PARUL SAKLANI
New York
Summary
At present, in Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (MPA in Global Leadership), I am engaged in applied, situation-based learning that emphasises leadership in policy and action. My coursework spans climate investing, ESG and sustainability reporting, energy and sustainability economics, quantitative analysis, and Impact Measurement & Management, equipping me to assess risk, impact, and trade-offs across public, private, and philanthropic systems. Through team-based policy simulations and a client-facing capstone project, I lead cross-functional teams, design impact and monitoring frameworks, and translate data-driven analysis into actionable policy and investment insights aligned with real-world implementation. Additionally, in my 10 years of professional career, I have been able to build: Strong Project Management Experience within the social development sector, specialising in engagement with government and domestic funders, international funders, as well as CSR funders Successfully led grant management and overall project management efforts for The GROW Fund, empowering 100 grassroots NGOs nationwide through strategic grant support for resilience building and future readiness. Well-versed in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, with a strong feedback loop enabling data-driven decision-making. Demonstrated capability to lead cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration among departments to achieve high levels of efficiency and impact. Strategic professional in business operations known for high productivity and efficiency in task completion. Specialize in process optimization, project management, and data analysis, ensuring streamlined workflows and enhanced operational efficacy. Excel in communication, problem-solving, and leadership, leveraging these soft skills to drive team success and achieve organizational goals.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Intern
More Gardens Fund
New York
01.2026 - Current
- Supporting fundraising initiatives through grant research and proposal writing tasks.
Graduate Student Consultant
Capstone Project
New York
12.2025 - Current
- Conducting research to support project development and strategic decision-making.
- Collaborating with teams to identify business challenges and propose solutions.
- Analyzing data to inform recommendations, and optimize project outcomes.
- Developing presentations to communicate findings and strategies effectively.
- Engaging in client meetings to discuss project progress and address concerns.
Lead-Grant Management
EdelGive Foundation
09.2022 - 05.2025
- Led end-to-end grant management efforts for 100 grantees under The GROW Fund, which supported resilience building and future readiness of 100 grassroots organisations for optimum outcomes.
- Developed and implemented a process for periodic due diligence of grantees under GROW.
- Establish a dedicated helpdesk to provide ongoing support and assistance to NGOs.
- Institutionalised periodic one-on-one check-ins with grantees.
- Used grant monitoring data for an evidence-based decision-making matrix that empowered all stakeholders.
- Led team for timely completion of milestones through clear delegation of responsibilities and accountability.
- Led the development of a comprehensive document evaluating the allocation of funds to 100 NGOs over two years, covering program overview, challenges, mitigation strategies, and budget analysis across all cost categories.
- Led efforts for simplification of the grant management processes and development of a grant management platform for efficiency.
- Conducted open house and refresher training sessions covering all 100 NGOs and their queries.
- Led management for The GROW Fund project with the support of the internal team and external partner organisations.
- Managed external agencies' timely delivery of set milestones and high-quality deliverables on various aspects of the project.
- Developed a thorough risk matrix to control schedule risks, cost risks, reputation risks, etc., for the overall success of the project.
- Ensured thorough documentation of achievements, lessons learned, and best practices on program approach, processes, change management, risks and resource management.
- Guiding improvements in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the GROW fund initiatives.
- Led efforts for the development of requirements for the online grant management platform for the ease of use of the NGOs.
- The GROW Fund, an INR 100 crore initiative supporting 100 grassroots NGOs
Consultant
Sattva Consulting
12.2019 - 09.2022
- Designed a 3-year learning outcome-based State school transformation program for the Government of Karnataka (GoK) with the consortium of Shikshana, ILP, Quest Alliance, Yuva Unstoppable, YIPP, and UWBe.
- Developed a 3-year School Maturity Model with the alignment of GoK and ensured the need assessment of 100 schools so that the theory of change can be framed to impact the learning outcomes of 75000+ students of 3 districts.
