Thank you to everyone who has participated so far, and our incredible hosts! We are truly grateful.

Voices of Partners with Basic Needs Association

Voices of Partners with Prof. Umran İnan from Koç University

Voices of Partners with TOHUM

Voices of Partners with İhtiyaç Haritası

Voices of Partners with Maya Vakfı

Voices of Partners with YGA

Voices of Partners with KODA

Voices of Partners with Cemre Fund

Voices of Partners with AÇEV

Voices of Partners with Ashoka

Voices of Partners with ÖRAV

Voices of Partners with Değişim Liderleri Derneği

Voices of Partners with Okul Destek Derneği

Voices of Partners with Hayata Destek Derneği

Voices of Partners with Kodluyoruz

Voices of Partners with Darüşşafaka Society

Voices of Partners with PAYDA

Voices of Partners with TEV

Voices of Partners with TUSEV

Voices of Partners with CYDD & NeedsMap

Voices of Partners Special – Responding to Earthquakes with a Child-Centered Approach

Voices of Partners Special – Addressing Immediate Needs in Earthquake Response

Watch “Why I Give“ A Voices of Partners Donor Special

Watch Sena Eken Schieber Economics Award Special on Voices of Partners 2022-23

Watch Voices of Partners Women's History Month Special

Watch Voices of Partners Environment Special

Watch Sena Eken Schieber Economics Award Special on Voices of Partners 2021-22

“Both Ziya and I grew up in families with a deep sense of civic duty and responsibility to our communities. So giving was not something that was foreign to either of us,” says Nakiye Boyacıgiller, one of TPF’s Founders Society Members and a Board Member. Nakiye and her late husband Ziya shared the same values. They started giving back early in life with small amounts. Their giving grew as their net worth grew. Their passion has always been supporting women’s education in Turkey and their giving reflected their passion from giving scholarships to supporting fellowship programs.

“We have started thinking of our legacy very early on in our lives with Ziya” says Nakiye and continues “The sterling example of Haldun and Nihal Tashman and their ‘give while you live’ philosophy also influenced our giving and encouraged us to join TPF’s Founders Society. The transparent giving platform TPF offers is exceptional and we wanted to be a part of this wonderful legacy.”

TPF’s professional and fiscally responsible management gave Nakiye the confidence she needed to also open a DAF in honor of Ziya Boyacıgiller, whom she lost in 2014. The memorial fund currently underwrites the participation of two young entrepreneurs (one woman, one man) in the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundations Fellows Program (giriscimlikvakfi.org/en/about). In doing so, Nakiye and her daughters are continuing Ziya’s legacy of mentoring young entrepreneurs while also supporting a TPF partner. Nakiye also backs several other TPF partners and serves on the boards of BUVAK (the Boğaziçi University Foundation) and DLD (the Change Leaders Association).

Nakiye’s hope for the future is that her children, grandchildren and students learn by her and her husband’s example and be caring and responsible individuals. These values she says are best learned by seeing from your elders. “I feel a personal responsibility to try and contribute to a better world. I know that my children definitely see that and hope my students do as well. That is my greatest legacy.”

Sara is the youngest of five daughters of a father who always wanted a son. It was only when her oldest gave birth to a boy that her father was happy. Like many of her peers, Sara was expected to live a certain way of life; help her mother around the house, learn cooking and cleaning, get married when she was of age and live happily ever after. However, Sara had other plans for herself. She wanted to go to college and have a career. Determined to change the lifestyle imposed on her, she studied really hard in high school and got into Bogazici University, one of the top three universities in Turkey.

Sara was nervous more than excited with this news because now, it was time to convince her father to let her go to college. And that was more difficult for Sara than getting into a top school. Sara’s father regarded college education unnecessary for girls, and even shameful. Even Sara’s acceptance from Bogazici University was enough to make his friends and colleagues to make fun of him and the way he raised his daughter. In addition, he was reluctant to send Sara to Istanbul, to a city he had never been before. But Sara was determined to challenge the perceptions towards women in Turkey and was ready to to fight for it.

With the support of her mother and older sisters, Sara’s father was convinced to visit Bogazici University’s campus. So their family of ten took the 30 hour long bus trip from Van to Istanbul. Impressed by the campus and tired of the nonstop arguments from his wife and daughters, Sara’s father finally agreed to let her go to college. Sara knew that this was her only chance to equip herself with the necessary tools to succeed in life as a woman. She didn’t waste any time to participate in professional, technology and language workshops to reach her fullest potential. That’s when she had met with “Women Leaders of the Future”, and her mentor, Secil.

