The information meetings organised by the Hrant Dink Foundation as part of the Empowering Civil Society 2025–2027 Grant Program, supported by the European Union, were completed between 15–23 October 2025 in İstanbul, Ankara, Adana, Diyarbakır, İzmir and Mardin, as well as in an online session. The meetings aimed to share information about the grant program, which supports the strengthening of human rights and democracy in Turkey, the protection of rights and freedoms, and the promotion of coexistence among different groups through mutual understanding, dialogue and trust-building.
The series of meetings started at the Hrant Dink Foundation’s Havak Hall in İstanbul, continued with an online session and then brought together civil society actors in different cities. In Ankara, the meetings were hosted by the Mülkiye Kültür Merkezi; in Adana by HaneAdana Güzel İşler ve Ekoloji Derneği; in Diyarbakır by the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the support of KAMER Foundation; in İzmir by the İzmir Medical Chamber; and in Mardin by the Lider Kadın Derneği. In total, 265 people took part in the meetings, the majority being civil society representatives working in associations, foundations, cooperatives and universities.
During the meetings, information was shared on the priorities, eligibility criteria and application procedures of the grant program, along with practical guidance on preparing projects and budgets in line with European Union grant standards. In the question-and-answer sessions, participants had the opportunity to raise technical questions about the process and to share their experiences in project development.
The meetings facilitated access to the program for civil society organisations from different cities and contributed to diversifying participation. At the same time, this process aimed to strengthen rights-based, inclusive and dialogue-oriented approaches to project development.
The deadline for applications to the Empowering Civil Society Grant Program is 1 December 2025, 17:00 (GMT+3). You can access the Application Guidelines, which set out the steps to follow in the application process, the conditions and the required documents, here. All documents that need to be completed for the application can be downloaded here.
If you have any questions during the application process, you can contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until 21 November 2025, 18:00, by writing the grant program code “HDVHP25” in the subject line of your e-mail.

* The Hrant Dink Foundation started the project “Strengthening Civil Society for Diversity, Dialogue and Democratic Values” in 2025, with the financial support of the European Union. The key component of this project is the Strengthening CSO’s Grant Program.