named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Alumni Support and Engagement Program
Provides continued guidance and resources to Akanksha alumni as they transition from school to college and into the workforce.
Project Setu
Extends Akanksha’s educational best practices to 220 schools across two municipal corporations in Maharashtra to create systemic impact.
School to Work
Builds partnerships to support post-secondary transitions, helping students access higher education and career opportunities to achieve economic mobility.
The School Project
Supports a network of 26 public-private partnership schools in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur that provide free, high-quality, English-medium education from kindergarten through high school.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Individual Child Education Sponsorship 2 activities
- Funding holistic education programsProvides grants for programs focused on academic excellence, holistic education, leadership development, and student wellness for children from underserved communities in India.
- Funding public-private partnership schools in IndiaFunds 26 public-private partnership schools operated by The Akanksha Foundation in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur, India, supporting underserved children through long-term educational initiatives.
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- Funding alumni and post-secondary transition supportFunds the Alumni Support and Engagement Program and develops partnerships to support school-to-work transitions, including career readiness, financial aid, test preparation, internships, mentoring, and vocational training.
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Museum-Based Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Providing U.S.-based educational programmingProvided teaching assistance through the Neighborhood Schools Program in Chicago and developed interdisciplinary curricula for young visitors at art museums including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum, and ArtPace.
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Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
- Providing direct educational and transition support in IndiaImplements a holistic education model in India, including classroom instruction, alumni engagement, professional development, social-emotional learning, and arts integration, supporting underserved children and facilitating school-to-work transitions.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Building capacity of education organizationsShares best practices in holistic education and develops partnerships with school networks and nonprofits in India to expand access to quality education and post-secondary transition support.
- Delivering education methodology to public schools in MaharashtraDirectly implements Akanksha’s education methodology in 220 public schools across Maharashtra, reaching 70,000 students and over 1,000 educators and headmasters.
- Funding dissemination of education methodologiesFinances Project Setu, which shares Akanksha’s holistic education methodology with 220 public schools and over 1,000 educators in Maharashtra, reaching approximately 70,000 students.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.01M
Contributions & grants$937K93%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$70K7%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.39M
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising16%
Salaries & benefits$370K
Grants paid out$827K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.92M
Cash$360K
Investments$1.55M
Liabilities$23K
Net assets$2.90M
Liquid reserves16.5 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -54.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEJAL DESAI | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $184K |
board members · 16
- AMIR MIRZA — DIRECTOR
- ANJALI MELWANI — DIRECTOR
- BHARTI MALKANI — VICE PRESIDENT
- FALGUNI MALKANI — TREASURER
- KATE SHOEMAKER — SECRETARY
- MEDHA PRAKASH — DIRECTOR
- MONICA SHETH — DIRECTOR
- NYMRATA ADVANI — DIRECTOR
- PULKESHI JAPE — DIRECTOR
- RAMESH SRINIVASAN — DIRECTOR
- REENA BATRA — DIRECTOR
- RUYINTAN MEHTA — DIRECTOR
- SACHIN JINDAL — DIRECTOR
- SARAH H ROBERTS — DIRECTOR
- SHANKAR IYER — PRESIDENT
- SRIVIDYA PRAKASH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 40
Who they work with
- AFS Intercultural Programs Partner — Sherie Salzwedel worked with AFS-USA, supporting international student exchange and cross-cultural experiences.
- Akanksha Foundation Partner — Collaborates closely with Akanksha Foundation, with board members serving in advisory roles to align mission and operations.
- Akanksha Foundation Partner — Implements Project Setu to scale Akanksha's education methodology in public schools
- AmeriCorps Government — Partner organization managing the President’s Volunteer Service Award program.
- American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore Partner — Sagarika Senapaty served as Head of Special Projects at the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, developing and launching large-scale programs.
- American Leadership Forum of Oregon Partner — Sherie Salzwedel oversaw operations, bookkeeping, and finances at the American Leadership Forum of Oregon.
- ArtPace Partner — Keerti Kharod collaborated with ArtPace to create interdisciplinary curriculum for young visitors.
- Arthur Andersen Partner — Former employer of advisor Hansika Malkani; connection point for early volunteer engagement with Akanksha
- Asante Africa Foundation Partner — Roma Mukherjee served as Senior Associate of Grants & Development at Asante Africa Foundation (CA), securing funding and building relationships with institutional funders.
- Blanton Museum Partner — Keerti Kharod collaborated with the Blanton Museum to create interdisciplinary curriculum for young visitors.
- Citi Venture Capital International Partner — Organization where advisor Sneha Devadason served as Head of Legal
- Communities Foundation of Texas Partner — Sejal Desai previously led a strategic initiative at Communities Foundation of Texas focused on engaging businesses in the community.
- Dallas Museum of Art Partner — Keerti Kharod collaborated with the Dallas Museum of Art to create interdisciplinary curriculum for young visitors.
- EL Education Partner — Sherie Salzwedel supported directors, teachers, and public school districts through EL Education in implementing a K-8 language arts curriculum.
- Facebook Partner — Presence on Facebook platform
- Friedman Kaplan Partner — Organization where advisor Sneha Devadason practiced law
- Funusual Partner — Partner organization co-presenting the immersive theater experience "Meher Mirza: Beyond the Canvas."
- India Partner — Primary country of program implementation for educational support initiatives.
- Instagram Partner — Presence on Instagram platform
- International Institute of Rural Reconstruction Partner — Organization where advisor Hansika Malkani worked from 2003 to 2007
- LinkedIn Partner — Presence on LinkedIn platform
- Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai Government — Partner in implementing Project Setu to improve public school education
- Municipal Corporation of Maharashtra Partner — Partnership to share best practices from Akanksha’s holistic education methodology.
- Neythri Network — Global community of South Asian professional women of which advisor Sneha Devadason is a founding circle member
- PepsiCo Partner — Engaged through corporate giving programs, with a board member joining via support initiated at PepsiCo.
- Points of Light Partner — Partner organization in the management of the President’s Volunteer Service Award program.
- Pune Municipal Corporation Government — Partner in implementing Project Setu to improve public school education
- Samaritans of New York, Inc Partner — Organization where advisor Hansika Malkani has worked since 2009
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Partner — Organization where advisor Sneha Devadason began her legal career
- Tailwind Capital Partner — Organization where advisor Sneha Devadason served as General Counsel
+ 10 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Alumni Engagement for Systemic Changemethodology: alumni_engagementBy supporting alumni to give back or pay it forward, the organization amplifies impact and breaks the cycle of generational poverty, because empowered graduates become agents of change within their communities, creating a multiplier effect.
- Binational Engagement for Educational Transformationmethodology: binational_engagementBy combining deep cultural understanding of India and the U.S., the organization advances educational transformation for underserved communities, because binational insight strengthens program design, awareness, and support—linking international service with domestic engagement.
- Cradle-to-Career Student Supportmethodology: cradle_to_careerBy providing continuous, long-term support from kindergarten through college graduation and workforce entry, the organization produces successful school-to-work transitions and economic mobility, because sustained engagement over a 20-year period enables holistic development and breaks cycles of generational poverty.
- Equitable Access Through Lottery-Based Admissionsmethodology: equitable_accessBy offering free, lottery-based admissions to all children regardless of socio-economic status, the organization ensures equitable access to high-quality education, because removing financial and social barriers allows underserved students to benefit from transformative learning opportunities.
- Holistic Education Modelmethodology: holistic_educationBy integrating academic instruction with socio-emotional well-being, digital literacy, arts, physical education, and wellness, the organization produces transformative educational outcomes, because addressing multiple dimensions of development leads to systemic change and sustainable impact for underserved students.