The Sabancı Family has made a considerable contribution to the development of the Turkish economy by initiating many industrial establishments which comprise Sabancı Holding. Sabancı family members have been actively involved in philanthropic activities to enhance the general areas of social development and the specific areas of education, arts, sports and culture. The Hacı Ömer Sabancı Foundation was established in 1974 with the aim of institutionalizing the Sabancı family philanthropic activities.

The Foundation was established with the support of family members, mainly Sadıka Sabancı -wife of Hacı Ömer Sabancı- who donated her entire personal wealth to the endowment. The income base of the Foundation, sustained mainly through donations from family members, Sabancı Group companies and revenue generated by its own assets, has led the Sabancı Foundation to become one of the largest foundations in Turkey. The Foundation is a member of the Turkish Third Sector Foundation (TUSEV), the European Foundation Center (EFC), the Council on Foundations (COF) and the European Consortium of Foundations on Human Rights and Disability.

Sabancı Foundation programs and investments are guided by its main mission; “To promote social development and social awareness among current and future generations by supporting initiatives that create impact and lasting change in people’s lives”. In addition to its existing investments to institutions, education, scholarships, awards, arts and culture, the Foundation has recently created new programs that focus directly on targeting women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Over the past 36 years, the Foundation has built almost 120 institutions in 78 residential areas across Turkey such as schools, student dormitories, health facilities, cultural centers, sports facilities, libraries, teacher centers, social facilities and Sabancı University -one of its most significant investments. The Sabancı Foundation also supports its institutions through a “managers’ development program” in order to be able to ensure effective services and maintenance of these institutions. In 2009, the Foundation, the Türkan Sabancı Primary and Vocational School for the Blind and the Perkins School for the Blind signed a partnership protocol to collaborate and train teachers. On October 1, 2009, the Foundation completed the restoration project and opened the Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum and Dilek Sabancı Art Gallery to promote the culture and history of Mardin.

Each year, more than 1,300 students - including 380 new students- benefit from Sabancı Foundation Scholarships. Since its establishment, more than 33,000 students have obtained scholarship through this program. In 2009, the Foundation, in partnership with Vista Tourism and Travel Company, launched the Sabancı Foundation-Vista Scholarship program to support students studying in Tourism Vocational Schools. In addition, the Sabancı Foundation Awards program recognizes exceptional performance in education, sports, culture and art.

Another important investment for the Foundation is arts and culture. The Sabancı Foundation supports two annual events -the Turkish Folk Dance Competition and the Sabancı International Adana Theater Festival. In 2006, the Foundation began supporting the Mehtap Ar Children’s Theater, with the goal of making drama more accessible to children. More than 280,000 children attended the theater for the first time in their lives. The Ankara International Music Festival and the Metropolis Antique City excavation are supported through the Foundation’s Arts and Culture program. Also in 2009, the Foundation began to support the National Youth Symphony Orchestra, which consists of musicians aged 14-20.

In order to encourage and enable those who have the power to change the future and to make a difference in the lives of Turkish citizens, the Sabancı Foundation conducts activities through grant programs, partnerships and seminars. Activities being implemented within this context are summarized below:

The United Nations Joint Program to Promote and Protect Human Rights of Women and Girls is a multi-year landmark project that started in 2006 in partnership with all United Nations agencies in Turkey, the Ministry of Interior, Sabancı Foundation and Sabancı University. Studies on gender equality were carried out in six cities and Local Equality Action Plans were developed depending on priorities. 34 projects were funded by the grant program for the execution of the plans. In addition, Sabancı University has trained 1,313 teachers in gender awareness.

As Turkey’s first comprehensive strategic grant making foundation, Sabancı Foundation launched the Social Development Grant Program and awarded grants to five projects targeting women, youth and persons with disabilities. The projects are currently being implemented in 26 cities and will be completed in 2010. The second Social Development Grant Program was launched in 2009 under the same strategic framework and projects selected will be implemented in 2010.

The Multidimensional Empowerment of Women in Urban Areas project (2009-2011) implemented by AÇEV (Mother Child Education Foundation) is yet another project funded as part of the Sabancı Foundation Grant Program. This project aims to provide literacy training to 11,000 women, young girls and women with disabilities in five cities and provide information about rights and issues of disability. In 2009, the project reached 3,918 people.

Sabancı Foundation Seminars gather civil society, foundation, academia, private and public sector representatives with international experts to learn about new trends and hot topics with respect to civil society. In 2009, the third Sabancı Foundation Seminar was organized under the theme of “Creating Accessible Societies”.

In 2009, the Sabancı Foundation launched Turkey’s Changemakers project, a weekly TV program aired on CNN Türk for 32 weeks. The program highlights the efforts of unique individuals who promote change and development in their communities and create a remarkable impact in the lives of others.