M-life: the smart way to support M

Running a museum costs money. So M-life is our appeal to generous donors. Might you be one of them?

Your money will be spent wisely – that’s guaranteed

Peter Bary

General director of M

M cannot live on subsidies alone, and must actively fundraise. Peter Bary, General Director of M, explains why this is so crucial.

"We receive around 55% of our operating budget from the City of Leuven, and a further 20% from the Flemish Community. The remaining 20 to 25% we need to find ourselves – and this puts us at the front of the peloton of Belgian museums. On average this amounts to more than 1 million euros per year."

"We find that money through four channels. First: ticket sales. Then we hire out the museum spaces to companies – something you can read about elsewhere in the magazine. We also have long-running partnerships with businesses, such as the Cera cooperative and Delen Private Bank. And then there’s a fourth channel: fundraising, above all via our museum fund, M-life."

Portret van Peter Bary, algemeen directeur van M Leuven — © Aurélie Geurts voor M Leuven

Independently audited

"M-life was established in 2016. The fund is independently managed and audited by the King Baudouin Foundation. They’re very experienced in this field. What’s more, this allows us to provide a tax certificate to donors for gifts from 40 euros."

"Two income streams flow into M-life. Firstly, the contributions of our M-art patrons. They pay 1,000 euros per year. Half of this, 500 euros per M-art patron, is allocated to M-life. This money is always spent on a specific project. We are currently focusing on the restoration of the 16th-century Passion Retable – work that will take years. Every visitor will be able to follow how our experts are treating this precious but fragile artefact. We are also considering a form of crowdfunding."

Candidate or party list vote?

"In addition to the contributions of our M-art patrons, there are also one-off gifts to M-life. You choose how much you give, and what kind of project you want to support. This is important to us: it ensures that donors feel involved."

"For example, you can support regional artists. As we did during the pandemic with ‘The Constant Glitch’. It was a particularly tough time for artists. That’s why we appealed for financial support for the sector. In just a few weeks, we raised more than 15,000 euros, a huge success. The city and Cera also made generous contributions, allowing us to purchase thirty-seven works from a total of nineteen artists. In this way, we helped them through a difficult period, whilst simultaneously enriching our collection."

"Another option is to donate to our collection. The Passion Retable restoration project is an example – everyone can support that, not just our M-art patrons."

Peter Bary, algemeen directeur van M Leuven, in de 'Collectie van M' — Zaalzicht 'Collectie van M', 2024, M Leuven, foto: © Aurélie Geurts voor M Leuven

"And then you can also support our educational projects. In recent years, this support has allowed us to set up ‘The Art Bridge’, a joint project with the Leuven-based primary school Mater Dei. The underlying idea is that art can help enhance children’s social integration in a hyperdiverse school. We look forward to delivering more inspiring projects like this in the future."

"And people who really can’t choose can simply support M’s general operations. It’s like voting for a party list at the election (laughs). Your gift then goes to the projects most deserving at the time."

"This is a heartfelt appeal to all our readers: please support us. Your taxes fund our basic operations, but your personal contribution will help us do even more. And thanks to M-life, your money is guaranteed to be well spent."

Through M-life, you help secure the future of art.

Your gift, however small or large, makes a difference. Support M-life and contribute to a lively and dynamic art community. Find out more at m-life.be

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