Anjali Malipatil
New York '06
Northwestern University, New York University
Nonprofit & Social Services
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Teach For America: New York Corps
As a seventh and eighth-grade science teacher, Anjali co-designed her school’s science curriculum. Later, she joined TFA NYC’s Sponsor–A-Teacher program, and thus began her career in fundraising.
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Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
Anjali went on to serve as Director of Individual Giving at SEO, where she developed a comprehensive growth plan and fundraising proposal to expand the nonprofit.
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NYU Stern School of Business
In grad school, Anjali led the Education Reform Club and consulted for two nonprofits’ strategic growth plan while in school.
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American Express, Marketing Manager
Anjali worked in marketing for a commercial loan product for small business owners.
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PDT Partners, Head of Philanthropy
Today, Anjali leads PDT’s philanthropic efforts, funding strategic grants and projects for nonprofits and schools in New York and London.
Q & A
What led you to apply to Teach For America?
As an undergrad, I led a group of Northwestern students who tutored kids from low-income communities. This was my first face-to-face experience with the achievement gap. The level of education the students were receiving outraged me, and I was inspired to get more involved. A few years later, my older sister joined the New York corps. After learning about her experience, I applied.
How was the corps a catalyst for your personal transformation?
Very few jobs can provide you with the same level of responsibility, intensity, and experience as TFA, especially so early in your career. It was a crash course in leadership. You’re charged with achieving an incredibly lofty, challenging goal. By the end, you’ll learn how to set goals, invest your students and stakeholders in your goals, and execute on them.
What do you do today?
I lead the philanthropic efforts at PDT Partners, where we support a number of different nonprofits that are doing impactful work in NYC and London. We fund strategic grants and projects while helping our staff engage with these organizations in meaningful ways.
How has TFA prepared you skill-wise for these challenges?
I became a stronger planner and learned how to use every resource at my disposal. I learned how to communicate to a vastly different group of individuals—students, other teachers, and administrators within my school, parents of students, or fellow TFA corps members. I also learned how to facilitate group conversation and strengthened my public speaking skills.
How do you stay connected to TFA’s mission?
I’m constantly meeting leaders within the nonprofit and corporate space, across a variety of sectors, who are TFA alumni working to improve the lives of New York City’s youth. After every meeting, I always leave inspired. The second part of Teach For America’s mission is really coming to life—leaders in all different sectors committed to working in their own way to end educational inequity.