WHY: With approximately 31% of all annual giving occurring in December, the end of the year is the most crucial time for almost every nonprofit organization. For donors, this makes sense because it’s the holiday season, a time of generosity and giving back, as well as the last opportunity to make tax-deductible donations count for this calendar year. For nonprofits, the end of the year is a natural moment to share reflections on the year, broadcast major accomplishments and perhaps major hurdles that still remain, and announce big ideas to fundraise for in the new year.

WHO: The Year-End Campaign is exclusively for TPF partners and your growing network supporters! Active projects will be automatically included. The deadline to submit new projects for inclusion on TFP’s website in the Year-End Campaign is Tuesday, Nov. 20, 9AM EST. Email to: programs@tpfund.org

Throughout the campaign we may not be able to answer edit requests on a timely manner. We kindly ask that you allow TPF the maximum time to to put your team and ours in a good position to succeed during the busiest season of the year.

WHEN + WHERE: TPF’s 2018 Year-End Campaign begins at 00:00:00 EST on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, and ends at 23:59:59 ET on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. Fundraising totals and bonus prizes will be announced 2nd week of January 2019.

WHY: #GivingTuesday is an opportunity to harness the generosity of your supporters to bring about real change in your community. This year, we are utilizing Facebook’s $7 million matching gift in donations. Our hope is that matching gift incentive gives your supporters every reason possible to generously celebrate and support the change you’re making in our communities.

WHO: The 2018 #GivingTuesday campaign is exclusively for TPF partners and your growing network of supporters! If you’d like us to establish a project on your behalf on Facebook, please send us: (1) a brief project description of your project; (2) 1 Photo; and (3) Your Financial Goal. The deadline to submit information for inclusion in the campaign is Tuesday, Nov. 20, 9AM EST. Email to: cagla@tpfund.org

WHEN + WHERE: TPF’s 2018 #GivingTuesday Campaign will begin Nov. 27, 2018, at 00:00:00 EST and end at 23:59:59 EST on Nov. 27, 2018. You can follow your campaigns on Facebook.

The Sena Eken Schieber Award provides Turkish women who have completed their undergraduate education in Turkey, the financial opportunity to pursue graduate studies in economics in the United States. Find all grant details here.

Sena believed that finances should not stand between a talented woman and her education. She had a long and distinguished career as an economist at the International Monetary Fund and served as an Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey. She has been described as a role model for others, a pioneer for women, and a credit to her country.

We are looking for strong and motivated women to follow in her footsteps and make a difference. If you think that you, or a friend, qualify for this grant, apply now and forward this email on to a friend!
You are interested in applying and want to learn more? Consider attending our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, November 8th, 9AM EST. Register here.

The fellowship honors the memory of journalist, filmmaker and news executive Robert L. Long. Over many years, Long worked with journalists covering international news and was concerned with the issues facing journalism in a rapidly changing world. He committed his life to challenging and inspiring his colleagues to expand their intellectual curiosity and maintain the high standards and integrity of their profession.

Joan Rebecca Siregar-Long, Long’s widow, established the program to support Turkish Nieman Fellows. “Robert was passionate about many things in life, and two of his greatest passions were his love for Turkey and his dedication to truth in journalism,” she said. “I wanted to honor his legacy by supporting journalists from a country he dearly loved.”

Long’s son, Philip Long, recalls, “My father was a mentor to many. He labored tirelessly to preserve the virtues of thoughtful, principled journalism. It is fitting that his work continues through the Nieman Fellowship.”

The Robert L. Long Nieman Fellowship is open to journalists who are Turkish citizens. The fellowship is fully funded and supports fellows in two semesters of study at Harvard University. Fellows participate in the activities of the Nieman Foundation and engage with Nieman classmates and faculty at the university. They audit courses and take part in master classes and journalism workshops designed to strengthen their professional and leadership skills.

The international application deadline for the 2018-2019 academic year is Dec. 1, 2017. The fellowship will be offered for the next three years. Interested candidates should apply online to Harvard University’s Nieman Fellowship program. Information about eligibility and the application process is available on the Nieman website.

