When Deniz Ertaş began fundraising for students at his former high school in 2018, the effort was modest. That first year, he raised only a few thousand dollars, enough to support about three students. But this year, he and his network raised more than $10,000 for students at İzmir Fen Lisesi, helping provide need-based scholarships to students facing financial hardship.
Over the years, his once-small campaign grew into sustained support for students at İzmir Fen Lisesi, a public science high school in Türkiye. This year, Deniz and his network helped secure enough funding for 12 high school scholarships and five new university scholarships for graduates who continue to demonstrate financial need. Combined with funds raised throughout the year, the campaign secured enough support to fund the scholarships pledged for the coming year.
So, how did the campaign grow so dramatically? Simple: he kept going. For Deniz, who now serves as Secretary of Bridge to Türkiye Fund’s Board of Directors, the accomplishment is the result of nearly a decade of relationship-building, persistence, and a willingness to just start.
From Personal Connection to Long-Term Commitment
Deniz has a unique connection to İzmir Fen Lisesi. He was part of the school’s very first class, entering when it was newly established as only the third science high school of its kind in Türkiye. He even began his time there with student ID number one!
After graduating, Deniz lost touch with the school for nearly 30 years, but that changed when a reunion finally brought him back to campus. This is where he met the current students and teachers and saw an opportunity to give back.
“I felt compelled at that point to help out,” he recalled.
He also discovered something unexpected. Although he did not personally know many of the graduates who came after him, his story had remained part of the school’s history. Deniz saw that familiarity as an opportunity to connect with fellow alumni and begin building support for students in need.
Deniz also quickly realized that this need was significant. Students at İzmir Fen Lisesi are admitted through a highly competitive process, but because it is a public school, academic ability does not necessarily correspond with financial resources at home. Some scholarship recipients come from single-parent households or families facing unemployment and may struggle to afford even basic educational expenses such as books.
For Deniz, that makes even relatively modest scholarships that much more meaningful.
“It’s a minimal amount of money, but it makes such a huge difference in both the general well-being and morale of the person receiving that support.”
That impact is what has kept him committed to the campaign year after year.
Building a Campaign One Relationship at a Time
The İzmir Fen Lisesi campaign did not reach its current size overnight. Deniz initially focused much of his fundraising on alumni living in the United States, where donors could benefit from tax deductions and, in some cases, employer matching programs. But one of his most effective strategies turned out to be far simpler: meeting people in person.
When business travel brought him to cities with fellow İzmir Fen Lisesi graduates, Deniz began organizing informal dinners. Over time, repeated visits to places including the San Francisco Bay Area and Houston helped him build small communities of alumni who have become some of the campaign’s strongest supporters.
And these relationships did not end when someone donated. By continuing to communicate with supporters and share how their contributions are making a difference, Deniz strengthened the connection and shared purpose that brought them together.
“I think it comes down to mutual trust,” Deniz said. Having a personal connection gives potential donors someone they can approach directly with questions while creating a greater sense of accountability around where their support is going.
This year, he took that relationship-based model a step further.
For the first time, Deniz recruited alumni “captains” outside the United States to help lead outreach within their own regions. Existing alumni communities in Germany, Benelux, the Far East, and elsewhere gave the campaign a foundation for expanding beyond the network Deniz had personally built in the U.S.
The international effort is still new, and Deniz does not expect it to transform the campaign overnight. But that is precisely the lesson his own experience demonstrates.
“I think this is just the beginning,” he said. “I think we’ll probably get better over the years.”
Start Where You Are and Keep Going
For someone considering starting their own fundraiser, Deniz’s experience offers a useful reminder that a campaign does not have to begin big to be meaningful. His first year supported only a handful of students. Building the network that exists today took years.
Along the way, Deniz also learned that simply launching a fundraiser and waiting for people to respond was not enough. Today, he communicates throughout the campaign, reminding potential supporters why the cause matters and sharing progress toward the fundraising goal.
“You just need a few nudges,” he explained, while emphasizing the importance of finding the right balance between persistence and overwhelming potential supporters. Being more persistent this year, he believes, contributed to the campaign’s success.
He also encourages fundraisers not to assume they have to do everything themselves. A committed leader can get an effort started, but inviting others to participate can multiply its reach.
“Don’t feel shy about asking for help,” Deniz said.
That philosophy is shaping what he hopes to do next. Beyond continuing the İzmir Fen Lisesi campaign, Deniz wants to help potential leaders within other alumni communities learn how to build similar efforts of their own.
Fundraising takes practice. You learn which approaches work, which do not, and how to communicate a cause in a way that resonates with your own community. But none of that needs to be figured out before you begin.
For Deniz, the most important starting point is simply caring enough about something to act.
And at Bridge to Türkiye Fund, you don’t have to figure it out alone. BTF can provide the platform, fundraising experience, and support to help turn a cause you care about into an effort your community can rally around.
Have a cause you want to support? Start a fundraiser with BTF.
Contact info@bridgetoturkiye.org or click here to learn more.