CEO’s have for developing strong board/staff relations; setting boundaries; learning more about the community and causes served by the foundation; and understanding and… Read More

September 2016 NCFP Non-Family Staff Peer Network Call

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network is open to senior level non-family staff members who are current member’s of NCFP Friends of the Family network. This network, co-chaired by Christine Kuehn of The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation and Sharmilla Rao Thakkar of the Siragusa Foundation, is offered as a “safe space” for non-family staff peers facing… Read More

June 2016 NCFP Non-Family Staff Peer Network Call: Managing Geographic Dispersion in Family Philanthropy

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network is open to senior level non-family staff members who are current member’s of NCFP Friends of the Family network. This network, co-chaired by Christine Kuehn of The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation and Sharmilla Rao Thakkar of the Siragusa Foundation, is offered as a “safe space” for non-family staff peers facing… Read More

March 2016 NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network Call

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network is open to senior level non-family staff members who are current member’s of NCFP Friends of the Family network. This network, co-chaired by Christine Kuehn of The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation and Sharmilla Rao Thakkar of The Siragusa Foundation, is offered as a “safe space” for non-family staff peers facing… Read More

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