Adım Adım Initiative

Adım Adım, meaning “step by step” in Turkish, is a volunteer-based social initiative established in Turkey in 2007. It uses participation in endurance and outdoor sports—including running, cycling, swimming, walking and trekking—as a mechanism for charitable fundraising. Rather than operating as a single-purpose charity, the initiative acts as an intermediary between individual participants, donors and selected nonprofit organizations or social projects. Participants undertake sporting challenges and seek sponsorship or donations from their personal networks and other supporters. The resulting fundraising is directed toward projects selected through Adım Adım’s charitable-partner model. The initiative has stated that it evaluates prospective projects using considerations such as social benefit, transparency and accountability. This multi-organization structure distinguishes Adım Adım from sports initiatives that raise funds for only one institution or cause. Adım Adım is recognized as Turkey’s first charity running group. By 2011, it was described as the country’s largest amateur running group. Its activities have been associated with major Turkish running events, including the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon and the Antalya Marathon, for which it has been identified as an official social-responsibility partner. The initiative’s model also extends beyond running to other sports and physical activities, allowing people with different interests and abilities to participate in fundraising. Projects supported during the initiative’s early period included the Buğday Association’s TaTuTa Organic Farm Stays Project, the Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey’s mobile education unit project serving Midyat and Savur in Mardin, the Turkish Spinal Injury Association’s motorized wheelchair project, and Community Volunteers Foundation programs involving scholarships and youth development. These examples illustrate the breadth of causes covered by the platform, including environmental and rural initiatives, education, accessibility and youth support. According to figures attributed to Adım Adım in reference material, fundraising connected with major running events and other sporting competitions exceeded US$1 million over a three-year period, with US$250,000 collected in the first quarter of 2011. These figures are historical and are not presented here as current financial performance. The available reference material does not identify a founder, legal parent company, headquarters, listed status or current leadership team. Adım Adım is best understood as a civic fundraising platform and volunteer community rather than a conventional commercial product brand.

Adım Adım was formed in Turkey in 2007 as a volunteer initiative built around charitable participation in amateur sport. Its name translates broadly as “step by step,” reflecting an incremental model in which individuals make a practical contribution by undertaking a sporting activity and asking others to sponsor them. The initiative is identified in reference material as Turkey’s first charity running group. Its operating model differs from a conventional charitable foundation because Adım Adım does not limit its work to one cause or one beneficiary organization. Instead, it serves as an intermediary for fundraising campaigns connected to a selection of nonprofit projects. The initiative has stated that project selection considers social utility, transparency and accountability. Participants may take part as runners, cyclists, swimmers, walkers or trekkers, broadening access beyond a single race format. During its early development, Adım Adım became associated with prominent sporting events in Turkey. It was identified as the official social-responsibility partner of the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon and the Antalya Marathon. These relationships gave the initiative access to large pools of participants and helped integrate charitable giving into organized mass-sport events. By 2011, reference material described it as the largest amateur running group in Turkey. The projects supported between 2007 and 2011 covered several social fields. They included the Buğday Association’s TaTuTa Organic Farm Stays Project; an Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey mobile education unit project serving Midyat and Savur in Mardin; the Turkish Spinal Injury Association’s motorized wheelchair project; and Community Volunteers Foundation initiatives involving scholarships and the “Gençlere Değer” programs. The portfolio demonstrates that Adım Adım’s role was not to deliver one standardized service, but to mobilize donations for distinct projects selected from partner organizations. Historical figures attributed to the initiative indicate that more than US$1 million was raised in conjunction with major running events and other sports competitions over a three-year period, with US$250,000 collected during the first quarter of 2011. These figures describe an earlier period and should not be interpreted as current revenue, assets or operating results. The available source material does not provide a founder’s name, headquarters, formal ownership structure, current executive roster or detailed post-2011 organizational developments. Accordingly, the initiative’s documented history is strongest for its founding period, sports-based fundraising model, event partnerships and early project portfolio.

• 2011

  Recognized as Turkey’s largest amateur running group

  [1]Adım Adım Initiativeen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material described Adım Adım as the largest amateur running group in Turkey at the time.

• 2011

  Historical fundraising milestone reported

  [1]Adım Adım Initiativeen.wikipedia.org

  Figures attributed to Adım Adım reported more than US$1 million raised over three years, including US$250,000 during the first quarter of 2011.

• 2007

  Initiative established

  [1]Adım Adım Initiativeen.wikipedia.org

  Adım Adım was formed in Turkey as a volunteer-based charitable sports initiative and is described as the country’s first charity running group.

• 2007

  Early supported-project portfolio launched

  [1]Adım Adım Initiativeen.wikipedia.org

  The initiative began supporting projects from multiple nonprofit organizations, including environmental, education, accessibility and youth-focused work.

A volunteer-led Turkish fundraising platform that turns participation in amateur endurance and outdoor sports into donations for a range of nonprofit and social-impact projects.

• Fundraising platform · 2007

  Sports-based charitable fundraising

  Adım Adım enables volunteers to use running, cycling, swimming, walking and trekking activities to solicit sponsorships or donations. The model connects personal athletic challenges with selected nonprofit projects and allows supporters to contribute through the participant’s fundraising effort rather than through a single permanent charity campaign.

• Social-impact service · 2007

  Nonprofit project intermediation

  The initiative evaluates and promotes projects from more than one charitable organization. Reference material identifies transparency, accountability and social utility as considerations in following projects. Supported areas have included environmental initiatives, mobile education, assistive mobility, scholarships and youth development.

• Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon social-responsibility partnership

  Turkey

  Adım Adım served as the official social-responsibility partner of the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon, using a major organized running event to support charitable fundraising.

  Source
• Antalya Marathon social-responsibility partnership

  Turkey

  Adım Adım was identified as the official social-responsibility partner of the Antalya Marathon, linking race participation with donations for selected projects.

  Source

1. 1Adım Adım Initiativeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Adım Adım official websiteadimadim.org