When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the southeastern region in Türkiye, an incredible amount of support poured into TPF’s Earthquake Fund within seconds.

Among these stories of extraordinary generosity stood Can Şengezer, General Manager of an Istanbul-based media agency. As he was looking for ways to help with the disaster’s aftermath from miles away, he came across Turkish Philanthropy Funds—a name he recognized but hadn’t interacted with before. A simple Google search relayed the information he was looking for: a highly trusted organization with the highest ratings from all charity evaluators and renowned for its swift and efficient disaster responses within Türkiye.

He reached out to TPF. But Can’s vision stretched far beyond a personal donation; he envisioned a ripple effect of empathy and action. Within hours, his team coordinated with his clients that specialized in billboard advertising in the United States. He contacted an old colleague, Altuğ Şimşek from Firefly—a next-gen car top advertising solution firm.

Together, they came up with a plan. They used billboards, ads on taxis, and even ads inside cars to spread the word, telling people how they could help the earthquake victims through TPF.

And it worked! What inspired them the most was the support they received not only from the Turkish American community but also from everyone. No questions asked, no profits calculated.

Their plan was a testament to the power of harnessing business networks for humanitarian outreach. Their message reached hundreds of millions of people—not just in one city, but all over the United States. People from NYC to Miami, Chicago to Phoenix, learned about what happened and how they could help.

 

Their story isn’t just about raising money; it’s about how kindness can transcend and bring us all together.