Sharmila Rao Thakkar is an independent philanthropic advisor and nonprofit consultant at SRT Advising & Consulting in New York City. Recognizing the immense power and potential in giving back, she finds great joy in helping people align their time and talent to their motivations and values. Sharmila advises and coaches donors, families, and organizations on operations, strategy, governance and board development, multigenerational engagement, equity and inclusion, grantmaking and community outreach. Over the past 25+ years, Sharmila has served as an executive leader, consultant, facilitator, mentor, speaker, and writer.

Sharmila serves as fractional executive director and advisor collaborating with the principals of startup family foundations where she has led grantmaking and strategy. She is a senior advisor for the India Philanthropy Alliance. She also facilitates board development and racial equity training and advises on grantmaking and governance planning with several private and corporate foundations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharmila led a local nonprofit and disaster coalition, providing strategic direction, resources, and leadership to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Her contributions included crisis preparedness, partnership with local agencies, advocacy, securing resources, and enhancing emergency response and communication efforts.  

Sharmila was also the first non-family executive director for a multigenerational family foundation, where she directed operational, programmatic, and administrative functions. She guided board funding decisions, provided technical assistance to nonprofit partners and built the board’s professionalism including recruitment and assessment. Sharmila also enhanced next generation family engagement and leadership development by providing strategic direction on grantmaking and community partnership initiatives.

Sharmila is a 21/64 certified trainer in multigenerational philanthropy, mentor, and advisor for philanthropy/nonprofit leadership development programs, and holds the Certified Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation. She is an alum of the inaugural Institute of Private Philanthropy Executive Director Institute, TSNE’s DEIB Training Cohort for Consultants, Council on Foundations Career Pathways leadership program, and The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Equity PLACES Fellowship. 

She has held leadership roles on several boards and committees involving issues of women and children, immigrant communities, education and public health. Her leadership positions include the Healthy Schools Campaign, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Project, Philanthropy150, Community Media Staten Island, and South Asian Philanthropy Project. Previously, Sharmila also worked with the Chicago Foundation for Women, National Center for Family Philanthropy, Exponent Philanthropy, Allow Good, and the South Asian Public Health Association, among others. 

Sharmila earned a Master of Public Health and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a BA in International Relations from Brown University. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, swimming, reading, and leisurely biking the greenest borough in NYC with her teen children.

Areas of Focus 

• Governance and board development
• Family dynamics and multigenerational/next gen engagement
• Transition planning
• Grantmaking strategy and planning (mission/vision development) 
• Program development
• Operationalizing new foundations
• Coaching/leadership development