Case study
Balkan Vakfı.
The official member app of a cultural foundation — digital ID cards, live news, meeting agendas and a complete scholarship application system, built for a real community in Ankara.
- Role
- Solo engineer — design to release
- Platform
- iOS & Android
- Stack
- React Native · Expo · Supabase · TypeScript
- Year
- 2025 — 2026
From paper to pocket
Balkan Vakfı — the Balkan Countries Cultural Research & Education Foundation — is an Ankara-based NGO serving the Balkan immigrant community. Its member records, meeting agendas and scholarship applications all lived on paper and scattered channels. The foundation needed one place for its members.
I built the official member app alone, end to end. Members carry a digital ID card instead of a plastic one, read foundation news pulled live from the existing WordPress site, follow board meeting agendas, and — the heart of the app — apply for education scholarships entirely in-app: forms, document uploads and a hand-drawn signature included.
The scholarship system is a two-sided workflow. Applicants move through personal details, documents and declarations; administrators review each file through pending, approval and correction states, sending written feedback the applicant sees instantly. The whole UI is in Turkish, role-aware from guest to board member to admin.
What it does
Digital membership ID
A flippable membership card with the member's photo on the front and a scannable barcode on the back — distinct designs for standard members and board members.
Scholarship applications
A complete in-app application: personal details, document uploads (passport, transcript, student certificate), declarations, and a hand-drawn signature — no more paper forms.
Application review workflow
Administrators review applications through pending, board-approval and correction states, and can send written feedback that reaches the applicant directly.
Live news feed
The home screen pulls news straight from the foundation's WordPress site, with an admin-editable featured card highlighting current campaigns.
Meeting agendas
Board meeting agendas with dated items, plus a formal flow for members to submit agenda proposals to the General Secretary.
Announcements & admin panel
An in-app admin dashboard for broadcasting push announcements, managing featured content, and approving executive membership requests.
Donations & support
Bank details and cause breakdowns — education scholarships, cultural programs and social aid — presented clearly for members who want to contribute.
Inside the app
Under the hood
- React Native + Expo — one TypeScript codebase for iOS and Android, expo-router navigation, Zustand state, New Architecture enabled.
- Supabase backend — Auth with role-aware accounts (guest, member, board, admin), Postgres for applications and agendas, Storage for uploaded documents and signatures.
- Push & location — broadcast announcements via Expo Push, and geofenced welcome banners that greet members when they arrive at event venues.
- WordPress integration — the news feed reads the foundation's existing site directly, so editors keep publishing where they always have.