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How "Turkey's Changemakers" works
The program has a website (www.farkyaratanlar.org in Turkish only) which invites the public to nominate a "Changemaker" using an online application form. There are six categories through which a "Changemaker" can be nominated:
- Economic Development
- Health
- Environment
- Education/Learning
- Civic Participation
- Social Justice
Candidates must reflect the following qualities:
Personal profile:
- Social entrepreneurship spirit
- Honesty and trustworthiness
- Inspiring personal story
Scope of work:
- Innovative and creative approach
- Solving old problems through new methods
- Scalable and/or replicatable programs
Once the nomination is sent, the Sabanci Foundation and Dipnot Production conducts a pre-assessment and creates a pool of eligible candidates. This pool is reviewed regularly by an Advisory Council consisting of the following members:
Aysen Ozyegin - Chairperson, Mother Child Education Foundation
Korel Goymen - Professor, Sabanci University
Osman Kavala - Chairperson, Association for the Support of Social Cultural Life
Temel Aksoy - Founder, Fikirhane Consulting
Umit Boyner - President, Turkish Businessman and Industrialists Association (TUSAID)
Vahap Munyar - Columnist, Hurriyet Daily Newspaper
Zerrin Koyunsagan - Asst. General Manager, Sabanci Foundation
Sabanci Foundation Launches Television Program to Showcase Turkey's
Changemakers
Sabanci Foundation's 'Turkey's Changemakers' project was launched on 24
September at a press conference attended by Sabanci Foundation's Chairman Ms. Guler Sabanci,
General Manager Husnu Pacacioglu, Assistant General Manager Zerrin Koyunsagan, and TV
Producer/Host Cuneyt Ozdemir. The press event was held at the Sabanci University Sakip Sabanci
Museum's new 'SEED' venue.
"Turkey's Changemakers" is a weekly TV program which aims to highlight the efforts of unique
individuals who promote change and development in their communities and create a remarkable
impact in the lives of others. TV program's first episode aired on 4 October 2009 at 18:30 on CNN Turk (national news channel) and will continue for a full season of 32 weeks."
"35 years ago, the Sabanci Foundation embarked on a journey to make a difference in people's lives.
We continue to do so with an annual contribution of approximately 40 million US dollars. In 2008, we
launched a new strategy to promote equal access to rights and increase participation for youth, women
and persons with disabilities through grant programs. 'Turkey's Changemakers' is the newest
addition to our scope of work. This project will share stories of those who are making a difference in
the lives of others from all across Turkey," said Ms. Sabanci in her remarks.
Ms. Sabanci emphasized that when it comes to Turkey's social and economic development, "civil
society organizations and their leaders play a critical role and are a catalyst for change. We must make
their stories and accomplishments more visible and inspire and encourage society to pursue and
support similar efforts."
Highlighting the importance of the nonprofit sector's visibility, Ms. Sabanci said: "We are supporting
this project with the hope that everyone- especially youth- will realize the value of making a
difference, to see these individuals as role models and to recognize that they too, can make a
difference in other people's lives. As visibility of these initiatives and individuals increase, so will the
number of good practices and projects. And this will ultimately yield quicker progress for Turkey's
social and economic development."
The Sabanci Foundation's main objective is to advance social and human development in Turkey,
with an emphasis on women, youth and persons with disabilities. Mr. Husnu Pacacioglu, General
Manager, highlighted how this project aligns with Sabanci Foundation's overall strategy: "During our
site visits to our grantees, we meet fascinating people and hear inspiring stories. Yet we see that most
projects do not have access to media. This limits their visibility, and ultimately, their impact.
'Turkey's Changemakers' will share inspiring stories of changemakers who lack media attention they
needed to increase the impact of their work. It will also draw attention to the important work taking
place through many channels of media- TV, radio, print and the internet. As such, this project is
strategically critical to achieving our objectives and helping other changemakers in achieving theirs."
Applications to be nominated as one of 'Turkey's Changemakers' will be open to the public and
accepted from projects' website (www.farkyaratanlar.org in Turkish only). The Sabanci Foundation
Programs Division and the TV Production teams will work together to short list candidates.
"We're making extensive use of new media and social networking to promote maximum involvement
of all segments of society. The web site accepts nominations for candidates, shares videos of televised
TV programs and has a forum for discussion. Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and other social
networking tools are being used to generate involvement and discussion. We also created an Advisory
Board comprised of leaders and experts in fields of philanthropy, communications and media increase
participation in the decision making process" said Zerrin Koyunsagan, Assistant General Manager.
Cuneyt Ozdemir, producer and host of the 'Turkey's Changemakers' TV program emphasized that a
new era for media in Turkey is emerging: "Times are changing; 'Bad' stories no longer make 'good'
news. We want this program to give people hope and tell the stories of unique individuals doing
remarkable work for Turkey's development." Each program will be filmed on site of the changemaker,
and presented live from the 'SEED' venue every Sunday night for 32 weeks.
This project is an important part of Sabanci Foundation's new program strategy, launched in 2008.
The foundation has now funded over 40 grantees working in 30 different cities across Turkey, and
continues its partnership with UN agencies and the Ministry of Interior to promote and protect the
rights of women and girls. Sabanci Foundation is also a founding member of the European Consortium
of Foundations on Human Rights and Disability (organized under the auspices of the European
Foundation Center in Brussels).
In 2009 Guler Sabanci and the Sabanci Foundation received the "Raymond Georis Prize for Innovative
Philanthropy in Europe" from The Europe-based Mercator Fund. The Prize Jury was chaired by Mr.
Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union and President of the Madariaga
European Foundation. The Selection Committee also comprised Mr. Gerry Salole, Chief Executive of
the European Foundation Centre, and Ms. Norine MacDonald QC, President of the Mercator Fund.
Sabanci Foundation is currently planning other phases of the 'Turkey's Changemakers' project which
will include the publication of a book, a series of DVDs and other initiatives to promote the program.
An active member of the European Foundation Center (EFC) and the Council on Foundations, Sabanci
Foundation will also be promoting the project at the international level through publications and
international events.
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