Saturday, May 24 2008 @ 10:14 AM Central Daylight Time
The first time Haldun Tasman, a manufacturer turned non-profit entrepreneur, realized he had a giving heart and hand was in first grade at school in the town of Bolu, where he was also born, and his teacher wanted to know how much students were going to give for her “Kizilay Fund Drive.” A new Turkish philanthropist enters Turkey's foundation scene with the Turkish Philanthropy Foundation spearheaded by Haldun Tasman. Having spent more than 40 years in the US, Tasman hopes to inspire more giving on both sides of the Atlantic
“When my turn came, I pledged to give twice the amount of the highest pledge in class, Tasman told the Turkish Daily News. “When I asked my father for the money, he was quite upset, but gave it to me after I begged and cried. That experience taught me to develop my own capacity to give, but I guess I already had the propensity to give.”
Tasman entered the non-profit sector recently. After more than 30 years as a businessman in the manufacturing industry with a company that he and his business partner developed to an annual sales volume of $200 million with 12 manufacturing locations on three continents, he gave it up for the sake of giving. Since selling off most of the business interests with his wife and charity partner, Nihal Tasman, they spend the majority of their time with non-profit activities.
In 2006 Tasman established the Turkish Philanthropic Fund (TPF), a community foundation, also known as a public charity organization, “with a vision to become the premier organization promoting effective giving to Turkey, and a culture of philanthropy within the Turkish-American community,” said Tasman. The TPF is based on the principles of effectiveness, transparency, flexibility, impact and trust.
Now spending a significant amount of time between New York, Turkey and Arizona, Tasman said their mission is to serve donors all over the United States so they can realize their philanthropic needs in Turkey or the U.S.
Most notably, the Bolu Bagıscılar Vakfı (BBV) is the first community foundation in Turkey, which Tasman established in his hometown with the support of the Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TUSEV), the Izzet Baysal Vakfı leadership and the Turkish government, he said.
A Columbia University Graduate from the School of Business in 1968, Tasman gained experience in community foundations while working in Arizona where he became a trustee of the Arizona Community Foundation. The community foundation was established 30 years ago and has grown to be among the largest of the 700 foundations of its kind in the U.S. “It has spread to 46 countries and is supported by the World Bank and many organizations, because it empowers local people to help themselves in their goal of leading a better life,” said Tasman.
According to Tasman, Both the TPF and the BBV have been established recently and the short-term objective is to make the organizations sustainable so they can carry out good work and give high-impact grants to non-profit organizations in their community..
“The BBV is in a way a pilot for Turkey and carries the responsibility to be a successful model for other regions of Turkey to adopt,” said Tasman. “Already, there is great interest and many people will be following the BBV's progress.”
When asked why philanthropy in Turkey, Tasman said the love for his homeland and a commitment to improving people's lives are his motivation. “Our heritage is here,” he said. “Also, it brings me closer to the people I love, since we have lived away for 42 years. I see all kinds of infrastructure-related social investment opportunities to change things for the better while working with our friends in Turkey.”
Tasman, however, warned that the Turkish government needs to implement better tax incentives to make philanthropy more attractive.
Tasman's own “giving” role-model is Izzet Baysal, a home-grown name in Bolu born in 1907, whose foundation made it possible for him to study at university. “Izzet Baysal has inspired me since my childhood. He is the greatest philanthropist Bolu has ever produced. I believe he is among the best in Turkey,” said Tasman. The financial aid and a scholarship he received from the Baysal Foundation led him to promise to give back. “I believe those who have the most resources have the biggest responsibility to others,” said Taşman. “It is better to give than to receive. I came to this world with nothing and I will depart with nothing. Most of our friends in the U.S. and Turkey are generous people who find joy in helping others. We are motivated by being around them and hear their stories and learn from their experiences.”
On May 10, 2008 Tasman, or Tashman as he is known in the U.S., received the 2008
Ellis Island Medal of Honor presented by the National Ethnic Coalition (NECO). The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is awarded to outstanding Americans who have distinguished themselves as citizens of the United States and enabled their ancestry groups to maintain their identities while becoming integral parts of American life. Along with Haldun Tashman, this year's recipients will include NYT best-selling author and health expert Dr. Mehmet Oz.
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