Partnering with nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to maximize their impact

Sharmila Rao Thakkar, MPH, MPA, CAP® is an independent nonprofit and philanthropic advisor and consultant based in New York City.  With 25+ years of dedicated experience in the nonprofit sector, Sharmila's passion is helping leaders make the most impactful use of their skills and 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. 

Through her firm SRT Advising & Consulting, Sharmila advises and coaches donors, families, and organizations on operations, strategy, governance, multigenerational engagement, equity and inclusion, grantmaking and community outreach. She also conducts workshops and trainings, presents at nonprofit and philanthropy forums, and serves as a mentor for new and emerging leaders in the field. Sharmila specializes in visioning/planning, grant program development, content development, start-up operations and establishing governance structures for nonprofit and philanthropic endeavors, including foundations and individual donors/philanthropists.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharmila served as the executive director of a capacity building organization, where she oversaw the Staten Island Community Organizations Active in Disaster-Medical Ecosystem (COAD-MES) coalition, providing strategic direction, resources, and leadership to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Her contributions included key roles in crisis preparedness, partnership with local agencies, advocacy, securing resources, and enhancing emergency response and communication efforts. 

Recent engagements include serving as Senior Advisor for the India Philanthropy Alliance/India Giving Day, facilitating board development and racial equity training cohorts, leading grantmaking and governance planning with several foundations, and serving as executive director of a family foundation where she has led grantmaking and strategy and provided technical assistance, support and training for numerous nonprofits.  She has held leadership roles on several boards and committees involving issues of women and children, immigrant communities, education and public health, and building philanthropic leadership and the capacity of the nonprofit sector including currently the Healthy Schools Campaign, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Project, Philanthropy150, and the South Asian Philanthropy Project; and previously Chicago Foundation for Women, National Center for Family Philanthropy, Exponent Philanthropy, the South Asian Public Health Association, and Sakhi for South Asian Women.

She holds a masters in public health (MPH) from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, a masters in public administration (MPA) from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, and a BA in International Relations from Brown University.