Filiz Bikmen

Filiz is a social investment and philanthropy advisor, helping to create 'Constellations for Change' for private donors that are keen to develop and support meaningful, lasting social impact programs. 

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In addition to working on client engagements both independently and in cooperation with other international experts and philanthropy advisory firms, Filiz founded a social investment fund for a leading private equity firm in Istanbul (www.esassosyal.org) and advises on grantmaking in Turkey for a New York based globally active foundation, focusing on at-risk youth (www.empowerweb.org). She continues to actively work with both institutions, as well as serve as an Advisory Council member of the Turkish Philanthropy Fund in New York (www.tpfund.org) of which she was a Founding Board Member.

 

Prior to her advisory work, Filiz served in senior positions at major foundations. She designed and implemented innovative, entrepreneurial program strategies in fields of developing civil society capacity, improving non profit laws, youth development, disability, gender and rural /urban development.  She has a particular expertise in youth employment programs and services.

 

Establishing extensive global and regional partnerships with groups such as The Elders (Girls not Brides platform), the Clinton Global Initiative, Global Philanthropists Circle, the European Foundation Centre (EFC) and many others has significantly increased the impact and visibility of the initiatives she helped create in Turkey.

She is an author of more than 30 articles and publications on subjects related to philanthropy and civil society, and a regular contributor to Alliance Magazine since 2004, of which she was a guest editor for the issue on philanthropy in emerging markets. 

For all publications see: www.independent.academia.edu/FilizBikmen 

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* Awarded the prestigious Richard von Weizsacker Fellowship at the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Berlin), and Emerging Leader Fellowship at the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at CUNY Graduate Center (New York).  

* Former Board roles include: International Center for Not for Profit Law (Washington D.C),that promotes and protects civic space in over 100 countries (former Vice Chair and Chairman and Advisory Council member) and Interaction Institute for Social Change (Boston), which increases the effectiveness of non profit organizations through facilitation, strategy and network development.

Before delving into the non profit world, Filiz worked in both New York and Istanbul at national and multinational companies as an organizational development and change management consultant with a specialization in human resources, knowledge management, process design and improvement and facilitation/training design and delivery.  She has a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a dual degree in Psychology and Business Communications from the State University of New York. Filiz is a member of Turkish Women's International Network which is a vibrant and global networking platform for women with family, cultural or professional ties to Turkey.