A comprehensive feasibility study and campaign support for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – a UK icon and international powerhouse of science

Client

Kew is not just a pretty place. It carries out cutting-edge scientific research and is at the centre of a global network of 800 scientific and conservation organisations in 100 countries.

Brief

Kew needed to figure out whether a worldwide campaign was realistic. That meant finding consultants who were not only expert fundraisers but also happy to work internationally.

Project dates
2009 to 2011

Michael T. Murphy, former Director of Development, Kew Foundation, says:
“I came on board just as More Partnership was reaching out to donors and prospects in the Americas, the Gulf, the Far East and closer to home for interviews.

“The feasibility study was an important reality check. We went in with a much bigger goal than the £100 million we finally decided on. In a scientific institution, it’s vital to make an evidence-based decision – and that’s what the interviews and the final report helped us to do.

“The report has been a constant point of reference. It’s helped my staff and our senior managers understand both the challenges and the potential of fundraising. The truth is that we’re at a critical point in the history of Kew and the planet. Our plant-science-based conservation work could help to solve major global problems – from food security to climate change. So the cuts in our government funding couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“So far, despite difficult economic times, we’ve been extraordinarily successful at fundraising. Ian and Liam have remained my ‘wise men’, whom I can call on for independent advice and inspiration at any critical moment. More Partnership also helped us write a stunning Case for Support. But that’s another story. Or, to be precise, many other stories! After all, storytelling is another of their special skills.”