In order to provide the communities where our work centers with donations that further our mission, the MurthyNayak FOUNDATION focuses primarily on improving the lives of society’s most vulnerable and disenfranchised members. We seek to support organizations that provide assistance to women for their health, safety, and livelihoods, to children for their nourishment, education, and well being, and to immigrants for the protection of their human rights and dignity

Grants from MNF are bestowed based upon our mission and goals. Applicants should be able to show how their work can dovetail with MNF to improve the lives of women, children, and/or immigrants in need. Gifts are typically in the $2000 to $10,000 range. A small number of grants are given each year. Request application materials by eMailing info [at] murthynayak.org.

As a small, family foundation, we tend to focus our work on programs for women, children, and immigrants in our own communities. We support nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore-Washington area, and along the east coast of the United States.

We also work with NGOs in southern India, in Bangalore, Hubli, and Kuppam, A.P. Occasionally, we find organizations outside of these general areas that we feel are worthy of our attentions. In addition, we help with disaster relief when and where we are able.

Baltimore to Bangalore – Each life matters!

Top Executives
Sheela Murthy, Esq. and Vasant Nayak

Board of Directors
Sheela Murthy, Esq.
Vasant Nayak
Srinivasa Murthy
Vijay Nayak
Shay Taylor

Sheela Murthy: Founder and President of the Murthy Law Firm, Sheela Murthy has dedicated her career to the practice of U.S. immigration law. Her firm works to help businesses in the United States bring the best and the brightest from abroad to strengthen their operations. An immigrant herself, Ms. Murthy has trained her team of approximately 75 staff members to approach their work with empathy for the foreign national. Ms. Murthy serves on several boards of several nonprofits, including the American Immigration Council, the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, and Stevenson University, and is active at the leadership level of the United Way of Central Maryland and United Way International. She has been recognized and honored for her philanthropic work in the United States and in India, and was named 2009 Philanthropist of the Year by United Way of Central Maryland at their annual Tocqueville Society Awards for her $1 million pledge, announced in 2008.

Vasant Nayak: Vasant earned his BA in anthropology and MA in photography. He taught photography and art in the U.S. and has exhibited is work internationally. Vasant says, although his body resides in the United States, his soul dwells in India, and his mind traverses between the two. Mr. Nayak works in marketing consulting. This is balanced with the work he does for Site2Sight Productions, which be began with the purpose of providing nonprofit organizations and NGOs with the media they need to promote the valuable work they do.

Col. HMS Murthy: With a master’s degree in structural engineering, Srinivasa Murthy was in the Indian Army posted all over the country, particularly in remote areas near the northwest border. Later, he worked for BEMEL, an engineering company, in Bangalore. Following his retirement from BEMEL, Col. Murthy, with other retired military officers, was a a founding member of Senior Citizens Association. The Chennakeshava School as his focus. He is active in the running of the education and the feeding programs of the school.

Vijay Nayak: Vijay is a self-taught programmer who enjoys developing software and websites. He is currently developing websites that spread solutions so that people do not have to reinvent the wheel. He has worked at the Indian Statistical Institute, University of Warwick, the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and for the Healthcare Association of New York State. When not working, he likes to drive the back roads to smell the fresh air and wild flowers and observe the simpler life. He believes in the journey rather than the destination.

Shay Taylor: Shay earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in fine arts from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. She has used her skills in writing and digital design at the Murthy Law Firm since 1998, where she has served as webmaster and editor of their weekly eNewsletter. Ms. Taylor assists in the marketing of the firm and in keeping promotional materials current. While she is diligent in her work, she is thoroughly dedicated to the work of the MurthyNayak FOUNDATION.