An architect by training, Nick met his wife Ayşe while studying as a Fullbright Scholar at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. They lived in New York for most of their married lives. When Nick accepted to work on a project in Türkiye, Ayşe and Nick happily moved to Yalova. That’s how Ayşe and Nick witnessed first hand the devastation of the 1999 earthquake in the surrounding towns, including Adapazarı. After retiring in 2008, Nick was convinced Türkiye’s most pressing need was new schools. Upon a recommendation from a friend and partner of TPF, he visited a school in Adapazarı. That marked the beginning of Nick’s journey to give back to the neglected town of Çaykışla. Nick explains:

"When I went there, the Çaykışla School was still operating out of a makeshift, prefabricated metal building that was put together after the earthquake. The kids were jammed into a room; the windows were cracked, and there was rust on the walls. You could smell the sew- age from the back yard. The building clearly was a safety and health hazard and should not have been allowed for occupancy. Years after the earthquake, the State has rebuilt many schools but ran out of funds. Çaykışla was the only town left without a School."

Nick wanted to be personally involved in his philanthropic investment. He wanted to build a school, but also as an experienced architect, closely supervise the construction to ensure it was built to the highest standards. But, there was still the problem of funding the project. Nick realized that foundations in Türkiye were a maze that had their own priorities. While searching for the right organization to assist him with building a school, Nick was directed to TPF. Nick and Ayşe immediately realized that TPF was the right vehicle for them.

Starting a Donor Advised Fund at TPF was a seamless effort. TPF presented the perfect bridge. TPF team offered me valuable advice every step of the way. All I had to do was to fill out a simple form explaining how I intend- ed to use the funds. I kept the scope broad to sustain impact in the community beyond the reconstruction of a building. Within 10 days, the Porcaro Education Fund was operational and funds started to flow in through TPF.

Over the years, the Porcaro Education Fund, working with the Turkish Education Fund (Türk Eğitim Vakfı) raised 850,000 Turkish Liras. Nick and Ayşe’s two grandchildren were among the contributors. They broke their piggy banks to support their grandfather’s fight to provide future for the people of Çaykışla. The Çaykışla School opened in February 2010 and was named after Ayşe Porcaro’s father Esat Egesoy and Asli and Nesli Başgöz’s mother Bedia Başgöz. Asli and Nesli Başgöz’s generous support was critical to the establishment of the school.