When Özlenen Eser Kalav first sat around the table with a small group of like-minded Turkish American visionaries nearly two decades ago, she could not have imagined all that Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) would become. What began as a hope that Turks living in the United States could come together to pool resources, amplify their giving, and make a lasting difference in Türkiye and beyond—has grown into the most trusted philanthropic organization among the Turkish-American community.
Özlenen’s fingerprints have been on TPF since its earliest days. As one of its co-founders, and its founding President and CEO, she brought not only her lifetime of breaking barriers and her sharp strategic mind, but also her conviction that philanthropy is most powerful when it is both personal and collective. Throughout her career spanning four continents, Özlenen had often been the only woman executive in the room—the lone female voice at the table. With determination and vision, she not only earned her seat but also made space for others to follow.
That same pioneering spirit guided her in philanthropy. From the very beginning, Özlenen believed that TPF could be more than just an institution; it could be a platform where personal values and collective action meet. For her, the mission was never simply about giving money. It was about building something enduring—a platform where families and communities could create legacies that would inspire generations.
For Özlenen, that idea of legacy was not theoretical. When she lost her husband Faruk Kalav at a very early age, she established an endowed scholarship in his name at their alma mater Robert College of Istanbul. Back in 1980, it was only the second such gift by alumni.
This deep and unexpected loss then planted a question she has carried ever since: How do we make sure that who we are, and what we value, continues beyond us?
Breaking barriers as a woman is, in fact, a family legacy. Nearly a century earlier, her mother had been one of the first women educators of the Turkish Republic in the late 1920s. At a time when opportunities for women were scarce, her mother believed passionately in education as a force for progress and equality. She taught not only in classrooms but also through example, showing that women could lead, could inspire, and could help shape the future of a nation.
Losing her mother made Özlenen reflect further on what remains after we are gone—not just wealth or possessions, but values, memory, and the lives we touch. The question became even more urgent last year, when she lost her brother. How could she transform grief into something that would give life to others? The grief was profound, but it also crystallized her vision: her family’s story could live on, not only in remembrance but in impact.
Professionally, Özlenen has always been someone who could see possibility where others saw obstacles. Now she turned that same lens inward, asking: How can my family’s story become a source of hope for others? She imagined a fund that would not only carry her family’s name, Eser, but also carry forward their values—resilience, generosity, education, and opportunity.
Her decision was bold and deeply personal: she chose to make a planned gift of real estate through TPF to establish the Eser Family Fund. She also named TPF as the sole beneficiary of her IRA account, following her brother’s similar gift to MIT. This was a way of transforming something tangible into something timeless, ensuring that her mother’s pioneering spirit, her brother’s memory, and her own life’s work would all continue to inspire.
For Özlenen, choosing TPF was natural. She had helped build it. She knew its rigor, its transparency, and its commitment to community. But beyond that, she trusted TPF as the place where personal legacy becomes part of something greater. She trusted that her family’s name would be honored not only through careful stewardship but also would grow—adapting to meet the changing needs of the future, creating impact while staying true to the values of the past.
Yet true to her nature as both a professional leader and a TPF founder, Özlenen’s vision does not stop with her own family. Just as she once imagined what Turks in America could achieve by giving together, she now imagines what could happen if more families embraced legacy giving. Her hope is that her example will encourage others to see philanthropy not as something left behind at the end of life, but as something living. She hopes her story will encourage other families to give boldly, to live their values now, and to weave their names into the fabric of future generations.
“Trust is everything,” Özlenen often says. For her, TPF embodies that trust. Trust that her family’s legacy will live on. Trust that her gift will be used wisely and stewarded with the highest integrity. Trust that her story—her mother’s, her brother’s, her own— will continue to be written, not just on the pages of history, but in the lives of those touched by their generosity.
This Fund is not the end of a story. It is the beginning of a new chapter. A chapter where grief is transformed into giving, where one family’s name becomes a wellspring for many others, and where a legacy of barrier-breaking women continues to open doors for generations to come.
At TPF, we are honored to be part of this journey. The Eser family’s legacy will ripple outward for years to come—proof of what Özlenen herself has always embodied: that when you break barriers, you open doors not only for yourself, but for everyone who follows.
Because legacy is not only about what we leave behind. It is about what we live, and how we inspire others to carry it forward.