“Both Ziya and I grew up in families with a deep sense of civic duty and responsibility to our communities. So giving was not something that was foreign to either of us,” says Nakiye Boyacıgiller, one of TPF’s Founders Society Members and a Board Member. Nakiye and her late husband Ziya shared the same values. They started giving back early in life with small amounts. Their giving grew as their net worth grew. Their passion has always been supporting women’s education in Turkey and their giving reflected their passion from giving scholarships to supporting fellowship programs.
“We have started thinking of our legacy very early on in our lives with Ziya” says Nakiye and continues “The sterling example of Haldun and Nihal Tashman and their ‘give while you live’ philosophy also influenced our giving and encouraged us to join TPF’s Founders Society. The transparent giving platform TPF offers is exceptional and we wanted to be a part of this wonderful legacy.”
TPF’s professional and fiscally responsible management gave Nakiye the confidence she needed to also open a DAF in honor of Ziya Boyacıgiller, whom she lost in 2014. The memorial fund currently underwrites the participation of two young entrepreneurs (one woman, one man) in the Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundations Fellows Program (giriscimlikvakfi.org/en/about). In doing so, Nakiye and her daughters are continuing Ziya’s legacy of mentoring young entrepreneurs while also supporting a TPF partner. Nakiye also backs several other TPF partners and serves on the boards of BUVAK (the Boğaziçi University Foundation) and DLD (the Change Leaders Association).
Nakiye’s hope for the future is that her children, grandchildren and students learn by her and her husband’s example and be caring and responsible individuals. These values she says are best learned by seeing from your elders. “I feel a personal responsibility to try and contribute to a better world. I know that my children definitely see that and hope my students do as well. That is my greatest legacy.”
