What if... you can make the future a little better?

'What if...' (Dutch: ‘Wat als…’) is the name of a campaign on leaving a gift to science in your will by of the fourteen Dutch University Funds together. You too can include the Utrecht University Fund in your will. Do you have a soft spot for the UU and have you ever considered making a bequest  to science? What destination would your gift have? What is important to you?

A bequest can make a difference

Making the difference. That sounds like a big task. Fortunately, even a small difference can be important on the road to a better future. Our research makes a difference every day, whether it's medical research or solutions for restoring biodiversity. We also make a difference by educating a new generation and helping them develop themselves.

Even if you are not a scientist or student (anymore), you can help make that difference. By including science in your will, you contribute to making the future a little better.

'What if...' campaign

From 16 November, you can come across advertisements on Dutch radio, social media and in various newspapers about making a bequest to science, headed by 'Wat als...' (what if). A magazine with special stories can be requested on the campaign website nalatenaandewetenschap.nl (in Dutch). Stories from scientists and (former) students, about the support they have received from a bequest, and the stories of those who have included a University Fund in their will. Why do they choose to make a bequest to the university?

One of the stories is by the Utrecht ecologist Dr. Ralph Temmink. He won the 2023 Agnites Vrolik Award, which exists thanks to a bequest to the Utrecht University Fund. "It gives me satisfaction when the students I have trained can contribute to a more sustainable future thanks to my lessons."