Sabancı Foundation’s Grant Support for Turkey’s Changemakers

- Chairman of the Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Güler Sabancı said: “Encouraged by the lasting impact of the grant recipient projects, we decided to extend our grant support to our changemakers”

Sabancı Foundation’s "Turkey’s Changemakers" program aims to promote stories and work of those who contribute to social development in order to encourage them and inspire the society. Launched in 2009, the Program has completed its fifth year. The videos of 115 Changemakers who brought about extraordinary change in the society so far has successfully reached more than 2,5 million viewers both in Turkey and abroad.

The fifth season finale of “Turkey’s Changemakers” was broadcast live in “5N 1K” upon moderation of Cüneyt Özdemir. In the program that hosted Chairman of Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees, Ms. Güler Sabancı, the 15 “Changemakers” from the fifth season shared their success stories and experiences in various fields from education to environment, civic participation, culture, and arts.

“I take pride in my people and get filled with hope for the future”

Asserting that they feel very pleased to see the rippling waves of goodness since the inception of the program and the surge in the number of applications, Güler Sabancı said, “If you want to lead a happy life, you should help others who are less fortunate. The more you make happy, the happier you get. Our Changemakers are individuals who have been successful in that regard. As Sabancı Foundation, we strive for these heroes to meet broader masses so that they inspire hundreds of others and call for action. As a citizen of this land, I feel proud to see the unveiling of the goodness potential in our people. I get filled with hope for the future thanks to them …”.

Güler Sabancı added: “As Sabancı Foundation we aimed at a more efficient, strategic, and participatory model of social development. We launched Turkey’s Changemakers on such grounds. The heroes of good deed became more visible and inspired and encouraged others through their sensitivity on problems, and their proposals for lasting solutions.”

Grant Support for Changemakers

Güler Sabancınoted that they adopted innovative approaches to social development and were the first Foundation to implement the grant programs model in Turkey:  “Social change and social interaction should go on continuously and zealously. It should be supported continually, not just once. As Sabancı Foundation, we have been offering grant support to NGO’s since 2008. We decided to support our Changemakers on the basis of our experiences and the lasting impact of the grant recipient projects, thus we started a Grant Program dedicated to Changemakers. ”.

“We will offer a minimum of 10.000 TL and a maximum of 40.000 TL support for grant program projects,” said Sabancı, also noting that 7 Changemakers were found eligible for grant support upon assessment. Sabancı stated that they would continue similar projects that bring about change for sustained social development.

“Changemaker” videos reach more than 2,5 million viewers

Sabancı Foundation launched “Turkey’s Changemakers” in 2009. Between 2009-2014, for a period of five seasons, more than 1.200 candidates appointed by public votes underwent an assessment process. 115 “Changemakers” selected by the Advisory Committee had their stories to be filmed and broadcast. Throughout five seasons, approximately 800 people were interviewed and a distance of 103.000 km was covered for the entire footage.  The Program reached more than 2,5 million viewers in Turkey and abroad via Internet and social media.

The fifth season featured innovative stories of changemakers Ergin Erenuluğ who combatted obesity problem by introducing cinema to children in return for two eggs; Özlem Arman and her “Let’s Be Happy” project that aimed to uplift the morale of children in hospitals; Selma Yıldız who offers education to hearing children with deaf parents; İrfan Neziroğlu who runs the “Stop Wasting” project to engender a disability-friendly environment in the Turkish Parliament; and Cansu Akarsu who designed a product for easy and safe transportation of infants in rural areas.

Statistical Data

-   More than1.200 candidates filed an application.

- There were applications from 71 provinces.

- A totalof 115 Changemakers from 39 provinces were selected.

- The highest number of projects came for the theme of Social Justice and Civic Participation.

-   More than 60.000 people follow the Program on social media (Facebook-Twitter-YouTube).

-   The videos have been viewed more than 2,5 million times.

-   Around 300.000 people visited the program web sites.

Contribution of the Program to the Changemakers:

· 100%: Work became visible.

· 83%: Gained people’s trust in their work.

· 70%: Enjoyed higher press attention following the program.

· 55%: Saw an increase in volunteers, members and/or donations.

· 55%: Got in touch with other Changemakers.

· 52%: Were sought by public, private or civil society organizations for partnerships.

· 49%: Disseminated their work.

· 33%: Had a positive impact on decision-makers in their respective field of operation.

For more information:

www.sabancivakfi.org

www.farkyaratanlar.org

www.facebook.com/Sabancı.vakfi

www.twitter.com/SabancıVakfi

www.youtube.com/user/turkeychangemakers