Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Professor Koenraad Debackere, General Manager, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, says:

“Working with More Partnership has been a great experience for us. Their insights will be central in bringing our fundraising activities to the next level.”

Isabel Penne, Directeur, Leuvens Universiteitsfonds (development director), tells the story:

“Here in mainland Europe, you have to adapt the traditional US or UK fundraising approaches to each country and institution. It’s a big stretch. Fortunately, More Partnership not only understands that but has also helped us to achieve it. It’s the only consultancy I’ve encountered with a truly international perspective.

“When Ian Edwards first came in we’d been hovering around €11-12 million a year for a while. That puts us in the top 15 or so universities in Europe. I’d been telling the senior academics this for years, but when Ian came in from the outside they really listened and it buzzed around the university.

“All the same, we wondered if it was possible to make a quantum leap by trying a US-style campaign. The first step was to be humble and undergo a full audit of structure, operations and performance. More Partnership came in and produced a report with a very positive focus. It pointed out the things we did well but also highlighted what we could do better. It was the kind of report that you could show to people at all levels in order to get their acceptance.

“The conclusion was that we had three options: one, carry on as we were; two, embark on a big, university-wide campaign; or three (Ian’s recommendation), go for a focused campaign on a single area of excellence. In the current economic climate, the senior managers and academics all agreed that this was by far the most realistic course.

“We’re lucky to have a top-notch university hospital, which collaborates with a wide range of other departments. They’re particularly strong in research on the brain – from childhood autism to Alzheimer’s disease. As these are the source of so many societal problems, we decided – with Ian’s help – that this would be an ideal theme to trial.

“Now we’re in the midst of the feasibility study. The draft case for support is written and the first wave of letters is going out. It’s an exciting time. We won’t have the results for a few months, but we know we’ll be kept up-to-date along the way.”