The Ali Ismail Korkmaz Foundation (Ali Ismail Korkmaz Vakfı – ALIKEV), dedicated to youth empowerment, provides scholarships, promotes civic engagement, and supports artistic and cultural initiatives. With core funding support, the foundation has worked with a mentor to increase the diversity of its resources and reach out to donors to ensure financial sustainability, and covered the rent of its Youth Centre in Istanbul.
Read the following interview to learn more about their impactful work.
How does your work as the Ali İsmail Korkmaz Foundation (ALİKEV) contribute to addressing the challenges faced by youth in Türkiye? What gap do you believe your foundation is filling in this context?
At ALİKEV, we aim to empower young people to become socially responsible, open-minded, and equality-driven individuals who actively contribute to society. Our work directly addresses the challenges faced by Türkiye’s young population, which represents a significant yet vulnerable demographic.
Youth unemployment reached 24.9% in 2023, posing a serious obstacle to their entry into the workforce. Additionally, 28% of young people aged 15–24 fall under the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) category, with young women disproportionately affected – one in three young women is classified as NEET. Economic crises and limited opportunities in the labour market further diminish young people’s aspirations, while systemic issues in education hinder long-term employment prospects.
ALİKEV provides vital support in this challenging environment through educational scholarships and programs, helping young people overcome barriers and build brighter futures. Our efforts extend beyond academic success by fostering social development and encouraging active engagement with civil society.
The rising cost of living, particularly in urban areas, has exacerbated challenges for university students. With rents and living expenses soaring, 70% of young people depend financially on their families. ALİKEV’s scholarship programs not only ease financial burdens but also encourage youth to volunteer in civil society organisations, fostering social awareness and community involvement.
Young people in Türkiye are often disengaged from civil society, with only 7.2% actively participating in civil society organisations, according to 2020 TUIK data. Through our programs, we aim to reverse this trend by empowering youth to take on active roles in societal processes.
Our rights-based initiatives focus on critical issues such as gender equality, human rights, and environmental justice. These issues significantly affect youth, with over a third of young women excluded from education or employment and more than 10% of youth reporting gender-based discrimination. ALİKEV’s workshops and advocacy programs raise awareness and encourage youth to become proactive in addressing societal challenges.
In addition to fostering civic engagement, we support artistic and cultural expression among young people. Economic hardships often limit opportunities for creative expression, particularly for emerging artists. ALİKEV’s grants and workshops provide a platform for young artists to share their voices and insights, enriching both individual lives and society at large. By addressing these needs, we help young people overcome challenges, realise their potential, and actively participate in building a more equitable, inclusive, and progressive Türkiye.
The core funding we received came at a critical time, following the devastating Fenruary 6th earthquakes that further strained our resources.
How has our core funding contributed to your work? What steps have you been able to take as a result of this support, and what impact has it had on your work?
The core funding we received came at a critical time, following the devastating February 6th earthquakes that further strained our resources. This support enabled us to sustain the operations of our Istanbul office, which had been established in response to the disaster.
For five years, we have been unable to obtain the fundraising permit issued by the local authorities, limiting one of our primary revenue streams: participation in the Istanbul Marathon. However, thanks to the guidance of a mentor provided during this period, we explored alternative fundraising methods. This process led us to collaborate with a digital agency working with us voluntarily. Together, we are developing a comprehensive organisational promotion kit, which will be a valuable tool for engaging individual and corporate donors.
What observations have you made about the young people participating in your programs? How do you think your initiatives have influenced their lives?
Our programs have had a transformative impact on young people. Amid rising economic uncertainties, high unemployment rates, and structural inequalities in education, many young people in Türkiye feel anxious about their futures. These challenges often result in disengagement from social processes and a lack of motivation to realise their potential.
Through our scholarships, rights-based projects, and cultural initiatives, we help young people tackle these challenges. Participants often express increased confidence, creativity, and motivation. For example, our support for young artists has enabled them to overcome economic barriers and freely pursue their creative endeavours. They frequently report feeling empowered and inspired to contribute to society through their art.
Our projects encouraging social participation also yield significant changes. For instance, following the earthquakes, we observed heightened solidarity and responsibility among young participants. Engaging in community-based recovery efforts helped them develop problem-solving skills and a stronger connection to social causes.
Overall, we see youth who engage with ALİKEV emerging as confident, socially conscious, and active contributors to society. Despite the challenges they face, we believe our programs enable them to realise their potential and play a role in building a more inclusive future for Türkiye.
Our most important message to donors is this: your contributions create tangible, life-changing impacts in the lives of young people.
What are your future goals and projects? How has our grant support influenced your plans?
One of our key future goals is to enhance youth participation in societal decision-making processes and empower them to become active, engaged individuals. In Türkiye, young people often face exclusion from social and political processes, so our future projects will focus on ensuring young people have a voice in decision-making mechanisms and can take on active roles in shaping their communities.
Another critical goal is to encourage youth to address the challenges in their own communities and inspire them to find solutions. Our projects and community-based initiatives with scholarship recipients and Dream Ambassadors aim to foster solidarity among young people while promoting solution-oriented approaches to societal problems. Moving forward, we plan to hold workshops, training programs, and projects at both local and national levels.
The support from the Support Foundation for Civil Society (STDV) and Turkey Mozaik Foundation came at a particularly vulnerable time for both our foundation and the youth we serve, following the devastating earthquake. This support has been transformational and has strengthened our ability to carry out our current projects while paving the way for more comprehensive and sustainable initiatives in the future.
Do you have a message for the donors supporting this fund?
First and foremost, being supported by diverse donors highlights that our work is recognised and valued by various communities. For organisations like ours, which operate in a shrinking civil space in Türkiye, this is incredibly meaningful. The support we receive from STDV and Turkey Mozaik Foundation also carries an added significance by bringing an international dimension to our efforts.
Moreover, having our projects supported by multiple donors is essential for the sustainability and effectiveness of initiatives aimed at empowering youth. Young people in Türkiye face numerous challenges, including economic crises, unemployment, unequal access to education, and gender inequality. Overcoming these obstacles is possible through scholarships, support programs, rights-based initiatives, and artistic projects. However, the continuity and expansion of these efforts rely heavily on donor support.
Our most important message to donors is this: your contributions create tangible, life-changing impacts in the lives of young people. Your support empowers youth to grow into socially conscious, engaged individuals who participate actively in decision-making and realise their full potential.
