Who We Are
Who we are
The Next Million Foundation is catalyzing India’s strategic philanthropy movement to transform a billion lives by empowering them to achieve dignity and equity. In 2009, The Next Million Foundation was founded on the simple premise that supporting Non-Profits in their growth will scale their impact on the vulnerable lives they serve. Beginning with incubating NGOs and enabling them to scale, two decades later this theory of change continues to thrive at Next Million Foundation. It now encompasses strengthening leading NGOs, magnifying philanthropists’ impact, and enabling the government to better serve communities. The Next Million Foundation acts as a catalyst in India’s vibrant philanthropic sector by driving collaborative action to accelerate social change.
Our approach
Our Mission
A community building millions of lives.
Our Vision
Next Million Foundation is a Non-Profit organization dedicated to helping people, help themselves. We seek to restore dignity and quality of life for people affected by conflict, by eliminating barriers to success through digital transformation, quality education, entrepreneurship, skill development, and agricultural innovations. Guided by the aspirations of the people we serve, we pursue this mission with compassion, transparency, and generosity.
Values
- Transparency: Next Million Foundation ensures complete transparency in all our efforts and workings with internal as well as external stakeholders of an organization.
- Integrity: Next Million Foundation works with integrity and ensures the growth of all those involved in our endeavors. To comply with all laws, rules, and regulations bestowed upon as part of an organization.
- Respect: Next Million Foundation ensures respect towards each individual and their views and feelings inside the organization despite its cast, creed, gender, or color.
- Empathy: To be empathetic to all those associated with the Next Million Foundation and ensure a high sense of understanding of the feelings of all our stakeholders.
Our Team
Pankaj Bhagwan Gaikwad
Founder and CEO
Mr. Pankaj has an Electrical Engineering Degree from Government College, Aurangabad, and a Masters in Advanced Control and Systems Engineering from The University of Manchester. His financial markets skills are at par and are backed with his own startup experiences. His Philanthropist nature has brought his humanitarian side to start this esteemed organization. He is deeply engaged in the work of women empowerment and entrepreneurship for women.
Shaikh Azhar
Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer.
Shaikh Azhar has a Bachelors’s Degree from Deogiri College and PGDBM from Pune university. After having started a career in Training and development he then ventured into the social development sector. After accumulating a wealth of experience spanning over 7 years in the Social Development Sector, he worked with different NGOs and Government Departments like the Ministry of Rural Development of India, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. He has also trained more than 1000+ Students for employability and entrepreneurship and most have become successful entrepreneurs in their fields. He is a member of the different associations for the corporate social responsibility forums. He is also a Mentor with Bharti Yuka Shakti Trust. He has a passion to do something for the society and wants to bring lasting positive change to society.
Director – Head of Legal & HR
After having completed a Bachelor in Financial Markets from Tolani College of Commerce, as well as a law graduate from KC Law College, Mumbai, she has worked in various law firms and senior advocates including Adv Arjun Bobde and assisted him in matters at the Supreme Court of India. With vast experience with corporates and domestic litigation matters, she has developed a niche corporate clientele with a deep understanding of the corporate structure, mitigating risks, and managing the HR and Legal Departments at these corporations. Having vast experience in these fields and a drive and passion to work for the betterment of society, she has also engaged and worked for multiple NGOs for Corporate Social Responsibilities. She has always championed women in the workspace and focused on building a female-dominated law firm to promote women empowerment and entrepreneurship for women. She has contributed her spare time to train underprivileged women to develop their skills and help them become self-employed. Being the first female entrepreneur of her family, it is her motto not just to succeed, but also to give back to society and help other women and children reach their potential.