G. Lincoln McCurdy, president of the Turkish Coalition of America and a friend of Long’s, said “I was fortunate to witness Robert’s passion for Turkey as the two of us traveled extensively in the country. In the United States, Robert was always supporting Turkish-American causes. As a journalist and media executive, he was also concerned with the integrity and the development of journalism in Turkey.  He engaged on the grassroots level by giving moral support to Turkish reporters and highlighting the importance of maintaining high journalistic standards in their profession.”

Bill Press, host of “The Bill Press Show” and former host of CNN’s “Crossfire,” worked under Long when he served as news director at KCOP. Press remembers Long’s “contagious joie de vivre” and his exemplary leadership skills: “In over 40 years of television broadcasting, I’ve worked with a lot of news executives. Bob Long was by far the smartest, sharpest and most successful of them all. He knew how to inspire and bring out the best in everybody on his team. He had a keen sense for news. He was fearless.”

About Robert L. Long
A journalist, filmmaker and broadcast executive, Robert L. Long had a wide-ranging career including work developing motion picture scripts and serving in newsrooms on both the East and West coasts. Some of his early assignments included writing for WWDC Radio and The Associated Press and serving as a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps. During the late 1970s, he produced a number of independent documentaries for network outlets in Los Angeles.

Long served as KNBC’s vice president and news director from 2003 to 2009, at which point he retired and explored film projects and taught journalism at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. He had previously served as vice president for news and operations at WRC-TV, the NBC-owned station in Washington, D.C. His prior television news experience included news gathering, production and management jobs at the CBS-owned KNXT (now KCBS), UPN Television’s KCOP and Disney Television, all in Los Angeles.

Before his death in August 2016, Long served as an executive producer for the Voice of America’s Mandarin service and as a program analyst for the International Broadcasting Bureau’s Office of Performance Review. He received many awards for his work throughout his career, including a number of Emmys, Edward R. Murrow Awards and a Peabody Award in 2005 for investigative journalism. He also received the Presidential Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) is a community foundation with a particular focus on Turkey and the Turkish community abroad. As a convener of givers, TPF introduces innovative philanthropic solutions to overcome crucial social challenges through its more than 60 partner NGOs on the ground. It serves the needs of donors so their generosity can make the greatest difference now, and long into the future. Built by donors for donors in 2007, TPF has turned into the leading U.S. community foundation for high-impact social investments in Turkey and in the Turkish-American community.

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard educates leaders in journalism and elevates the standards of the profession through special programs that convene scholars and experts in all fields. More than 1,500 accomplished and promising journalists from 96 countries have been awarded Nieman Fellowships since 1938. The foundation’s other initiatives include Nieman Reports, a quarterly print and online magazine that covers thought leadership in journalism; Nieman Lab, a website that reports on the future of news, innovation and best practices in the digital media age; and Nieman Storyboard, a website that showcases exceptional narrative journalism and explores the future of nonfiction storytelling.

For more information contact:

Nicole Arias
Nieman Foundation, Nieman Fellowship Program Administrator
(617) 495-2238; nicole_arias@harvard.edu

Goncagul Ay
Turkish Philanthropy Funds, Communications Lead
(646) 630-8988; goncagul@tpfund.org

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.

• Checks sent via the U.S. Postal Service to TPF office must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2016.
• Checks sent via FedEx, DHL, UPS or a similar service must be physically received at TPF office on or before December 31, 2016.
• Gifts of appreciated securities and wire transfers should be made by Wednesday, December 28, 2016. Early notification of these gifts will help ensure a smooth transfer. Contact Senay Ataselim-Yilmaz at senay@tpfund.org  or call 646.530.8988 for assistance with stock gifts and wire transfers. Kindly note that early notification of these gifts will help ensure a smooth transfer.
• Real estate gifts must have title transferred on or before Thursday, December 29, 2016.
• Credit card gifts should be made by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2016, to ensure timely posting by the credit card company.

