Donations for Service in Turkey
It is true that we are charitable, but our donations are decreasing. We are confused about donations. For example, we prefer to help people we know, but we also give the most help to beggars. While we want NGOs to be transparent, we are not interested in their activities.
Charity and Philanthropy
Charity and philanthropy are among the leading characteristics of Turkish society. Many people believe that helping those in need as much as circumstances allow or donating in different ways is fundamental to our culture of solidarity. Does this perception reflect reality? Is Turkey truly charitable? Under what conditions and to whom do we want to make our donations? Have our donation preferences changed in the last 10 years? The "Individual Philanthropy in Turkey" report by TÜSEV presents striking data in this regard. An individual in Turkey makes an average donation of 228 TL per year. The total amount donated by individuals over 18 years of age in a year is 13.7 billion TL. This amount is 0.8% of our country's GDP in 2014. This rate shows that we are not far behind Europe or even the USA (1.5%).
Our Donations Are Decreasing
NGOs, as part of individual philanthropy, are an important sector of service. However, these NGOs are far behind direct aid in terms of donation amounts (16.7 TL). Compared to ten years ago, donations to NGOs have decreased (from 18.4% in 2004 to 12.9% in 2015). So why are donations to NGOs so low? 12% of the research participants prefer to make their donations through an institution. Among the reasons for not donating to NGOs are low donation amounts (52%), irregular donations made only when encountering people in need (26%), and lack of trust in NGOs (13%). This data is a very important finding for NGOs because, while showing the current situation, it also provides ideas on what needs to be done to increase aid to NGOs in Turkey. For example, NGOs say that regular donations, regardless of the amount, will have a significant impact when they come together. However, the data above shows that NGOs need to explain the importance of small donations to donors more carefully, as this data indicates that they are not promoting themselves sufficiently.
