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21/64 is an independent nonprofit practice providing multigenerational advising, facilitation and training for next generation engagement.

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Sharmila Rao Thakkar

Position: Principal
Company: SRT Advising & Consulting
Location: USA, New York, New York
Topics: coaching | diversityequityinclusion | engagingthenextgeneration | familydynamics | familyphilanthropy | governanceandsuccessionplanning | strategicgrantmaking | teenandyouthphilanthropy | womenandgiving
Certification Level(s): approachtraining | virtualapproachtraining
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Sharmila Rao Thakkar, MPH, MPA, is a philanthropy and nonprofit consultant at SRT Advising & Consulting in New York City. She has been working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector for 20+ years. From her early days as a grade school hospital candy-striper to tutoring children as a teenager, building programs earlier in her career and now mentoring young professionals and guiding families & organizations, she has a keen awareness and passion for nonprofit/philanthropy work. Utilizing expertise in leadership development, program implementation, resource development and communications, she advises donors, families and organizations on operations, strategy, board governance/development, multigenerational engagement, equity & inclusion, grantmaking and community outreach activities; conducts workshops and trainings; and writes and presents at nonprofit and philanthropy forums. She also serves as an affiliate consultant with the Support Center, director for the Staten Island Not for Profit Association/Community Organizations Active in Disaster coalition, 21/64 certified trainer in multigenerational philanthropy, and mentor for philanthropy/nonprofit leadership development programs.
Prior, Sharmila was appointed the first non-family executive director of the Siragusa Family Foundation in Chicago, where she directed the operational, programmatic and administrative functions of the organization, participating in all roles key to running a charitable endeavor. She guided board funding decisions and evaluated programs in health, social services, education, and the arts for youth/families; provided capacity building and technical assistance to 100+ nonprofit grantee partners; built the board’s professionalism including recruitment and assessment; engaged the next generations in their leadership development; and provided strategic direction on grantmaking and grantee outreach and community partnership initiatives.
Sharmila 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 (Disability Inclusion Workgroup and DEI Taskforce), 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Project, TrueChild, and the South Asian Philanthropy Project; and previously Chicago Foundation for Women, National Center for Family Philanthropy, Exponent Philanthropy, Allow Good, and the South Asian Public Health Association among others. She is also an alum of the Council on Foundations Career Pathways leadership development program, a selective pipeline expansion opportunity for diverse philanthropic professionals; The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Equity PLACES fellowship; and several training programs in racial equity, diversity, & inclusion.
A native New Yorker, Sharmila relocated back to Staten Island, NY in 2016 after spending nearly 17 years in Chicago. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, a Master of Public Administration from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, and a BA in International Relations from Brown University.

  • Principal
  • SRT Advising & Consulting
  • Coaching | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Engaging the Next Generation | Family Dynamics | Family Philanthropy | Governance and Succession Planning | Strategic Grantmaking | Teen and Youth Philanthropy | Women and Giving
  • USA
  • New York
  • New York
  • New York
  • 21/64 Approach Training | 21/64 Virtual Approach Training

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Bring a Generation Impact Author to Your Next Engagement

Testimonials.


Today’s emerging generation of donors are driven by a new definition of success: impact. This is clear through Goldseker and Moody’s work, which uncovers the motives and approaches driving today’s new strategic philanthropists. Many close friends are profiled in this book, and I can attest to their earnest, values-driven approach. For anyone who is eager to understand the next gen donor, this book offers truly valuable insights.

Howard W. Buffett
Associate Professor, Columbia University
Co-author, Social Value Investing: A Framework for Effective Partnerships

21/64
2021-03-17T17:38:13-05:00

Howard W. Buffett
Associate Professor, Columbia University
Co-author, Social Value Investing: A Framework for Effective Partnerships

Today’s emerging generation of donors are driven by a new definition of success: impact. This is clear through Goldseker and Moody’s work, which uncovers the motives and approaches driving today’s new strategic philanthropists. Many close friends are profiled in this book, and I can attest to their earnest, values-driven approach. For anyone who is eager to understand the next gen donor, this book offers truly valuable insights.
Generation Impactis a thoughtful, astute exploration that shows how new and established families can engage with the next generation to regenerate family philanthropy, deepening their legacy and broadening their impact.

Melissa A. Berman
President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

21/64
2021-03-17T17:36:40-05:00

Melissa A. Berman
President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Generation Impactis a thoughtful, astute exploration that shows how new and established families can engage with the next generation to regenerate family philanthropy, deepening their legacy and broadening their impact.
Generational change is upon us, and Goldseker and Moody have spent years finding out what drives those best positioned to fund social change. What better way to understand next gen donors than hearing their stories first-hand in order to become effective partners in organizing, supporting, and advocating for the rights of those who need it most.

