Would you like to make “groundbreaking medical research” possible after your death or help young people “develop innovative ideas”? Four years ago, university funds joined forces for a joint donation campaign. The campaign has been revived at the start of the academic year, with radio ads and newspaper advertisements, among other things.

A few years ago, the funds noticed that relatively few people choose to donate (part of) their estate to a university fund. People are more likely to think of charities such as KWF Dutch Cancer Society or Doctors Without Borders.

“Education and research are often seen as a government responsibility rather than a charitable cause,” says Robbert Jan Feunekes of Utrecht University’s university fund.

Emergency funds and PhD positions

The campaign focuses primarily on the importance of scientific research. But the money can also go toward, for example, emergency funds for students or research positions for PhD candidates.

When people leave an inheritance, it is often intended for a specific cause that is important to the donor, Feunekes explains. This could be a particular disease or a subject the person themselves conducted research on.

Eindhoven’s university fund UFe discusses donors’ preferences for a research theme with them, says director Edith Snelders, “such as sustainability or health.” TU/e also has several thematic funds: the Health Tech Fund and the Energy Tech Fund.

Five million euros

Most estates currently come from people who studied or worked at the university in question. They often had successful careers, Feunekes says.

In 2023, TU/e fund UFe received an inheritance from the couple Fred and Thea Philips (no relation to the Philips company) for research into medical devices. The legacy, which is paid out in annual installments, totals more than five million euros.

Botanical gardens

The amount of money institutions receive varies from year to year. This year, Utrecht University will receive an inheritance of 75,000 euros specifically for the botanical gardens. Last year, however, the university received nothing.

Last year, four Dutch universities jointly received 10 million euros from an inheritance: Wageningen University & Research, Tilburg University, the University of Twente, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam each received a one-time payment of 2.5 million euros.

Harvard

The funds will soon meet to assess the initial responses to the new campaign, Feunekes says. “The numbers aren’t huge, but they are very valuable. The previous campaign ultimately resulted in dozens.”

In other countries, bequests and other donations make up a much larger share of a university’s income. In the United States, for example, it is much more common for people to financially support their former university after graduating. The endowment of prestigious Harvard, for instance, consists of billions of dollars in donations and bequests.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.