Establishment of Sabancı Foundation

The official deed of the Hacı Ömer Sabancı Foundation, signed by six siblings, was approved by court decision on March 22, 1974. The foundation, later named Sabancı Foundation (VAKSA), was established with donations from the Sabancı family and three Sabancı companies: Bossa, Pilsa, and Teksa. While still alive, Sadıka Sabancı donated her entire estate, making it the largest donation in the history of the Republic.

Launch of the Scholarship Program

In its early years, the Sabancı Foundation set education as its primary goal. It was decided to provide scholarships to young people in financial need, to build dormitories for female students who lacked adequate educational opportunities, and to focus on vocational and technical schools, which are of critical importance for Turkey’s development. Since 1974, nearly 55,500 scholarships have been awarded.

Membership in European Foundation Council

The European Foundation Centre was established in Brussels in 1989 with the aim of creating supportive legal and financial environments for foundations in Europe, strengthening the infrastructure of the third sector, and promoting collaboration and partnerships between foundations and other actors in the field. As part of its efforts to strengthen its presence on the international stage, the Sabancı Foundation became a member of the European Foundation Centre in 1991 and was elected to its Governing Board in 2011.

Launch of the Awards Program in Education, Arts, and Sports

With the aim of promoting success in education, arts, and sports, more than 1,240 awards have been granted to individuals and organizations that have achieved national and international success in these fields by our Foundation and our conditional donors to date.

Establishment of Sabancı University

With the vision of establishing a "world university" in Turkey, over 50 scientists, researchers, students, and businesspeople from 22 countries came together in Istanbul in August 1995 for a search conference. During the conference, the philosophy of a world university to be founded in Istanbul was established: “Creating and developing together.”

Following the search conference, design committees were formed and supported by student preference studies. A total of 13 design committees were created to work on academic programs and courses within an interdisciplinary framework. In addition to academic planning, the University Governance Project was launched in collaboration with the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche to develop the university’s administrative processes and management structure.

As a result of the design process, rather than modeling the university on a single existing institution or replicating various examples and practices, a new and original university model was created.

Sabancı University welcomed its first students in October 1999 and began its academic journey. Today, it serves as a model for many universities both in Turkey and abroad.

Launch of the Grant Program

Since 2007, within the scope of its Grant Programs, the Sabancı Foundation has supported the projects of civil society organizations with the aim of promoting equal opportunities and active participation in society for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, as well as strengthening civil society. To date, 247 projects have been implemented across all 81 provinces of Turkey through the Grant Program, receiving over 88 million TL in total funding and creating significant impact at the national level.

Initiation of the International Philanthropy Seminars

Since 2007, the Sabancı Foundation Philanthropy Seminars have brought together representatives from civil society, the private sector, and public institutions with international experts, providing a platform for knowledge sharing on new approaches in the field of civil society.

Launch of Türkiye’s Changemakers Program

The Changemakers Program, which supports, highlights, and inspires social entrepreneurs, activists, and change agents who develop innovative solutions to social issues, has received nearly 20,000 applications to date. Following a meticulous evaluation process, 222 individuals and organizations have been selected to join the program.

Establishment of Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum

Mardin, one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia, has been home to many ancient civilizations. With its historical, touristic, architectural, and visual significance, Mardin is considered one of the world’s unique heritage cities and resembles an open-air museum. The Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum and the Dilek Sabancı Art Gallery contribute to the promotion of Mardin’s centuries-old cultural heritage.

Ranked among the top 7 foundations globally for its impactful work in promoting gender equality

According to the report “Insights on Philanthropy for Gender Equality”, published in Paris in 2019 by the OECD Development Centre and based on the OECD’s “Survey on Private Philanthropy for Development 2013–2015”, the Sabancı Foundation was ranked among the top 7 foundations worldwide that focus on gender equality. The OECD study was conducted among the 147 largest foundations engaged in development work globally between 2013 and 2015. The list also included major global foundations such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, the Goldman Sachs Foundation, and the Chanel Foundation.

Became a signatory to the International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change

It holds the distinction of being the first and only foundation from Turkey to sign the International Philanthropy Commitment for Climate Change.

Young Women (NEET) Building Their Future Project Kickoff

The “Young Women Building Their Future” project was launched to raise awareness of the problems and needs of young women who are neither in education nor employment or training (NEET), and to create mechanisms to address these issues. Over three years, the project has reached 6,000 NEET women and provided employment opportunities for 800 of them.

50th anniversary and new strategy process

At the most recent Search Conference held on March 23-24, 2024, philanthropy experts from Turkey and around the world, along with the Sabancı Family, came together to define the goals and strategies for the next 50 years. As a result of the conference, there was a consensus to develop a broader philanthropy strategy focused on creating a greener and more just world, working in collaboration with local and global stakeholders, covering the Sabancı Foundation’s second 50-year period.