Ai-Jen Poo
Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Co-director, Caring Across Generations
Author, The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America

21/64
2021-03-17T17:29:21-05:00

Ai-Jen Poo
Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Co-director, Caring Across Generations
Author, The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America

Generational change is upon us, and Goldseker and Moody have spent years finding out what drives those best positioned to fund social change. What better way to understand next gen donors than hearing their stories first-hand in order to become effective partners in organizing, supporting, and advocating for the rights of those who need it most.
Anyone who participates in philanthropy—whether as supporter or recipient—needs to understand the profound changes that are being led by a new generation of donors. The fascinating first-person essays in this book, along with the keen analysis and commentary by authors with deep personal experience in the field, offer new and important insights into the minds of the young donors who will help shape philanthropy’s future.

Mark Kramer
Co-founder and Managing Director, FSG
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School

21/64
2021-03-17T17:35:30-05:00

Mark Kramer
Co-founder and Managing Director, FSG
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School

Anyone who participates in philanthropy—whether as supporter or recipient—needs to understand the profound changes that are being led by a new generation of donors. The fascinating first-person essays in this book, along with the keen analysis and commentary by authors with deep personal experience in the field, offer new and important insights into the minds of the young donors who will help shape philanthropy’s future.
Philanthropy is changing, and with it, the world. Generation Impact demonstrates, with data and vivid personal stories, that Gen Xers and Millennials are aligning their values, their giving, and their lives. This is a must-read book for anyone concerned with the future of philanthropy.

Peter Singer
Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
Author, The Life You Can Saveand The Most Good You Can Do

21/64
2021-03-17T17:32:41-05:00

Peter Singer
Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
Author, The Life You Can Saveand The Most Good You Can Do

Philanthropy is changing, and with it, the world. Generation Impact demonstrates, with data and vivid personal stories, that Gen Xers and Millennials are aligning their values, their giving, and their lives. This is a must-read book for anyone concerned with the future of philanthropy.
With great abundance comes great responsibility. In Sharna and Michael’s stunningly important book we have a deep and learned look into how (with ‘engagement’) and why (‘to achieve impact’) Gen Xers and Millennials are becoming today’s philanthropists. Give yourself the gift of knowing what to expect as you engage with emerging philanthropists from these cohorts. Join these authors as they bring to life the motivations, actions, and philosophies of giving of these remarkable, dedicated philanthropists who expect to help solve the social, economic, political, and cultural issues of the past and present, and who want to lead us toward a magnificent future for our planet and its peoples. I am sure that many of my silent generation cohort will love learning about the feeling of engagement and passion for impact among these young philanthropists.

James (Jay) E. Hughes, Jr.
Author, Family Wealth: Keeping it in the Family, and Family:The Compact Among Generations
Co-author, The Cycle of the Gift, The Voice of the Rising Generation, and Family Trusts

21/64
2021-03-17T17:41:47-05:00

James (Jay) E. Hughes, Jr.
Author, Family Wealth: Keeping it in the Family, and Family:The Compact Among Generations
Co-author, The Cycle of the Gift, The Voice of the Rising Generation, and Family Trusts

With great abundance comes great responsibility. In Sharna and Michael’s stunningly important book we have a deep and learned look into how (with ‘engagement’) and why (‘to achieve impact’) Gen Xers and Millennials are becoming today’s philanthropists. Give yourself the gift of knowing what to expect as you engage with emerging philanthropists from these cohorts. Join these authors as they bring to life the motivations, actions, and philosophies of giving of these remarkable, dedicated philanthropists who expect to help solve the social, economic, political, and cultural issues of the past and present, and who want to lead us toward a magnificent future for our planet and its peoples. I am sure that many of my silent generation cohort will love learning about the feeling of engagement and passion for impact among these young philanthropists.
The updated edition of Generation Impactcomes at a critical juncture for the increasingly complex and uncertain times we’re living in. The world has changed dramatically since it first came out only a few years ago, and the new preface offers an important ‘sense-making’ perspective about how next gen donors are responding to societal upheavals and existential crises. The Best Practice Guides are provocative and insightful, as well as practical and realistic. I will be referring to them often as thedefinitive playbook for engaging next gen donors and changemakers as they rise to meet the moments of our time.

Mae Hong
Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

21/64
2021-03-17T17:33:52-05:00

Mae Hong
Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

The updated edition of Generation Impactcomes at a critical juncture for the increasingly complex and uncertain times we’re living in. The world has changed dramatically since it first came out only a few years ago, and the new preface offers an important ‘sense-making’ perspective about how next gen donors are responding to societal upheavals and existential crises. The Best Practice Guides are provocative and insightful, as well as practical and realistic. I will be referring to them often as thedefinitive playbook for engaging next gen donors and changemakers as they rise to meet the moments of our time.
When my clients and students express curiosity or frustration about engaging Gen Xers and Millennials in philanthropy, I tell them that the ‘go to’ book is Generation Impact. This book has been a refreshing guide and resource for me and so many. The insights and profiles in the book are framed with solid philanthropic analysis and a generous supply of informed observations. Of particular importance to me is the exploration of the continuing persistence of values as a primary motivator for Gen X and Millennial philanthropy—as they have been for centuries.

