Gülsüm Özkaya
Istanbul,Turkiye
Summary
Strategic communication specialist with hands-on experience in media, campaigning, and donor engagement in the humanitarian sector. Built and led a communication department that helped scale her organization's annual budget from $2M to over $100M within three years—over half driven by digital fundraising campaigns. Successfully grew the individual donor base from 200 to 30,000+ and mobilized 4,000+ active volunteers. Currently pursuing an MA in Strategic Communication to further expand my impact in global donor engagement and crisis-focused campaigning.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Resource Development Coordinator
Children of Earth Association
06.2022 - Current
- Built the department from scratch; now lead 3 units: media, campaigning, and donor engagement.
- Led digital fundraising strategy that grew the annual budget from $150,000 (2022) to over $3M (2025) — over 50% driven by mass digital campaigns.
- Grew Instagram followers 7x and increased individual donors from 200 to 30,000+ through targeted content and storytelling.
- Scaled the volunteer base from 50 to 4,000+, driven by social change and advocacy campaigns.
- Designed and executed multi-channel campaigns tailored to crisis-affected children and their rights.
- Coordinated international outreach with 30+ partners, including 5 UK-based NGOs, for joint campaigns and donor relations.
- Developed internal communication standards and SOP-aligned messaging systems to ensure consistency and impact.
Project Coordinator
Pioneer Volunteers Association (ONGOR)
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Led strategic planning and team coordination for multiple educational programs supporting underrepresented Turkish university students.
- Directed a large-scale mentorship program matching 100+ students with academics from top US institutions such as Harvard and MIT.
- Systematized the mentorship program using Airtable, conducted data analysis, and implemented improvements based on engagement metrics.
- Organized and facilitated workshops and community events to strengthen mentor-mentee communication.
- Managed a global research internship application program, overseeing a 10-person team, application processes, logistics, and budgeting.
- Led sponsor outreach efforts and directed the organization’s social media and design strategy.
Education
Master of Arts - Strategic Communication Management
Galatasaray University
Istanbul06-2026
Bachelor of Arts - History
Boğaziçi University
Istanbul06-2022
Skills
- Strategic Communication& Goal Setting
- Digital Fundraising
- Social Impact Campaigns
- Copywriting & Content Creation
- Coordinating Different Units
- Data-Driven Campaign Design
- Monitoring & Impact Reporting
Certification
- Copywriting Certificate, Boğaziçi University - 2022
Languages
Turkish
Native or Bilingual
English
Full Professional
Timeline
Resource Development Coordinator
Children of Earth Association
06.2022 - Current
Project Coordinator
Pioneer Volunteers Association (ONGOR)
01.2022 - 01.2023
Master of Arts - Strategic Communication Management
Galatasaray University
Bachelor of Arts - History
Boğaziçi University