Turkish academic collects aid by charity running

Ece Çelik - ISTANBUL

A Turkish woman who started a charity run has attracted 130,000 participants and 1 million benefactors, while collecting 153 million Turkish Liras in aid for different non-governmental organizations.

Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart has brought the concept of “charity running” to Türkiye, helping dozens of organizations collect donations, devoting a significant part of her life to charity while also working as an academician for 15 years.

With the Adım Adım (Step by Step) Association Erhart established, 130,000 runners have so far collected more than 153 million Turkish Liras from 1 million benefactors for different NGOs.

Spending her doctoral studies in the U.S. between charity runs and studying, Erhart ran in the 2004 Chicago marathon and learned how active fundraising works, saying that she was “convinced that this system should be implemented in Türkiye.”

“At that time, the concept of philanthropy in Türkiye was perceived as wealthy people building schools with a portion of their income. It was not common for the middle-class to volunteer.”

Explaining that she soon realized Turkish people did not believe that the money they donated would reach its destination, Erhart stated they set certain criteria for the organizations they would collect donations from, in order for the whole process to be “transparent and accountable.”

Thereupon, Erhart’s association has grown slowly, with thousands of people and dozens of associations participating in charity runs through Adım Adım.

An infrastructure was created digitally through volunteers, allowing everyone to open their own page and collect money for their desired organization. Employees of corporate companies started organizing teams to participate in runs and collect donations. Their efforts also attracted the attention of Ashoka, one of the world’s leading NGOs on social entrepreneurship.

“The journey we started with six people has now turned into an organization where 130,000 people run. When we work for a cause bigger than ourselves, our lives feel more meaningful,” she added.