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Consultant, Author, and Founder, Transforming Philanthropy
2020. AFP Global Fundraising Professional of the Year

21/64
2021-03-17T17:22:11-05:00

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Consultant, Author, and Founder, Transforming Philanthropy
2020. AFP Global Fundraising Professional of the Year

When my clients and students express curiosity or frustration about engaging Gen Xers and Millennials in philanthropy, I tell them that the ‘go to’ book is Generation Impact. This book has been a refreshing guide and resource for me and so many. The insights and profiles in the book are framed with solid philanthropic analysis and a generous supply of informed observations. Of particular importance to me is the exploration of the continuing persistence of values as a primary motivator for Gen X and Millennial philanthropy—as they have been for centuries.
From my decades of experience at the Packard Foundation, I can attest that Generation Impact provides invaluable insights into the joys and challenges of seeking impact through a multi-generation family foundation. 2020 has been a year of unprecedented turmoil and urgency. The ‘next gen’ have an important role to play in guiding philanthropy’s course to help our country and world innovate and address our biggest challenges over the next many years. This updated edition with Best Practice Guides is published at the right time to help philanthropists of all generations have conversations, plan, and take action to rise to the moment.

Carol Larson
Trustee Emerita, Former President and CEO, The David and Lucile
Packard Foundation

21/64
2021-03-17T17:39:49-05:00

Carol Larson
Trustee Emerita, Former President and CEO, The David and Lucile
Packard Foundation

From my decades of experience at the Packard Foundation, I can attest that Generation Impact provides invaluable insights into the joys and challenges of seeking impact through a multi-generation family foundation. 2020 has been a year of unprecedented turmoil and urgency. The ‘next gen’ have an important role to play in guiding philanthropy’s course to help our country and world innovate and address our biggest challenges over the next many years. This updated edition with Best Practice Guides is published at the right time to help philanthropists of all generations have conversations, plan, and take action to rise to the moment.
In Generation Impact, Michael and Sharna offer a compelling analysis of how Gen X and Millennials are already revolutionizing giving—and will continue to do so for years to come. In a time of deep inequity and great need, these rising generations are set not only to change the face of philanthropy, but also the practice of it, transforming the future in ways both exciting and promising. Generation Impactdoes more than inspire; it also serves as a practical guide to engaging the next generation of giving.

Janine Lee
President and CEO, Southeastern Council of Foundations

21/64
2021-03-17T17:30:56-05:00

Janine Lee
President and CEO, Southeastern Council of Foundations

In Generation Impact, Michael and Sharna offer a compelling analysis of how Gen X and Millennials are already revolutionizing giving—and will continue to do so for years to come. In a time of deep inequity and great need, these rising generations are set not only to change the face of philanthropy, but also the practice of it, transforming the future in ways both exciting and promising. Generation Impactdoes more than inspire; it also serves as a practical guide to engaging the next generation of giving.
The new book by Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody won’t be a classic someday. It is. Now. Their book is all about now and giving and this generation that, right before our very eyes, emerged from being the ‘next generation’ to what Goldseker and Moody reveal is the ‘now generation’—that generation with the intellectual, human, and financial capital needed to tackle the massive challenges confronting the planet, the country, and their own backyards. The Goldseker/Moody approach to telling the stories of these givers and this new age of giving is fresh and creative: at once inspirational and how to, heartening, and instructive. For families, emerging philanthropists, and old pros trying to disrupt themselves, this book is a lantern in dark times, a light in the world we are all trying to fathom—and fix.

Joline Godfrey
Author, Raising Financially Fit Kids

21/64
2021-03-17T17:42:58-05:00

Joline Godfrey
Author, Raising Financially Fit Kids

The new book by Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody won’t be a classic someday. It is. Now. Their book is all about now and giving and this generation that, right before our very eyes, emerged from being the ‘next generation’ to what Goldseker and Moody reveal is the ‘now generation’—that generation with the intellectual, human, and financial capital needed to tackle the massive challenges confronting the planet, the country, and their own backyards. The Goldseker/Moody approach to telling the stories of these givers and this new age of giving is fresh and creative: at once inspirational and how to, heartening, and instructive. For families, emerging philanthropists, and old pros trying to disrupt themselves, this book is a lantern in dark times, a light in the world we are all trying to fathom—and fix.
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