Aydın Doğan Foundation
MISSION
The aims of the Aydın Doğan Foundation, A Turkish foundation established in in 1996, are to ensure that objective and correct information is accessible, that society can solve its problems in a free and fair manner, that investments are made to increase the level of educational and cultural provision, and to support all efforts to reach these goals. Foundation activities for public interest have been focused on education, culture, public health, scientific research, sports and the economy. All social and cultural activities organized by the Doğan Group companies gathered under the roof of the Aydın Doğan Foundation make the biggest contribution to the Foundation.
LESSONS LEARNT
- Influence, such as media influence, can be a philanthropist’s most important gift
- Media coverage can change attitudes and raise donations to achieve a wider scale
- Foundations need not provide all financial resources themselves, but convene funds and skills from diverse sources, including from the family business, from the general public and from celebrities
FULL CASE
Send me to School
Aydın Doğan grew up in a village in rural Eastern Anatolia, where the soil is rich, but the people are rarely so - the average income in the region is 40% lower than the national average. From a prominent family, Doğan rose to become Turkey’s largest media magnate and one of Turkey’s twentieth richest men.