Year-end grant recommendations

Donor advised fund holders may wish to recommend grants as part of year-end campaigns or as holiday contributions. In order for nonprofit recipients to receive grants in 2016, recommendations should be made by Thursday, December 15 as long as the non-profit is a TPF partner in Turkey or a tax-exempt organization in the United States. Donor advised grant recommendations could be made by using this form via email to goncagul@tpfund.org, or via fax to 646.880.9347. Please note that the timing of donor advised grants has no effect on your 2016 charitable income tax deductions since, for tax purposes, your charitable contribution was deemed completed at the time it was contributed to your donor advised fund.

Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRA

On December 18, 2015 the President signed the PATH Act permitting individuals to roll over up to $100,000 from an individual retirement account (IRA) directly to a qualifying charity without recognizing the assets transferred to the qualifying charity as income. The law uses the term “qualified charitable distribution” to describe an IRA charitable rollover. A qualified charitable distribution is money that individuals who are 70½ or older may direct from their traditional IRA to eligible charitable organizations. The provision has a cap of $100,000 for charitable distributions from individual IRAs each year. Individuals may exclude the amount distributed directly to an eligible charity from their gross income. Please note that a distribution to a donor advised fund will not qualify for this special treatment. You can read an analysis of what this might mean for you if you are 70½ or older and thinking of a charitable distribution from your IRA here. Please call Senay Ataselim-Yilmaz at 646.530.8978 if you’d like to contribute IRA assets.

• Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi (Association for the Support of Contemporary Living, CYDD) in the amount of $45,000
  Establishment of a Cultural Activity Center in SOMA by CYDD: The Cultural Activity Center will feature creative studios for children, provide sessions for psychosocial support and offer skill-building workshops to both men and women. TPF’s grant will assist CYDD in the purchase of the building that will house the Center and will help with the operating costs of the first year.
• Darussafaka Cemiyeti (Darussafaka Society) in the amount of $45,000.  Scholarships through Darussafaka Society: Darussafaka Society with approval from AFAD provides scholarships to students who lost their fathers at the mining tragedy. TPF’s grant will provide full scholarships for one year at Darussafaka Schools to four students who qualify by passing an entrance exam.
• Anne Cocuk Egitim Vakfi (Mother Child Education Foundation, ACEV) in the amount of $30,000. Establishment of a Child Education Center in KINIK by ACEV:The Child Education Center will address mid to long-term needs of the towns affected by the disaster, and will be operated in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs and the local municipality. The center will operate a variety of educational programs from pre-school education, play and reading groups and family education to adult literacy, serving 1,500 to 2,000 families per year.

• Most of the relief efforts targeted Soma. However, the victims spread to more than 15 towns.
• All scholarships, to the children of miners who lost their lives, are being administered by AFAD.
• 301 lives were lost at the Soma mining disaster. This left 418 children with no fathers. Thirty-two percent of these children are under the age of five, 38 percent are attending elementary school, and 24 percent are over 12 years of age. Fifty-one percent of school-aged children are boys and 49 percent are girls.Based on these findings, TPF has decided to fund the following projects:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: MELIS FIGANMESE
MEDIA LINE: (646) 530-8988
EMAIL: INFO@TPFUND.ORG

New York Charity that Supports Gender Equality in Turkey Signs Declaration for Girls
Turkish Philanthropy Funds signs the Girl Declaration

 
Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) has signed the Girl Declaration, an international movement powered by organizations such as Nike Foundation, UN Foundation and Vital Voices who call for the the inclusion of girls in development. TPF is the first diaspora organization to sign this document and has done so within the first year of the Girl Declaration.

TPF’s President, Ilhan Akbil remarked “By bringing international attention to the status of girls in Turkey, we can surely raise awareness and act in providing education, health and safety to girls and in turn end poverty before it begins.”

Turkish Philanthropy Funds is the first transnational philanthropy organization of the Turkish-American community in the US that aims to tackle four main issue areas in Turkey; education, gender equality, social and economic development and disaster relief. Thus far, TPF has granted $12.6 million to social investment projects in Turkey.

For more information, visit localhost/tpfund/.