About our fundraising partner, Bridge to Turkiye Fund

In the early hours of February 6, 2023, Türkiye was struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake at 4:17 AM, with its epicenter in the south eastern province of Kahramanmaraş. Roughly nine hours later, a second quake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck about 59 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of the first tremor's epicenter. The initial earthquake was the most severe Türkiye had faced in decades, matching the intensity of the nation's strongest recorded earthquake in 1939. Combined, the twin earthquakes caused widespread devastation and claimed over 50,000 lives across 11 Turkish provinces.

HOW WE TOOK ACTION

Thanks to the swift and coordinated response of Bridge to Türkiye Fund's extensive community of volunteers throughout the United States and Türkiye, we were immediately able to establish contact with our volunteers on the ground. 

Our relief fund successfully raised over $13 million – a remarkable achievement made possible by the overwhelming support of our deeply connected community.

Joining on-ground efforts from afar, we worked hand in hand with our supporters, leaders and carefully vetted partners to formulate a plan integrating two transformative phases. The initial Emergency phase focused on nutrition and warmth, supplying much needed hot meals, tents, container homes, portable sanitation facilities, water tanks, generators, and stoves, while the Recovery phase maintained a longer term focus to support rebuilding efforts in the earthquake-affected cities.