News

A nation of women

02/02/2012

"Anadolu" (Anatolia) may very well be the "land of mothers," but as Turkey finds its place as a global leader, it needs to become a nation of women. According to the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap report released this week, it has a long way to go. Read more.

Raising girl power on Twitter

01/24/2012

On Tuesday, January 31 at 2PM EST and 9PM IST, we'll host a Twitter chat about empowering young girls with the hashtag #gendergap. Read more.

Social Entrepreneurship on the Rise in Turkey

01/17/2012

Social entrepreneurship is on the rise worldwide, especially Turkey. Ashoka Türkiye's Zeynep Meydanoglu and Matthias Scheffelmeier share insights about what's going on in Anatolia in this blog post.

301,927 has been raised to-date through Van Earthquake Relief Fund

01/10/2012

As long as individuals, corporations and foundations show interest in supporting the longer term recovery and reconstruction process in Van, Turkish Philanthropy Funds will keep the Van Earthquake Relief Fund open for contributions. Read more.

FAQ: Donors

Why give through TPF?

Giving through TPF offers an easy way for you to realize your philanthropic interests.

Donations that are intended for NGOs in Turkey are channeled through TPF with full tax-deductibility under US laws. As our partner in giving, you receive the simplicity and tax advantage of a public charity combined with the personal recognition, involvement and flexibility of a private foundation for giving in Turkey as well as giving in the US.

You also gain access to the highest level of strategic thinking on ways to meet community challenges to help make your contributions as effective as possible.

Satisfaction to give through TPF comes from knowing that your contributions have been effective and have created positive change. We know you consider your philanthropic gifts to be an investment – in your community, your hometown, or causes you select. Therefore, we care a great deal about the effectiveness of your gifts and that your giving experience rewards you with great satisfaction and joy.

TPF funds benefit causes and communities you care about and help create personal legacies.

Not only TPF funds the most needed areas such as gender inequality and education in Turkey, but through Named Funds and planed giving options, TPF gives a chance to donors to create personal legacies.

We invite you to tap into the expertise of our staff members who are available to assess the effectiveness of a grant, research a giving option or to discuss opportunities with you. We plan to be here, serving our community for a long time, so you can be assured that there will be a permanent source of funds for issues you care about.

What is a Named Fund?

A named fund is a charitable fund designed for individuals, friends, families or corporations who want to directly support a project, organization or an issue. You can establish and name a fund with an irrevocable contribution of a minimum of $10,000. While you receive a tax deduction in the current year, your contributions are invested in professionally managed investment pools, and grow over time. Learn how you can start your own fund.

What is a Social Needs Fund?

Social Needs Fund is pool funds of TPF. They are established to support charitable beneficiaries or institutions in specific issue areas with pooled contributions in a variety of amounts. TPF has identified four issue areas as pressing needs in Turkey: Livelihoods, Women Empowerment, Education, and Arts&Culture. Learn how you can support these issue areas.

Can I give to a US-based Turkish organization through TPF?

Yes. You can can support a US-based Turkish organization through your named fund. Read more on named funds.

How does TPF make sure my donation reaches the right need and organization?

TPF makes sure that at least 97% of donors' contributions reach the specific cause and are not lost in transition by:

• Working closely with grantee organizations.
• Making sure recipient organizations are effectively monitored.
• Encouraging grantees to think about evaluation and the impact of their projects on the community.

See reports on past grantees.

What is TPF’s approach to making grants?

Funding from TPF is allocated year-round to nonprofits in two ways:

1. Donor-Advised Grantmaking

2. Competitive Grantmaking

All organizations first need to apply for eligibility to receive grants from TPF.

Donors who hold Named Funds at TPF, make recomemendations for a grant to a specific organization or project.

Through Competitive Grantmaking TPF makes grants from its unrestricted funds. TPF supports projects that:

1.     Have the potential to expand beyond their current boundaries

2.     Have a variety of funding sources and use our support as a leverage to obtain others

3.     Are financially reliable and accountable

4.     Are community-oriented

5.     Can create long-lasting change to social problems

6.     Empower people

TPF also advises named fund owners in their selections if they wish to. Read more on Our Grantmaking Criteria.

Can I visit projects that TPF supports?

If you are a named fund donor of TPF, yes! One of the best ways to see the impact that TPF is making is to see in person the projects we support. If you would like to join us for a site visit, please send an email it to info@tpfund.org at least 6 weeks in advance of your planned date. We will follow up on your request as soon as possible.