Turkish-American Community Foundation Joins Leading International Nonprofit, Private, and Academic Sector Experts for Conference on “Engaged Philanthropy” and Discusses the Growing Influence of Diaspora.
New York, NY (June 5, 2015) – Turkish Philanthropy Funds, the leading US-based foundation for high-impact social investments in Turkey, convened today with fellow world philanthropic leaders at this year’s Stockholm Philanthropy Symposium to share knowledge and developments on the state of “Engaged Philanthropy.”
TPF Director of the Board and Executive Committee member Burcu Mirza was joined by Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and world-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and activist Dr. Jane Goodall, among other leaders from the philanthropic, nonprofit, and academic sectors who were featured speakers at this year’s symposium.
In her presentation, entitled “Global Givers: The Power of Storytelling,” Mirza discussed TPF’s pivotal role enabling social improvements and facilitating impactful projects in Turkey by encouraging the Turkish-American community to become effective donors. TPF raised more than $18 million in charitable assets and made over $13 million grants through 44 qualified partners in 59 cities in the areas of education, gender equality, development and disaster relief, since its inception just eight years ago.
Those who donate funds through TPF not only become instant philanthropists, they become partners, as individual passions are taken into account when selecting an initiative or project to invest in. TPF in turn shares progress reports and project updates so philanthropists can directly see the impact that their generosity has created.
In her remarks, Mirza stated, “The community foundation model we adopted at TPF enabled us to create a powerful network both in the United States and in Turkey. We were able to dispatch and transfer funds, critical skills and expertise and offer tax benefits to our supporters under U.S. tax law on international charitable giving. Nonprofits in some countries still face legal challenges in encouraging and enabling cross-border philanthropic activity in Europe. Our track record is a testament to the positive influence Diasporas can have in their home countries. We are sharing our best practices today to help grow sources of such influence elsewhere in the world.”
The Stockholm Philanthropy Symposium brings together American and European non-profit organizations to share experiences and strengthen strategic philanthropy in the promotion of Swedish society development. The past symposium has brought together close to 300 participants, including leaders of business, NGOs, government, academia, philanthropy, the arts, next generation philanthropists, family foundation managers, individual donors, and professional partners.