Secil joined the Women Leaders of the Future program to encourage young women that nothing is beyond their reach. But after meeting Sara, she had found herself on the other side, inspired by one of them. Sara is only one out 500 young women who participated in this project. In only four days, she gained new professional skills to succeed at a job interview. But most importantly, when her mentor discovered her top-notch people skills, she recommended her to work in Human Resources, Sara decided to move forward in her career as she directed. She is now working as the Head of Human Resources in one of the largest corporations in Turkey. And, Sara’s father is so proud of her that he is advising all his friends to send their daughters to college.

Only 27 percent of women participate in the workforce in Turkey. KAGIDER works diligently to change this ratio. They encourage young women to accomplish things they didn’t think they could, or never would have even tried. Take a look at their projects and join their efforts of empowering young women and encouraging their entrepreneurship spirits.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds’ Turning Monologues into Dialogues Speaker Series features leading names in philanthropy and social entrepreneurship to share strategies behind today’s success stories, inspire innovative thinking and advance new solutions to current social problems in the US and in Turkey.

RT @orientalist “We need your energy and help to improve women’s status in Turkey” @GuldenTurktan #IWD14 #Turkey

— Turkish Philanthropy (@tphilanthropy) March 11, 2014

However, when we take a step back and compare this number with Turkey’s overall female workforce, our positive reaction disappears. “Turkey’s total female employment rate has dropped from 35 to almost 25 percent in the last 10 years, which is lower than any European country”.

Among the most successful businesspeople in Turkey, women are emerging as key players. The majority of women in Turkey, however, are still faced with discrimination and violence against women.

“Turkey’s female business elite are working with NGOs to develop projects to reach out to women.” With the goal to increase the female workforce, successful women are proactively involving top corporations in gender equality campaigns.

Read this article in full: http://www.dw.de/turkish-businesswomen-make-a-difference/a-16557565

The last decade has seen the rise of Turkey as a regional and global leader with a dynamic and strong economy.At the same time, Turkey has also been facing critical development and democratization goals with poor track records in human rights, women’s empowerment, its treatment of its minorities and journalists.

Can social entrepreneurship – with its potential to identify the right points of intervention – be just what Turkey needs to become a country where everyone can contribute to social change?

This was the question on the minds of everyone last month when prominent members of the American-Turkish diaspora – business leaders, students, academicians, lawyers, doctors and artists – gathered for a roundtable discussion on the future and potential of social entrepreneurship in Turkey. Contributions of Turkey’s leading social entrepreneurs, Ashoka founder Bill Drayton and Ashoka Fellows Ibrahim Betil and Nasuh Mahruki, declared the answer to be “yes”.

Ibrahim Betil, trained as an industrialist and banker, presented a prime example of how a country like Turkey can leverage its growing capacity in the business and social sectors: invest in its young population. This is what Ibrahim did ten years ago. In 2001, he turned his attention to putting in place opportunities for young adults to contribute to positive social action through their own initiative. He founded TOG- Community Volunteers Foundation of Turkey a leading youth organization touching the lives of thousands of youth in 90 universities across the country.

Nasuh Mahruki, an author, photographer and the first Turk to climb Mount Everest presented AKUT- Search and Rescue Association Turkey’s leading search and rescue organization. AKUT has not only saved countless lives but also has become a symbol promoting volunteerism, leadership, and civic initiative in the country. “We push our volunteers toward the deep realization that ordinary people can and must take ownership of their safety in crisis situations” says Nasuh “and by focusing on safety, an issue that is critical to men and women of all backgrounds, we make a broad change in public conceptions about the roles and responsibilities of citizenship”.

Bill Drayton highlighted that the emergence of these leaders in societies was no coincidence. “By 1980, there was a new generation coming up that was tired of the inefficiencies of the older order,” Drayton says. “We could see that the historical moment had come for transformation.” It was a point that was repeated by Ibrahim and Nasuh. They emphasized the importance of social entrepreneurs in encouraging others to become engaged citizens and changemakers. “Each social entrepreneur is a role model. His or her success will encourage many others to stand up, care and organize,” remarked Bill Drayton. As 2012 gets underway, it’s a good message to go into the new year with. Let’s get to work.