8 Projects Approved For Sabanci Foundation Funding

Nevgül Bilsel Safkan: “We Are Happy To Be Part Of The Solution Together With The Non-Governmental Organizations And To Support Them.”

The Sabancı Foundation has been running the Grant Programs with the goal of contributing to the empowerment of civil society and social development since 2007 and this year’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) qualified to receive support under the Grant Programs have been announced. The Foundation supports non-governmental organizations that develop solutions to the problems encountered by women, young people and individuals with disabilities, envisioning a society in which all individuals enjoy their rights equally, and it is going to fund 8 projects this year.  

General Manager of the Sabancı Foundation Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, stating that the Sabancı Foundation has been funding non-governmental organizations for 14 years, said, “For 46 years, the Sabancı Foundation believes the civil society needs to be supported to contribute to the social development and has been working for this purpose. Being the very first foundation to fund non-governmental organizations in Turkey, we have supported 173 Projects with a total donation reaching 28.5 million TL within the scope of the Grant Programs in 14 Years. This year we are going to fund 8 projects to create a lasting impact, aiming with the projects we support to empower women in the social and economic life, develop young people and eliminate inequalities suffered by individuals with disabilities. We are happy to be part of the solution together with the non-governmental organizations that have an important role in driving the struggle with social problems in an effective manner and to support them."  

Ms. Safkan indicated they would allow flexibility as needed to realize the projects while the COVID-19 pandemic continues and added, “Many events and meetings are nowadays held online due to the precautions taken against the COVID-19 pandemic. This does reinforce the communication between non-governmental organizations, on one hand, but makes it impossible to conduct fieldwork or face-to-face training. Therefore, the Sabancı Foundation, in consideration of the necessities of this period, promises to allow flexibility as needed for the projects we fund.”

This year, the Grant Programs of the Sabancı Foundation received 254 project applications from 58 provinces all across Turkey. The Grant Programs supports those NGOs that implement projects in "supporting high-quality education", "ensuring access to education and attendance” and "supporting rights-based non-formal training efforts” to solve certain social problems faced by women, young people, and individuals with disabilities by offering knowledge and experience as well as grants ranging from 50 thousand TL to 250 thousand TL. The projects to be funded have been selected by the evaluation by the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, upon the proposal of an independent Evaluation Board comprising a group of experts in the field who are experienced in the field of civil society. 

The non-governmental organizations and their projects qualified to receive funding support:

• “I am Aware of My Strength, I Take Care of My Business,” by the Afyonkarahisar Businesswomen Association: aims to raise awareness of women working in the marble sector on gender equality and rights through training, and to build the support mechanisms needed to enable them to continue and advance in their career.
• “Tactile Learning & Evaluation,” by the Six Dots Foundation for the Blinds: aims to develop, implement and generalize a tactile educational model with tactile educational materials and a tactile scale for children with visual disabilities attending primary and secondary school. The project scope includes the objectives of developing children’s skills to understand/comprehend tactile drawings, using tactile learning more intensively in education, and improving the academic success of children with visual disabilities.
• “From Bodrum to Turkey: Women are Creating Their Egalitarian and Nonviolent City!,” by the Bodrum Women’s Solidarity Association: aims to contribute to the formation of more inclusive local services and women friendly cities with the active participation of women, by making sure women living in Bodrum can identify the problems they encounter, know their rights and develop a gender equality perspective.
• “Koza (Cocoon) Project: Development of Parent to Parent Support Program,” by the Eskişehir Development Foundation: aims to develop a model of solidarity between parents with children with special needs, inform them at an early stage about their rights, provide them with social-emotional support so that they can deal with the challenges they face/will face.
• “I am Stronger with My Sister,” by the Esenyalı Women’s Solidarity Association: aims to improving the economic, psychological, social and physical quality of life of women living in the districts of Pendik and Maltepe through training on rights, art workshops and activities to empower their organizational capacity.
• “Once Upon a Time Sur was Playing,” by the Colorful Hopes Association: aims to make children of Sur, Diyarbakır, realize the cultural diversity, develop the feeling of trust, and improve self-confidence so that they can make peace with themselves and differences and their acts of discrimination and violence reduce.
• “Support Project,” by the Innovative Initiative Association: aims to improve the quality of education in resource rooms by improving the physical conditions and empower teachers; thereby providing higher quality education to students with special educational needs, preventing dropouts, increasing the school attendance rates and contributing to their continuing their educational activities in harmony with their peers.
• “Being A Woman in Yüksekova 2,” by the Association of Supporting Women and Culture in Yüksekova: aims to develop gender equality awareness of women, inform them in the focus of fundamental rights and services, and establish a coordination board between the relevant governmental bodies in order to combat violence and discrimination against women in the district of Yüksekova, Hakkari.