- Collaborated with three states' governments- Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura to design and manage a natural resources conservation program and developed a Preliminary Project Report (PPR) for the world bank funded project on Natural resources conservation with livelihood generation through the in-depth study of existing natural resources and demography of 3 northeastern states and facilitating a state-led working session for the co-creation of state-wise PPR.
- Developed a scalable and sustainable implementation strategy through targeted design thinking for the domestic foundation so that Atal Jal Bhujal Yojana can have on-ground community ownership in the State of Gujarat.
- Enabled two AbhY-selected District Implementing Partners with efficient project management to support the collaboration with the foundation, Arghyam.
- Led the 3-organisation partnership to ensure community partnership and ownership in the implementation of the centrally designed scheme – AbhY in 216 villages of Gujarat by integrating a channel of support through learner-centric content, weekly virtual sessions, and digital attestation.
- Provided project management support to the consortium of Project Sampoorna.
- Collaborated with the Government of Jharkhand on the Adarsh Vidyalaya Program and managed 6 partner-led collaboratives (KEF, Dream a Dream, and Quest Alliance) to integrate Social-emotional learning-based curriculum and content in 110 Adarsh Vidyalaya schools across 24 districts of Jharkhand, impacting 50,000+ students.
- Provided Project Management Unit (PMU) support to Community-Led landscape projects, Government of Meghalaya and Arghyam.
- Engaged with the Government of Meghalaya on providing project management, implementation, and strategy support for their World Bank-funded project CLLMP.
- Enabled the capacities of 30+ government staff to ensure that 400+ villages can take ownership and participation in the implementation and management of natural resources of their respective village and clusters.
- Provided Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) support to ensure first-mile utilization of resources to ACT GRANTS.
- Designed and anchored the Monitoring and Evaluation with efficient project management for the ACT Grant.
- Managed end-to-end first-mile utilisation of 1500+ BIPAPs, 100+ ventilators, and 50+PSA with the collaboration of Amazon and Delhivery, and led key COVID-20 response initiatives across India.
Senior Program Leader
Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership
Mumbai
07.2017 - 12.2019
- Designed the content and curriculum for the development of leadership and entrepreneurial skills in 300+ Gandhi Fellows under the District Transformation Program, aided by NITI Aayog (Central Government Commission).
- Facilitated learning sessions with over 50 Program leaders for the capability building towards smooth integration of curriculum with Gandhi fellows.
Gandhi Fellow
Gandhi Fellowship
Churu
07.2015 - 05.2017
- Immersed in the remotest village of Rajasthan, Churu, and supports the empowering journey of 5 villages and 20 + government school staff in creating a fear-free learning environment for 500+ children.
- Integrated influence without authority and nonviolent communication with government and community stakeholders to ensure the increase in the life chances of the underprivileged.
- Initiated Public System Projects in the 5 villages of Churu around adolescent health care and Maternal Reproductive Health and facilitation of livelihood options for Self Help groups from 3 villages targeting 1000+ villagers.
Education
Master of Public Administration (MPA) - Global Leadership
School of International And Public Affairs, Columbia University
New York, USA05-2026
Master of Arts (MA) - Social Work
Indore School of Social Work
Indore12.2015
Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Social Work
Delhi University
Delhi12.2013
Skills
- Project Management
- Grant Management
- NGO Capacity Building
- Stakeholder Management
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Cross-functional Coordination
- Organisation Development
- Reporting & Documentation
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Canva
- Result-oriented
- Problem-solving
- Effective Communication
- Multitasking
- Conflict Resolution
Languages
English and Hindi
Timeline
Intern
More Gardens Fund
01.2026 - Current
Graduate Student Consultant
Capstone Project
12.2025 - Current
Lead-Grant Management
EdelGive Foundation
09.2022 - 05.2025
Consultant
Sattva Consulting
12.2019 - 09.2022
Senior Program Leader
Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership
07.2017 - 12.2019
Gandhi Fellow
Gandhi Fellowship
07.2015 - 05.2017
Master of Public Administration (MPA) - Global Leadership
School of International And Public Affairs, Columbia University
Master of Arts (MA) - Social Work
Indore School of Social Work
Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Social Work
Delhi University