Our Programs

To accomplish our mission, our organization will engage in the following activities:

1- Good education = Awareness

Supporting the education system in Turkey will be achieved by:

• Improving the schools in underprivileged areas by coordinating physical repairs and providing materials (including books, computers, TV’s, VCD’s and educational software). This will require a strong needs assessment in order to discover the schools that need the most financial assistance.

• Creating long distance educational opportunities and after-school programs with the help of volunteers.

• Supporting girls’ education by increasing the enrollment level and literacy programs for women in rural areas.

• Offering financial support to students, teachers and research projects along with academic exchange programs at all levels.

These educational goals represent approximately 35% of our program activities in 2006. Click here to learn more about our education programs.

2- Well-functioning nonprofit organizations = A means of involvement

Supporting volunteerism and the nonprofit organizations in Turkey will be realized by:

• Providing training for directors and volunteers of nonprofits on subjects, such as fund-raising and grant-writing; time, project and volunteer management; legal issues; and strategic planning.

• Utilizing conditional grants to enforce universal standards of organization and conduct. This will especially benefit ongoing local initiatives and people that know best the needs of certain regions and/or population groups.

• Publishing a philanthropy magazine twice a year to promote volunterism and philanthropy in Turkey and in the U.S.

• Designing curricula for certificate or degree programs in the universities to help youth benefit from academic education about nonprofit management.

These nonprofit oriented goals represent approximately 50% of our program activities in 2006. Click here to learn more about our volunteerism programs.

3- Cultural Exchange = Understanding

Creating a mutual understanding between cultures will be accomplished by:

• Developing our Volunteer Center in Mountain View, CA, which will offer courses about Anatolian cuisine, art, and dance as well as Turkish or English language classes. This center will also serve as a base where we promote volunteerism.

• Organizing travel and study programs, and matching those who would like to visit Turkey with host families.

• Organizing social and cultural events including picnics, conferences, seminars, and fundraising activities.

These cultural goals represent approximately 15% of our program activities in 2006. Click here to learn more about our cultural programs.

You can also see our 2006 events calendar here.